Review of the labors, &c., performed by Mr. Bowditch, during
these voyages.—Habits while at sea; studies; desire to teach
others; kindness to sailors and to the sick.—Discovers errors
in a book on navigation.—Origin of “American Practical
Navigator;” success of it; industry of Mr. Bowditch upon
it.—Investigates higher branches of science.—“Mécanique
Céleste.”—Mr. Bowditch reads history.—Learns Spanish, French,
and Portuguese languages.—Anecdotes.—Chosen member of American
Academy.—Receives honors from Harvard College.
[Sidenote: A REVIEW.]
[Sidenote: HABITS AT SEA.]
[Sidenote: TEACHES THE SAILORS.]
[Sidenote: CARES FOR THEM WHEN ILL.]
Thus finished Mr. Bowditch’s career as a sailor, after he had been about
eight years engaged in this pursuit. Let us now review a little, and see
what he was doing during these voyages, and how he occupied his time. He
was very regular in his habits. During the first two voyages he attended
to the duties of mate of the vessel. This, of course, prevented him from
studying as much as he otherwise would have done. He, moreover, as we
have seen, took fewer books with him. But during the next two voyages,
the captain excused him from the watches, and he was able to read with
less interruption. After the deck had been washed in the morning, he
walked for half an hour. He then went into the cabin to study, until the
time arrived at which he was to observe the sun. This was done every day
at noon, in order to tell whereabouts in the ocean a vessel is at the
moment of the observation. Having finished this, he usually dined. After
this he slept a few moments, or took a walk, and then studied again until
tea time. After supper he was again at work until nine, when he used to
walk for some time, cheerfully talking with his comrades. Afterwards he
usually studied until late at night; and in order not to disturb his
fellow-passengers, he did not keep a light in the cabin, but frequently
stood upon the cabin stairway, reading by the light of the binnacle lamp,
where the compass was kept. Whenever the vessel arrived at a port, he
was still engaged, but in a different way, perhaps. The instant he was
freed from the duties of weighing pepper on the coast of Sumatra, he went
to his books. No time was wasted, either in foul or fair weather. It made
no difference to him whether the ship was resting motionless upon the
water, or tossing upon the heaviest swell, he was always a worker. But
there was yet another and still more pleasant trait in his character.
He not only loved study himself, but he was determined to persuade all
others to love it also. During his first voyage, he used to go to the
forecastle, or sailor’s cabin, and carry his books of navigation, and
teach the seamen how to guide a ship by the rules found in these books.
He then went on deck, and explained to each one the method of using the
quadrant and sextant, two instruments used by a sea captain. There was an
old man formerly living in Salem, who, when speaking of this disposition
of Mr. Bowditch, said, “I was the steward onboard the vessel, and Mr.
Bowditch frequently scolded me because I did not come to study with him
more steadily.” It is a fact that every sailor on board the ship during
that voyage became afterwards captain, and probably some of them would
never have risen so high, had it not been for the kindness of their
friend. I like to think of this trait in his character. He delighted in
learning for its own sake, and he was always pleased when he could find
some one upon whom he could bestow all his acquirements. He had no mean
standard of comparison between himself and his fellows, but desired to
give and receive as much good as it was possible for him to bestow or
accept.
He was beloved for this by all: but his kindness of heart led him not
merely to teach those who knew _less_ than he, but he did all he could
to relieve them when ill. One of them wrote in a letter answering my
inquiries, after alluding to Mr. Bowditch’s willingness to teach others,
“But kindness and attention to the poor seasick cabin-boy are to this day
[April, 1838] uppermost in my memory, and will last when his learning is
remembered no more.” He might have been as learned, without displaying
this regard for others. But he would not then have had such tributes of
love as was displayed by this old sailor, who remembered his kindness
rather than his instruction.
[Sidenote: STUDY OF MATHEMATICS.]
[Sidenote: BOWDITCH’S NAVIGATOR.]
[Sidenote: ORIGIN OF IT.]
[Sidenote: SUCCESS.]
[Sidenote: FAVORABLE NOTICE.]
But let us examine his particular studies pursued while at sea. We have
already seen that from a boy he had liked simple arithmetic, and on
becoming older had studied deeply into mathematics—a kind of learning
similar in character to arithmetic, only much more difficult and
important. During the long voyages to India, he had ample opportunity
for following this branch of science; consequently we find that he was
chiefly occupied with that subject. On the first voyage he discovered
many errors in a book on navigation, some of which were so important,
that in consequence of them, not a few vessels had been shipwrecked.
This erroneous work was originally published in London, by a man named
Hamilton Moore, and it was almost the only one in use among seamen. It
had been reprinted in America, in 1798, by Mr. Blunt, then living in
Newburyport. One edition had been published, and a second was about
to be issued, in 1799, when Mr. Blunt learned, by means of a mutual
friend, that Mr. Bowditch, during his two first voyages, had detected
many of these errors, and was willing to inform him of them. Mr. Blunt
immediately made application to the young navigator, and received the
assistance he wanted. Finding that Mr. Bowditch had within him the
means of rendering essential service, Mr. Blunt proposed to him, when
starting on his fourth voyage,—that is, to India,—to examine all the
tables, and see what number of errors he could find. Mr. Bowditch agreed
to the proposal, and during this voyage his time was much occupied with
this task—a very wearisome, but, as it proved eventually, a profitable
one, as it regards reputation and pecuniary success. The mistakes
were so numerous that he found it much easier to make a new work, and
introduce therein his own improvements: so that Mr. Bowditch, before
the termination of the voyage, decided to make some arrangement for
this purpose. The consequence was, that, instead of publishing a third
edition of Moore’s Navigator, in 1802, the first edition of the “American
Practical Navigator” was published by Mr. Bowditch, under his own name,
Mr. Blunt being proprietor. Thus was laid, at the age of twenty-nine, the
foundation of a work on navigation that has kept constantly before the
public, as one of the best of the kind, either in America or England.
It passed through its tenth edition a short time before Mr. Bowditch’s
death.[8] It soon superseded entirely Mr. Moore’s, and was early
republished in London. And it was not only obtained by every American
seaman, but even English ships sought for Bowditch’s Navigator as their
safety during their long voyages. Many amusing anecdotes are related in
reference to this book. An American captain once took passage in an
English ship from the Isle of France for St. Helena. After, being a few
days out, the passenger, about noon, brought on deck his “Navigator” (one
of Bowditch’s editions) for the purpose of using it. While thus engaged,
the English captain of the vessel walked up and looked at the work.
“Why,” says he, “you use the same work that we do. Pray, where did you
get that?” And great was the surprise of the Englishman, when he learned
that the author of the book he was using every day of his life was the
near neighbor and friend of the person he was talking with. Little did he
imagine that he was dependent upon the efforts of a son of an American
cooper for the information by which he was enabled to go from sea to sea
in comparative safety. But how is it that this work has been able to
remain so long one of the best works of the kind? Because Mr. Bowditch
bestowed very great pains upon it, and with every new edition made all
the improvements possible. He moreover brought all his learning to bear
upon it. To use a common phrase, he put, for the time being, his “whole
heart into” making it as perfect as possible. In the explanations of the
rules he was simple, so that the most ignorant could understand them.
But, in addition to all this, as we have already stated, he introduced
all the new methods which he himself had discovered. One of these was
favorably noticed by a celebrated French astronomer, in a Journal
published in 1808.
[Sidenote: PEACEFUL MATHEMATICS.]
But, although his attention was much devoted to this book on navigation,
he evidently considered it as of little moment, compared with more
important objects. During the long voyages he had been studying the
higher branches of the mathematics and their applications to the
calculation of the motions of the heavenly bodies. The interest he felt
in these pursuits had a most pleasing effect upon him. If he were sad or
disturbed, he found quiet and cheerfulness in “his peaceful mathematics.”
As arithmetic had been the darling pursuit of his boyhood, so now the
curious and intricate problems of mathematics, and the sublime theories
of the planets, occupied his best leisure hours. We have seen that, long
before going to sea, he studied French for the purpose of reading a
work on mathematics. He continued to read with much interest the works
of that country. Some of you may know that about the close of the last
century, at the revolution in France, all the nation was aroused; every
branch of learning and of art received new life. The consequence was,
that many men of the highest genius arose, and, being patronized by
government, they put forth to the world extraordinary works of learning.
Most of these, when upon astronomy, Mr. Bowditch procured for himself,
by means of the publisher of the “Navigator.” He was still engaged in
extracting from various works, or, in other words, in filling up his
volumes of manuscripts, though now, from the increase of his property,
he was enabled to buy the originals; and of course his manuscripts were
chiefly his sea journals, and the notes made by himself upon the various
authors he read. But he did not confine himself entirely to science. He
read history, and some works of a literary character, but he never spent
much time upon inferior books. “Why read anything you cannot speak of?”
he used frequently to say. He likewise studied the Spanish, Italian, and
Portuguese languages.
[Sidenote: METHOD OF STUDYING LANGUAGES.]
[Sidenote: GERMAN VOCABULARY.]
His mode of learning languages is instructive. As soon as he determined
to study one, he bought a Bible, Grammar, and Dictionary in that tongue.
After learning a few of the pronouns and auxiliary verbs, he began to
translate, and usually commenced with the first chapter of the Gospel of
St. John, because in the few first verses there are many repetitions.
Having studied them thoroughly, he proceeded to other portions of the
Bible, with which he was most acquainted. He always carried to church
a Bible in the language he was studying, and used it, instead of an
English one, during the services. But he had another plan, which is very
useful to one who has a bad memory. I will now explain to you one of
his vocabularies, or collections of words, with their meanings attached
thereto, so arranged that he could refer much more easily to them than
to a common dictionary. He did not learn German until a long time after
the period of his life of which we are now speaking; but as the German
vocabulary is the most perfect, I will describe it. It is made upon two
large sheets, one foot broad, and more than a foot and a half high,
which, with the inside of the covers, make six pages. The pages are
divided into columns about one and a half inches wide, that is, large
enough to admit, in very small writing, a word with its signification
by its side. Of course the columns are divided for the letters of the
alphabet, in a manner proportioned to the number of pages of each letter
in the dictionary. Having thus prepared his book, whenever he found that
he was obliged, for want of memory, to look at the dictionary more than
once for the meaning of a word, he wrote it in his vocabulary, and, by
the act of writing, strengthened in some measure his memory of that
word; and, moreover, he could find it immediately, and not lose time as
in turning over the leaves of a larger book. The number of words thus
seen at a glance, as it were, is remarkable. In the above-described six
pages, there are eleven thousand German words, all written distinctly,
but in small letters, and without any repetitions, and with as many
abbreviations as he himself chose. I have been thus minute upon this
subject, not because I think that all ought to make vocabularies, but
because some may be benefited by so doing. Moreover, I wished to speak to
you of them as proofs of his perseverance.
[Sidenote: ACADEMY OF ARTS.]
[Sidenote: HARVARD COLLEGE HONORS.]
Two important events took place during this period of Mr. Bowditch’s
life, which it becomes our duty to record. On the 28th day of May, 1799,
he was chosen a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This
society was the first which bestowed upon him the honor of membership
of its body. It is composed of men of science, combined for the purpose
of improving themselves and the community in knowledge. He continued a
member of this body during his life; and in May, 1829, just thirty years
after becoming a member, he was chosen its president, in which office he
was continued until the day of his death.
[Sidenote: RESULTS OF GOOD USE OF TIME.]
Another honor, and one which was more pleasant to him than any received
at any time afterwards, was bestowed during this period. In 1802 his ship
was wind-bound in Boston, and he left it for the purpose of attending the
annual commencement at Cambridge College. He knew but few individuals
there, though he had corresponded with some of the professors; and one
of the corporation of the college, Chief Justice Parsons, was one of
his kindest friends. He went alone, and, while listening in the crowd
to the names of those upon whom the honors were conferred, he thought
he heard his own pronounced; but he supposed that he might have been
mistaken, inasmuch as the notice was given in Latin. But how great was
his emotion, when he heard from a friend that his suspicions were well
founded! It was to him the proudest day of his life. And we, who know his
humble origin, his simplicity and modesty, can in some measure understand
the thrill of pleasure that ran through him, when he found himself thus
noticed by the first and oldest university in the land. And why was he
thus noticed? Because he had well improved the hours of his life; because
his days and nights had been spent in activity and earnest study. In
after-life, when his fame was established, and the great societies of
Europe bestowed upon him their diplomas, he always looked upon them as
of small moment, compared with this his first, earliest proof of esteem
from his fellow-men. I will take this opportunity to state that very many
years afterwards he was elected one of the corporation of the college.
This he deemed his highest honor, and his estimate was a just one, for
it placed him among the select few who manage the whole affairs of the
university—a place doubtless coveted by many, but to which few are
called.
[Sidenote: NEW SCENES.]
Having now completed his sea life, let us enter upon his new scene of
energy and benevolence as a citizen and father; and our next chapter will
include several years of his residence at Salem.