an autobiography-第74部分

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〃In　due　course　of　time　the　entire　of　the　remaining　nebulous　mass　would　become　affected　with　rotation　from　the　more　rapidly　moving　centre；　and　would　assume　what　appears　to　me　to　be　their　inherent　normal　condition；　namely；　spirality；　as　the　prevailing　character　of　their　structure；　and　as　that　is　actually　the　aspect　which　may　be　said　to　characterise　the　majority　of　those　marvellous　nebulae；　as　revealed　to　us　by　Lord　Rosse's　magnificent　telescope；　I　am　strongly　impressed　with　the　conviction　that　such　reasons　as　I　have　assigned　have　been　the　cause　of　their　spiral　aspect　and　arrangement。

〃And　by　following　up　the　same　train　of　reasoning；　it　appears　to　me　that　we　may　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　primeval　cause　of　the　rotation　of　every　body　throughout　the　regions　of　space；　whether　they　be　nebulae；　stars；　double　stars；　or　planetary　systems。

〃The　primary　cause　of　rotation　which　I　have　endeavoured　to　describe　in　the　preceding　remarks　is　essentially　cosmical；　and　is　the　direct　and　immediate　offspring　of　the　action　of　gravitation　on　matter　in　a　diffused；　nebulous；　and；　as　such；　highly　mobile　condition。

〃It　will　be　obvious　that　in　the　case　of　a　nebulous　mass；　whose　matter　is　unequally　distributed；　that　in　such　a　case　several　sub…centres　of　gravity　would　be　elected；　that　is　to　say；　each　patch　of　nebulous　matter　would　have　its　own　centre　of　gravity；　but　these　in　their　turn　subordinate　to　that　of　the　common　centre　of　gravity　of　the　whole　system；　about　which　all　such　outlaying　parts　would　revolve。　Each　of　the　portions　above　alluded　to　would　either　be　attracted　by　the　superior　mass；　and　pass　in　towards　it　as　a　wisp　of　nebulous　matter；　or　else　establish　perfect　individual　and　distinct　rotation　within　itself；　and　finally　revolve　about　the　great　common　centre　of　gravity　of　the　whole。

〃Bearing　this　in　mind；　and　referring　to　some　of　the　figures　of　the　marvellous　spiral　nebulae　which　Lord　Rosse's　telescope　has　revealed　to　us；　I　shall　now　bring　these　suggestions　to　a　conclusion。　I　have　avoided　expanding　them　to　the　extent　I　feel　the　subject　to　be　worthy　and　capable　of；　but　I　trust　such　as　I　have　offered　will　be　sufficient　to　convey　a　pretty　clear　idea　of　my　views　on　this　sublime　subject；　which　I　trust　may　receive　the　careful　consideration　its　nature　entitles　it　to。　　Let　any　one　carefully　reflect　on　the　reason　why　water　assumes　a　rotatory　motion　when　a　portion　of　it　is　permitted　to　escape　from　an　aperture　in　the　bottom　of　the　circular　vessel　containing　it；　if　they　will　do　so　in　the　right　spirit；　I　am　fain　to　think　they　will　arrive　at　the　same　conclusion　as　the　contemplation　of　this　familiar　phenomenon　has　brought　me　to。

〃　BRIDGEWATER　FOUNDARY；　June　7；　1855。〃

I　was　present　at　a　meeting　of　the　Geological　Society　at　Manchester　in　1853；　in　the　discussions　of　which　I　took　part。

I　was　much　impressed　by　an　address　of　the　Rev。　Dr。　Vaughan　（then　Principal　of　the　Independent　College　at　Manchester）；　which　is　as　interesting　now　as　it　was　then。　　After　referring　to　the　influence　which　geological　changes　had　produced　upon　the　condition　of　nations；　and　the　moral　results　which　oceans；　mountains；　islands；　and　continents　have　had　upon　the　social　history　of　man；　he　went　on　to　say：　　〃Is　not　this　island　of　ours　indebted　to　these　great　causes？　　Oh；　that　blessed　geological　accident　that　broke　up　a　strait　between　Calais　and　Dover！　　It　looks　but　a　little　thing；　it　was　a　matter　to　take　place；　but　how　mighty　the　moral　results　upon　the　condition　and　history　of　this　country；　and；　through　this　country's　influence；　upon　humanity！　　Bridge　over　the　space　between；　and　you　have　directly　the　huge　continental　barrack…yard　system　all　over　England。　　And　once　get　into　the　condition　of　a　great　continental　military　power；　and　you　get　the　arbitrary　power；　you　cramp　down　the　people；　and　you　unfit　them　from　being　what　they　ought　to　beFREE　And　all　the　good　influences　together　at　work　in　this　country　could　not　have　secured　us　against　this；　but　for　that　blessed　separation　between　this　Isle　and　the　Continent。〃

In　1853　I　was　appointed　a　member　of　the　Small　Arms　Committee　for　the　purpose　of　re…modelling　and；　in　fact；　re…establishing　the　Small　Arms　Factory　at　Enfield。　　The　wonderful　success　of　the　needle　gun　in　the　war　between　Prussia　and　Denmark　in　1848　occasioned　some　alarm　amongst　our　military　authorities　as　to　the　state　of　affairs　at　home。　　The　Duke　of　Wellington　to　the　last　proclaimed　the　sufficiency　of　〃Brown　Bess〃　as　a　weapon　of　offence　and　defence；　but　matters　could　no　longer　be　deferred。　The　United　States　Government；　though　possessing　only　a　very　small　standing　army；　had　established　at　Springfield　a　small　arms　factory；　where；　by　the　use　of　machine　tools　specially　designed　to　execute　with　the　most　unerring　precision　all　the　details　of　muskets　and　rifles；　they　were　enabled　to　dispense　with　mere　manual　dexterity；　and　to　produce　arms　to　any　amount。　　It　was　finally　determined　to　improve　the　musketry　and　rifle　systems　of　the　English　army。　　The　Government　resolved　to　introduce　the　American　system；　by　which　Arms　might　be　produced　much　more　perfectly；　and　at　a　great　diminution　of　cost。　It　was　under　such　circumstances　that　the　Small　Arms　Committee　was　appointed。

Colonel　Colt　had　brought　to　England　some　striking　examples　of　the　admirable　machine　tools　used　at　Springfield；　and　he　established　a　manufactory　at　Pimlico　for　the　production　of　his　well…known　revolvers。　The　committee　resolved　to　make　a　personal　visit　to　the　United　States　Factory　at　Springfield。　　My　own　business　engagements　at　home　prevented　me　accompanying　the　members　who　were　selected；　but　as　my　friend　John　Anderson　（now　Sir　John）；　acted　as　their　guide；　the　committee　had　in　him　a　most　able　and　effective　helper。　　He　directed　their　attention　to　the　most　important　and　available　details　of　that　admirable　establishment。　The　United　States　Government　acted　most　liberally　in　allowing　the　committee　to　obtain　every　information　on　the　subject；　and　the　heads　of　the　various　departments；　who　were　intelligent　and　zealous；　rendered　them　every　attention　and　civility。

The　members　of　the　mission　returned　home　enthusiastically　delighted　with　the　results　of　their　inquiry。The　committee　immediately　proceeded　with　the　entire　re…modelling　of　the　Small　Arms　Factory　at　Enfield。　The　workshops　were　equipped　with　a　complete　series　of　special　machine　tools；　chiefly　obtained　from　the　Springfield　factory。　The　United　States　Government　also　permitted　several　of　their　best　and　workman　and　superintendents　to　take　service　under　the　English　Government。　Such　was　the　origin　of　the　Enfield　rifle。　　The　weapon　came　as　near　to　absolute　perfection　as　possible；　It　was　perfect　in　action；　durable　and　excellent　in　every　respect　even　in　it's　conversion　to　the　breechloader　it　is　still　one　of　the　best　weapons。　　It　is　impossible　to　give　too　much　praise　to　Sir　John　Anderson　and　Colonel　Dixon　for　the　untiring　and　intelligent　zeal　with　which　they　carried　out　the　plans；　as　well　as　for　the　numerous　improvements　which　they　introduced。　　These　have　rendered　the　Enfield　Small　Arms　Factory　one　of　the　most　perfect　and　best　regulated　establishments　in　the　kingdom。


CHAPTER　20。　　Retirement　from　Business。

I　had　been　for　some　time　contemplating　the　possibility　of　retiring　altogether　from　business。　　I　had　got　enough　of　the　world's　goods；　and　was　willing　to　make　way　for　younger　men。　　But　I　found　it　difficult　to　break　loose　from　old　associations。　　Like　the　retired　tallow…chandler；　I　might　wish　to　go　back　〃on　melting　days。〃　　I　had　some　correspondence　with　my　old　friend　David　Roberts；　Royal　Academician；　on　the　subject。　He　wrote　to　me　on　the　2d　June　1853；　and　said：

〃I　rejoice　to　learn；　from　the　healthy　tone　that　breathes　throughout　your　epistle；　that　you　are　as　happy　as　every　one　who　knows　you　wishes　you　to　be；　and　as　prosperous　as　you　deserve。　　Knowing；　also；　as　I　do；　your　feeling　for　art　and　all　that　tends　to　raise　and　dignify　man；　I　most　sincerely　congratulate　you　on　the　prospect　of　your　being　able　to　retire；　in　the　full　vigour　of　manhood；　to　follow　out　that　sublime　pursuit；　in　comparison　with　which　the　painter's　art　is　but　a　faint　glimmering。　　'The　Landscape　of　other　worlds'　you　alone　have　sketched　for　us；　and　enlightened　us　on　that　with　which　the　ancient　world　but　gazed　upon　and　worshipped　in　the　symbol　of　Astarte；　Isis；　and　Diana。　We　are　matter…of…fact　now；　and　have　outlived　childhood。　　What　say　you　to　a　photograph　of　those　wonderful　drawings？　　It　may　come　to　that。〃*　　＇footnote。。。　It　did　indeed　〃come　to　that；〃　for　I　shortly　after　learned　the　art　of　photography；　chiefly　for　this　special　purpose。　　。。。＇

But　I　had　something　else　yet　to　do　in　my　special　vocation。　In　1854　I　took　out　a　patent　for　puddling　iron　by　means　of　steam。　Many　of　my　readers　may　not　know　that　cast…iron　is　converted　into　malleable　iron　by　the　process　called　puddling。　　The　iron；　while　in　a　molten　state；　is　violently　stirred　and　agitated　by　a　stiff　iron　rod；　having　its　end　bent　like　a　hoe　or　flattened　hook；　by　which　every　portion　of　the　molten　metal　is　exposed　to　the　oxygen　of　the　air；　and　the　supercharge　of　carbon　which　the　cast　iron　contains　is　thus　〃burnt　out。〃　　When　this　is　effectually　done　the　iron　becomes　malleable　and　weldable。

This　state　of　the　iron　is　indicated　by　a　general　loss　of　fluidity；　accompanied　by　a　tenden