THE

SOUTHERN MAGAZINE

APRIL, 1873.

M. F. MAURY, LL.D.

of French descent on the paternal side.

FONTAINE name indicates, was

The fourth son of Richard Maury, he was born on the 14th of January, 1806, in Spottsylvania county, Virginia.

When the subject of this sketch was in his fourth year, his father, a farmer by occupation, emigrated to Tennessee, and established himself near Franklin, a village about 18 miles south of Nashville.

After obtaining such elementary instruction as the "old-field" schools of that period and region afforded, young Maury, in his sixteenth year, entered Harpeth Academy, then under charge of Rev. James H. Otey, afterwards Bishop of Tennessee. The quick, active mind and studious habits of the youth soon attracted the notice and secured the regard of his instructors. As long as the good Bishop lived there existed between him and his former pupil the warmest friendship.

In 1825, having obtained a midshipman warrant, he left his school and entered the United States Navy. At that time the government had established no Naval Academy, and the young appointees commenced at once the active duties of the profession. The most prominent officers were, of course, those who had attained rank during the war with Great Britain, known as that of 1812. Though as gallant a body of men as ever battled with the elements or the foes of their country upon the high seas, many of them possessed limited scientific attainments, and their conversation was not particularly didactic, abounding more in the sea-slang and vigorous expletives than the terms of science. It is not difficult to imagine how new and strange

to the youth reared in the wild-woods must have appeared his narrow quarters in the crowded steerage, and the rigid routine of a man-ofwar. The surroundings of our naval tyro were little conducive to study. But it soon became evident to the companions of his own grade, as well as to his superiors in rank, that he had resolved to master the theory and practice of his profession, and was steadily pursuing that object regardless of all obstacles and difficulties. Active and observant, he soon merited and acquired a reputation for strict attention to the various details of duty, and consequently was generally selected for any special duty appertaining to his grade and out of the regular routine. Meanwhile he had set himself earnestly to work at the purely scientific branch of his profession. It is related by some of his companions of that period, who, as many rollicking youngsters are wont to do, thought more of palatable "grub" and pretty sweethearts than of conic sections and spherical trigonometry, how they used to laugh at his chalking diagrams on round-shot in the quarter-deck shot-racks to enable him to master problems while pacing his watch. With no better text-book than an old Spanish work on navigation, he applied himself resolutely, with the aid of a dictionary, to the task of acquiring a new language, and, at the same time, such nautical information as the book might afford.

During the first year of his service, he visited the coast of England in the frigate Brandywine, which remained some months in British waters. But being entirely dependent upon his pay as midshipman, which at that time amounted to only $19 per month, he was unable to visit many places of interest which he might have done had he not allotted about half of his slender revenue to one of his sisters. It was only by careful management that he made the remaining moiety meet his necessary expenses. Nevertheless, while at Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, he made what he then considered a vast addition to his small store of books by the purchase of a copy of Noric's Epitome of Navigation.

After a cruise in the Mediterranean, the Brandywine returned, in 1826, to New York, and having been refitted, sailed for the Pacific as the flag-ship of the squadron on that station. Maury was transferred from the Brandywine to the sloop-of-war Vincennes, then on a cruise around the world. The change was a fortunate one for the student, who found his accommodations in the smaller vessel much more favorable for study than the crowded and noisy steerage of the frigate. When not occupied with his regular duties, or such social intercourse and amusement as courtesy demands among companions on shipboard, he applied himself earnestly to his books, and made such progress that when the voyage was completed he had prepared a set of lunar tables. This performance, though an earnest of his subsequent achievements in science, was of no practical importance, for, upon his return home, after a cruise of four years, he found to his annoyance that his idea had been anticipated.

The Vincennes having been paid off, Midshipman Maury was at once tendered the position of Master in another vessel, but he declined the appointment, and remained on shore to prepare for his examination, which he passed with credit.

In 1831 he was appointed as Master to the sloop-of war Falmouth, which had been ordered to the Pacific station. Advanced to the grade of Passed Midshipman, and doing duty as Master, he had a stateroom to himself in this vessel, and in addition to his own small store of books, he had the use of a fine collection belonging to a richer messmate. It was during the voyage of the Falmouth to Rio Janeiro that his active mind conceived the idea of the celebrated wind and current charts which have since accomplished so much for the commerce of the world. This was the first occasion on which he bore the responsibility of navigator, and he was naturally anxious that the passage should be quick. Before leaving New York he had searched in every direction for authentic information as to the winds and currents to be considered, and the best path to be followed. He soon found that but little really valuable information was to be had. Here was a great want which he resolved he would one day supply.

It was on this voyage that he observed and began to speculate upon the curious phenomenon of the low barometer off Cape Horn, and it was upon this subject that he wrote his first scientific paper, which was published in the American Journal of Science. But the labors of his pen did not end here, for it was on this cruise that he prepared for the press a work on navigation, the materials for which he had been during several years gathering in his mind. Having been transferred from the Falmouth to the schooner Dolphin, he performed the duty of first-lieutenant in that vessel until he joined the frigate Potomac, in which he returned to the United States in 1834. The ship was paid off at Boston, and the young author had leisure to bring out his work, which was published in Philadelphia under the title of Maury's Navigation. This was a bold step in an officer of no higher rank than Passed Midshipman, and while some of his own grade perhaps envious of his attainments - attempted to sneer at his effort, many of the older officers good-naturedly ridiculed or roughly scouted the idea of one so young in the service being able to instruct any one in the science of navigation. But the book, like its author, made its way in spite of all obstacles. It was favorably noticed by some of the highest nautical authorities in England, and in time became the text-book of the United States Navy. During this leave he visited Virginia and was married to Miss Ann Herndon, to whom he had been engaged for years. Soon after this the government determined to send out an exploring expedition toward the somewhat neglected South Pole. Maury was selected as astronomer, and also tendered the appointment of hydrographer to the expedition; but learning how it was to be organised, he declined any place in the enterprise, and was allowed to remain on leave.

In 1837, after twelve years of service, Maury was promoted to the grade of Lieutenant, and not long after had the misfortune to have his right leg broken at the knee-joint, an accident which made him a cripple for life. For several years he was unable to walk without crutches. Physical activity, and especially a firm footing, seem so essential to a seafaring life, that most men would under such circumstances have abandoned the profession. But though Lieut. Maury's aspirations for distinction in active service were all crushed, he re

solved to adhere to his profession, and serve his country on land, since he was disabled from service afloat. And there is no doubt that he owed his celebrity, and the world the inestimable benefits of his labors, to this fortunate mishap.

He first wrote a series of articles on naval reform and other subjects of national interest, which were published mainly in the Southern Literary Messenger, of Richmond, Virginia, over the nom de plume of Harry Bluff, and under the general caption of "Scraps from the Lucky Bag." The incognito was for a long time preserved, but the essays attracted much attention, and were so generally approved by the navy that the officers, defraying the expenses by subscription, had large editions of them printed and circulated. They exposed so clearly and forcibly the abuses and inefficiency of the old Board of Navy Commissioners, as to break it up and lead to the adoption of the present Bureau system of individual accountability. They also led to the establishment of the Naval Academy, and indeed to almost all the reforms and improvements by means of which the efficiency of the navy was about that time so much increased. Maury's repeated and earnest advocacy of the measure induced the establishment of the navy-yard at Memphis. This project was opposed by a few naval officers of mere quarter-deck range of thought. Envious of the rising projector, they captiously asked, "Who ever heard of a navyyard eight hundred miles from the sea?" But Maury's clear perception comprehended many truths far beyond the utmost stretch of such little minds. His plan was approved by the Government, and at Memphis was established the navy-yard, where, under his direction, Lieut. Marr - afterward lost at sea- conducted a famous series of observations upon the habits of the Mississippi, setting the example to the War Department, which ordered additional observations, since so elaborately discussed by General Humphries of the engineer corps.

Lieut. Marr was directed to make an accurate cross-section of the river opposite the navy-yard, and to observe for 365 consecutive days the velocity of the current near the surface and bottom, for the purpose of ascertaining the volume of water passing that point daily. Also to take daily a measured quantity of water, evaporate it, and note the amount of silt or solid matter it contained. He was to observe daily and note the temperature of the air and water, the amount of evaporation and precipitation. The first year the continuity of the series was broken, and he had to begin again and go over the work so as to have a complete series for one year. These observations, patiently and carefully made, formed the foundation of all that subsequent research has revealed of the habits of our grandest river. Lieut. Maury also originated and earnestly advocated the plan of establishing water-marks or river-gauges at all the principal towns on the Mississippi and its tributaries, in order that captains of steamboats and others interested might every day be accurately informed through the telegraph what' stage of water might be found in any of the tributaries. It was believed that a record of these river-gauges, properly kept, would enable intelligent observers to determine the effect upon the stream below of a freshet in any tributary or set of tributaries.