FERGUSON (Jaxxs,) an eminent ex perimental philosopher, mechanic, and astronomer, was born in Bamffshire, in Scotland, 1710, of very poor parents. At the very earliest age his extraordinary ge nius began to unfold itself. He first learn ed to read, by overhearing his father teach his elder brother; and he had made this acquisition before any one suspected it. He soon discovered a peculiar taste for mechanics, which first arose on seeing his father use a lever. He pursued this study a considerable length, while he was yet very young ; and made a watch in wood-work, from having once seen one. As he had no instructor, nor any help from books, every thing he learned had all the merit of an original discovery ; and such, with inexpressible joy, he believed it to be.
As soon as his age would permit, he went to service ; in which he met with hardships, which rendered his constitu tion feeble through life. While he was servant to a farmer, (whose goodness he acknowledges, in the modest and humble account of himself which be prefixed to one of his publications) he contemplated and learned to know the stars, while he tended the sheep ; and began the study of astronomy, by laying down, from his own observations only, a celestial globe. His kind master, observing these marks of his ingenuity, procured him the counte nance and assistance of some neighbour ing gentlemen. By, their help and in structions he went on gaining farther knowledge, having by their means been taught arithmetic, with some algebra and practical geometry. He had got some notion of drawing, and being sent to Edinburgh, be there began to take por traits in miniature, at a small price ; an employment by which he supported him self and family for several years, both in Scotland and England, while he was pur suing more serious studies. In London he first published some curious astrono mical tables and calculations ; and after wards gave public lectures in experiment al philosophy, both in London and most of the country towns in England, with the highest marks of general approbation. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal So ciety, and was excused the payment of the admission fee, and the usual annual contribtitions. He enjoyed from the King a pension of fifty pounds a year, be sides other occasional presents, which he privately accepted and received from dif ferent quarters, till the time of his death ; by which, and the fruits of his own la bours, he left behind him a sum to the amount of about six thousand pounds, instead of which all his friends had al.
ways entertained an idea of his great po verty. He died in 1776, at 66 years of age, though he had the appearance of many more years.
Mr. Ferguson must be allowed to have been a very uncommon genius, especially in mechanical contrivances and execu tions; for he executed many machines himself in a very neat manner. He had also a good taste in astronomy, and natu ral and experimental philosophy, and was possessed of a happy manner of explain ing himself in an easy, clear, and familiar way. His general mathematical know ledge, however, was little or nothing. Of algebra he understood but scarcely more than the notation ; and he has often told Dr. Hutton, he could never demonstrate one proposition in Euclid's Elements, his constant method being to satisfy him self as to the truth of any problem with a measurement by scale and compasses. He was a man of a very clear judgment in any thing he professed, and of unwea ried application to study ; benevolent, meek, and innocent in his manners as a child ; humble, courteous, and communi cative : instead of pedantry, philosophy seemed to produce in him only diffidence and urbanity.
The list of Mr. Ferguson's public works is as follows : 1. Astronomical Tables and Precepts for calculating the true times of new and full Moon, &c. 1763. 2. Ta bles and Tracts, relative to several Arts and Sciences, 1767. 3. An easy Intro duction to Astronomy for young Ladies and Gentlemen, 2d edit. 1769. 4. Astro nomy explained upon Sir Isaac Newton's principles, 5th edit. 1772. 5. Lectures on select subjects in Mechanics, Hydrosta tics, Pneumatics, and Optics, 4th edit. 1712. 6. Select mechanical Exercises ; with a short account of the Life of the Author, by himself, 1773. 7. The Art of Drawing in Perspective made easy, 1775.
8. An Introduction to Electricity, 1775.
9. Two Letters to the Rev. Mr. John Kennedy, 1775. 10. A third Letter to the Rev. Mr. John Kennedy, 1775.