an autobiography-第78部分

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ich　had　given　such　a　remarkable　structure　to　the　mountain。　On　this　subject；　Charles　Maclaren　was　one　of　the　best　living　expounders。　He　was　an　admirable　geologist；　and　had　closely　observed　the　features　of　volcanic　action　round　his　native　city。　　Robert　Chambers　then　took　us　to　see　the　glacial　grooved　rocks　on　another　part　of　the　mountain。　On　this　subject　he　was　a　master。　　It　was　a　vast　treat　to　me　to　see　those　distinct　evidences　of　actions　so　remotely　separated　in　point　of　geological　timein　respect　to　which　even　a　million　of　years　is　a　humble　approximate　unit*　　＇footnote。。。　〃It　is　to　our　ever…dropping　climate；　with　its　hundred　and　fifty…two　days　of　annual　rain；　that　we　owe　our　vegetable　mould　with　its　rich　and　beauteous　mantle　of　sward　and　foliage。　　And　next；　stripping　from　off　the　landscape　its　sands　and　gravels；　we　see　its　underlying　boulder…clays；　dingy　and　gray；　and　here　presenting　their　vast　ice…borne　stones；　and　there　its　iceberg　pavements。　　And　these　clays　in　turn　stripped　away；　the　bare　rocks　appear；　various　in　colour　and　uneven　in　surface；　but　everywhere　grooved　and　polished；　from　the　sea　level　and　beneath　it；　to　the　height　of　more　than　a　thousand　feet；　by　evidently　the　same　agent　that　careered　along　the　pavements　and　transported　the　great　stones。

HUGH　MILLER'S　Geological　Features　of　Edinburgh　and　its　Neighbourhood。　　。。。＇

What　a　fine　subject　for　a　picture　the　group　would　have　made！　with　the　great　volcanic　summit　of　the　mountain　behind；　the　noble　romantic　city　in　the　near　distance；　and　the　animated　intelligent　countenaces　of　the　demonstrators；　with　the　venerable　Pillans　eagerly　listeningfor　the　Professor　was　then　in　his　eighty…eighth　year。　　I　had　the　happiness　of　receiving　a　visit　from　him　at　Hammerfield　in　the　following　year。　He　was　still　hale　and　active；　and　although　I　was　comparatively　a　boy　to　him；　he　was　as　bright　and　clear…headed　as　he　had　been　forty　years　before。

In　the　course　of　the　same　year　I　accompanied　my　wife　and　my　sister　Charlotte　on　a　visit　to　the　Continent。　　It　was　their　first　sojourn　in　foreign　parts。　　I　was　able；　in　some　respects；　to　act　as　their　guide。　Our　visit　to　Paris　was　most　agreeable。　　During　the　three　weeks　we　were　there；　we　visited　the　Louvre；　the　Luxembourg；　Versailles；　and　the　parts　round　about。　　We　made　many　visits　to　the　Hotel　Cluny；　and　inspected　its　most　interesting　contents；　as　well　as　the　Roman　baths　and　that　part　of　the　building　devoted　to　Roman　antiquities。　　We　were　especially　delighted　with　the　apartments　of　the　Archbishop　of　Paris；　now　hung　with　fine　old　tapestry　and　provided　with　authentic　specimens　of　mediaeval　furniture。　　The　quaint　old　cabinets　were　beautiful　studies；　and　many　artists　were　at　work　painting　them　in　oil。　Everything　was　in　harmony。　When　the　sun　shone　in　through　the　windows　in　long　beams　of　coloured　light；　illuminating　portions　of　the　antique　furniture；　the　pictures　were　perfect。　　We　were　much　interested　also　by　the　chapel　in　which　Mary　Queen　of　Scots　was　married　to　the　Dauphin。　It　is　still　in　complete　preservation。　　The　Gothic　details　of　the　chapel　are　quite　a　study；　and　the　whole　of　these　and　the　contents　of　this　interesting　Museum　form　a　school　of　art　of　the　best　kind。

From　Paris　we　paid　a　visit　to　Chartres；　which　contains　one　of　the　most　magnificent　cathedrals　in　France。　　Its　dimensions　are　vast；　its　proportions　are　elegant；　and　its　painted　glass　is　unequalled。　Nothing　can　be　more　beautiful　than　its　three　rose…windows。　　But　I　am　not　writing　a　guide…book；　and　I　must　forbear。　　After　a　few　days　more　at　Paris　we　proceeded　south；　and　visited　Lyons；　Avignon；　and　Nismes；　on　our　way　to　Marseilles。　　I　have　already　described　Nismes　in　my　previous　visit　to　France。　　I　revisited　the　Roman　amphitheatre；　the　Maison　Quarree；　that　perfect　Roman　temple；　which；　standing　as　it　does　in　an　open　square；　is　seen　to　full　advantage。　　We　also　went　to　see　the　magnificent　Roman　aqueduct　at　Pont　du　Gard。　　The　sight　of　the　noble　structure　well　repays　a　visit。　　It　consists　of　three　tiers　of　arches。　　Its　magnitude；　the　skilful　fitting　of　its　enormous　blocks；　makes　a　powerful　impression　on　the　mind。　　It　has　stood　there；　in　that　solitary　wooded　valley；　for　upwards　of　sixteen　centuries；　and　it　is　still　as　well　fitted　for　conveying　its　aqueduct　of　water　as　ever。　　I　have　seen　nothing　to　compare　with　it；　even　at　Rome。　　It　throws　all　our　architectural　buildings　into　the　shade。　　On　our　way　back　from　Marseilles　to　Paris　we　visited　Grenoble　and　its　surrounding　beautiful　Alpine　scenery。　Then　to　Chambery；　and　afterwards　to　Chamounix；　where　we　obtained　a　splendid　view　of　Mont　Blanc。　　We　returned　home　by　way　of　Geneva　and　Paris；　vastly　delighted　with　our　most　enjoyable　journey。

I　return　to　another　of　my　hobbies。　　I　had　an　earnest　desire　to　acquire　the　art　and　mystery　of　practical　photography。　　I　bought　the　necessary　apparatus；　together　with　the　chemicals；　and　before　long　I　became　an　expert　in　the　use　of　the　positive　and　negative　collodion　process；　including　the　printing　from　negatives；　in　all　the　details　of　that　wonderful　and　delightful　art。　　To　any　one　who　has　some　artistic　taste；　photography；　both　in　its　interesting　processes　and　glorious　results；　becomes　a　most　attractive　and　almost　engrossing　pursuit。　　It　is　a　delightful　means　of　educating　the　eye　for　artistic　feeling；　as　well　as　of　educating　the　hands　in　delicate　manipulation。　　I　know　of　nothing　equal　to　photography　as　a　means　of　advancing　one's　knowledge　in　these　respects。　　I　had　long　meditated　a　work　〃On　the　Moon；〃　and　it　was　for　this　purpose　more　especially　that　I　was　earnest　in　endeavouring　to　acquire　the　necessary　practical　skill。　　I　was　soon　enabled　to　obtain　photographic　copies　of　the　elaborate　models　of　parts　of　the　moon's；　surface；　which　I　had　long　before　prepared。　　These　copies　were　hailed　by　the　highest　authorities　in　this　special　department　of　astronomical　research　as　the　best　examples　of　the　moon's　surface　which　had　yet　been　produced。

In　reference　to　this　subject；　as　well　as　to　my　researches　into　the　structure　of　the　sun's　surface；　I　had　the　inestimable　happiness　of　securing　the　friendship　of　that　noble　philosopher；　Sir　John　Herschel。　His　visits　to　me；　and　my　visits　to　him；　have　left　in　my　memory　the　most　cherished　and　happy　recollections。　　Of　all　the　scientific　men　I　have　had　the　happiness　of　meeting；　Sir　John　stands　supremely　at　the　head　of　the　list。　　He　combined　profound　knowledge　with　perfect　humility。　He　was　simple；　earnest；　and　companionable；　He　was　entirely　free　from　assumptions　of　superiority；　and；　still　learning；　would　listen　attentively　to　the　humblest　student。　　He　was　ready　to　counsel　and　instruct；　as　well　as　to　receive　information。　　He　would　sit　down　in　my　workshop；　and　see　me　go　through　the　various　technical　processes　of　casting；　grinding；　and　polishing　specula　for　reflecting　telescopes。　That　was　a　pleasure　to　him；　and　a　vast　treat　to　me。

I　had　been　busily　occupied　for　some　time　in　making　careful　investigations　into　the　dark　spots　upon　the　Sun's　surface。　　These　spots　are　of　extraordinary　dimensions；　sometimes　more　than　10；000　miles　in　diameter。　Our　world　might　be　dropped　into　them。　　I　observed　that　the　spots　were　sometimes　bridged　over　by　a　streak　of　light；　formed　of　willow…leaf…shaped　objects。　　They　were　apparently　possessed　of　voluntary　motion；　and　moved　from　one　side　of　the　spot　to　the　other。　These　flakes　were　evidently　the　immediate　sources　of　the　solar　light　and　heat。　　I　wrote　a　paper　on　the　subject；　which　I　sent　to　the　Literary　and　Philosophical　Society　of　Manchester。*　　＇footnote。。。　Memoirs　of　the　Literary　and　Philosophical　Society　of　Manchester；　3d　series；　vol。　i。　p。　407。　　My　first　discovery　of　the　〃Willow…leaf〃　objects　on　the　Sun's　surface　was　made　in　June　1860。I　afterwards　obtained　several　glimpses　of　them　from　time　to　time。But　the　occasions　are　very　rare　when　the　bright　sun　can　be　seen　in　a　tranquil　atmosphere　free　from　vibrations；　and　when　the　delicate　objects　on　its　surface　can　be　clearly　defined。　　It　was　not　until　the　5th　of　June　1864　that　I　obtained　the　finest　sight　of　the　Sun's　spots　and　the　Willow…leaf　objects；　it　was　then　that　I　made　a　careful　drawing　of　them；　from　which　the　annexed　faithful　engraving　has　been　produced。　　Indeed　I　never　had　a　better　sight　of　this　extraordinary　aspect　of　the　Sun　than　on　that　day。　　。。。＇

The　results　of　my　observations　were　of　so　novel　a　character　that　astronomers　for　some　time　hesitated　to　accept　them　as　facts。　Yet　Sir　John　Herschel；　the　chief　of　astronomers；　declared　them　to　be　〃a　most　wonderful　discovery〃

＇Image＇　　Group　of　sun　spots　as　seen　by　James　Nasmyth；　5th　June　1864。

I　received　a　letter　from　Sir　John；　dated　Collingwood；　2lst　of　May　1861；　in　which　he　said：

〃I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you　for　your　note；　and　by　the　sight　of　your　drawings；　which　Mr。　Maclaren　was　so　kind　as　to　bring　over　here　the　other　day。　　I　suppose　there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　the　reality　of　the　willow…leaved　flakes；　and　in　that　case　they　certainly　are　the　most　marvellous　phenomena　that　have　yet　turned　uphad　almost　said　in　all　Naturecertainly　in　all　Astronomy。

〃What　can　they　be？　　Are　they　huge　phosphorised　fishes？　　If　so；　what　monsters！　　Or　are　they　crystals？　a　kind　of　igneous　snow…flakes？　floating　in　a　fluid　of　their　own；　or　very　nearly　their　own；　specific　gravity？　　Some　kind　of　solidi