American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-11-12
A LEARNED COOK.


find in the biography of an eminent
mathematician and teacher of naviga-
tiou-himself entirely self-taught
man-was translated by Rev. Mr..
Young, from the Correspondence As
tronomique of Baron Zach, q very dis
tinguished European astronomer:
"The Baron is relating the sensa-
tion caused at Genoa by the arrival
there, in 1917, of that splendid packet,
the Cleopatra's Barge, owned by Geo.
CrowniEgshield, Esq, of Salem. He
says that he went on board with all
the world, "and it happened, to use
his own words, "that, on inquiring af-
ter my friends and correspondent at
Philadelphia and Boston, mentioned,
among others, the name of Mr.. Bow
ditch.
'He is friend of our family and our
neighbor at Salem, replied the captain,
"a smart, little, old man; 'and that
young man whom you see there, my
son, was his pupil; in fact, it is he, and
not myself, who navigates tho ship
Question him little, and sec if he has
learnt anything
Our dialogue was as follows:
'You have had an excellent teacher
of navigation, young man; and you
could not we'll help being good schol.
ar. In making the Straits of Cibral-
tar, what was the error in your reckon
ing?"
The young man replied, six miles
'You must then have got your lon
gitude very accurately; how did you
get it?"
First by our chronometers, and af-
forwards by lunar distances
what! do you know how to take
and calculate the longitude by lunar
distances"
The young captain seemed somewhat
nettled at my question, and answered
me with scornful smile, II know how
to calculate the longitude!--why, our
cook can do THAR
'Your cook! Here the owner Of the
ship and the old captain assured me
the cook on board could calculate the
longitude very well, that he had taste
and passion for it, and did it every
day. There he is said the young
man, pointing with his finger to ne,
gro at the stern of the ship, with a
white apron before him, and holding a
chicken in one hand, and a butcher
knife in the other. Come forward,
Jack, said the captain to him; 'the
gentleman is surprised that you can
calculate the longitude, answer his
questions / asked him, what meth.
cd do you use to calculate the longi-
tude by lunar distances?'
His answer was, IFS all one to me;
] use the methods of Maskelyne, Lyons,
Witchel, and Bowditch; but upon the
whole, | prefer Dunthorne's 81 am
used to it, and can work it quicker
| could not express nay surprise at
hearing that black face talk in this
way, with his bloody chicken and knife
in his hand. 60, said Mr.. Crownin.
shield to him, LAY down your chicken,
bring your books and your journal, and
show the gentleman your calculations
The cook soon returned with his
books under his arm. lie had Bow
ditch's Practical Navigator, the Requi-
site tables, Hutton's Tables of Logar-
ithms, and the Nautical Almanac. /
saw all this negro's calculations Of
the latitude, the longitude, and the true
time, which he had worked out on the
passage. He answered all my quos.
tions with wonderful accuracy, not in
Latin Of the caboose, but in good set
terms Of navigation. This cook had
been round the world with Captain
Cook, on his last voyage, and was we'll
acquainted with the particulars of his
assassination at 0whyhoe, on the 18th
Of February, i779."