登陆注册
14731600000041

第41章

FLEEMING JENKIN.

The late Fleeming Jenkin, Professor of Engineering in Edinburgh University, was remarkable for the versatility of his talent. Known to the world as the inventor of Telpherage, he was an electrician and cable engineer of the first rank, a lucid lecturer, and a good linguist, a skilful critic, a writer and actor of plays, and a clever sketcher. In popular parlance, Jenkin was a dab at everything.

His father, Captain Charles Jenkin, R.N., was the second son of Mr.

Charles Jenkin, of Stowting Court, himself a naval officer, who had taken part in the actions with De Grasse. Stowting Court, a small estate some six miles north of Hythe, had been in the family since the year 1633, and was held of the Crown by the feudal service of six men and a constable to defend the sea-way at Sandgate. Certain Jenkins had settled in Kent during the reign of Henry VIII., and claimed to have come from Yorkshire. They bore the arms of Jenkin ap Phillip of St.

Melans, who traced his descent from 'Guaith Voeth,' Lord of Cardigan.

While cruising in the West Indies, carrying specie, or chasing buccaneers and slavers, Charles Jenkin, junior, was introduced to the family of a fellow midshipman, son of Mr. Jackson, Custos Rotulorum of Kingston, Jamaica, and fell in love with Henrietta Camilla, the youngest daughter. Mr. Jackson came of a Yorkshire stock, said to be of Scottish origin, and Susan, his wife, was a daughter of [Sir] Colin Campbell, a Greenock merchant, who inherited but never assumed the baronetcy of Auchinbreck. [According to BURKE'S PEERAGE (1889), the title went to another branch.]

Charles Jenkin, senior, died in 1831, leaving his estate so heavily encumbered, through extravagance and high living, that only the mill-farm was saved for John, the heir, an easy-going, unpractical man, with a turn for abortive devices. His brother Charles married soon afterwards, and with the help of his wife's money bought in most of Stowting Court, which, however, yielded him no income until late in life. Charles was a useful officer and an amiable gentleman; but lacking energy and talent, he never rose above the grade of Commander, and was superseded after forty-five years of service. He is represented as a brave, single-minded, and affectionate sailor, who on one occasion saved several men from suffocation by a burning cargo at the risk of his own life. Henrietta Camilla Jackson, his wife, was a woman of a strong and energetic character. Without beauty of countenance, she possessed the art of pleasing, and in default of genius she was endowed with a variety of gifts. She played the harp, sang, and sketched with native art. At seventeen, on hearing Pasta sing in Paris, she sought out the artist and solicited lessons. Pasta, on hearing her sing, encouraged her, and recommended a teacher. She wrote novels, which, however, failed to make their mark. At forty, on losing her voice, she took to playing the piano, practising eight hours a day; and when she was over sixty she began the study of Hebrew.

The only child of this union was Henry Charles Fleeming Jenkin, generally called Fleeming Jenkin, after Admiral Fleeming, one of his father's patrons. He was born on March 25, 1833, in a building of the Government near Dungeness, his father at that time being on the coast-guard service. His versatility was evidently derived from his mother, who, owing to her husband's frequent absence at sea and his weaker character, had the principal share in the boy's earlier training.

Jenkin was fortunate in having an excellent education. His mother took him to the south of Scotland, where, chiefly at Barjarg, she taught him drawing among other things, and allowed him to ride his pony on the moors. He went to school at Jedburgh, and afterwards to the Edinburgh Academy, where he carried off many prizes. Among his schoolfellows were Clerk Maxwell and Peter Guthrie Tait, the friends of his maturer life.

On the retirement of his father the family removed to Frankfort in 1847, partly from motives of economy and partly for the boy's instruction.

同类推荐
  • 绣鞋记

    绣鞋记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • REZANOV

    REZANOV

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说大乘稻芉经

    佛说大乘稻芉经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • GREAT EXPECTATIONS

    GREAT EXPECTATIONS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 竹西花事小录

    竹西花事小录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 寂灭神主

    寂灭神主

    神可以决定人的层次,是圣级宗师、先天大师,还是后天学徒。至高神可以决定神的层次,是无敌霸主、顶级神主,还是普通神道。地球诞生第一个至高神,这是荣幸?还是灾难?正义的世界会如何迎来黑暗的至高神?地球一脉最后的结局是辉煌?还是历史遗迹?宇宙是如何的形成?至高神是何等的存在?华夏的历史何其辉煌?为何现实没有神的存在?一切,都会在《寂灭神主》中为您解答。
  • 命剑

    命剑

    太初末年,坐忘峰圣者以命破情,打破绝情断欲,武道百花齐放,进入圣者时代。坐忘峰上,神剑永镇天下,武道圣院由此而立,无数天才前赴后继,走上这条饮血路。数千年后,十五岁的少年林风以命为凭,得到命剑,打破武道秩序,开启了一个逆天妖孽的崛起神话。人世间,他是唯一的神。
  • 净世神主

    净世神主

    叶萧自微末中崛起、自绝境中成长、自爱恨交缠中挣扎,他坚信命运始于足下,却发现无法挣脱命运的束缚,于是,他立誓要诛天洗道,成为世间第一逍遥人。为了爱,他痴情成狂,甘受万年孤独,只为换取一世情缘。为了爱,他诛天洗道,背负一身罪孽,只为弥补一句誓言。神说,他是世间第一狂魔,你不服,我便镇压。魔说,他是世间第一邪神,你要战,我便奉陪。叶萧说,天地本无情,万法皆自然,无论是谁,都别挡道,否则遇神杀神,见魔诛魔,因为我是世间第一逍遥人,哈哈哈哈……于是,他成了天地间唯一的至高主宰。
  • 明月照寒星

    明月照寒星

    一个来路不明的婴儿,一段不为人知的往事;层层迷雾缭绕,几大流派争抢。拥有最强大的武学秘籍,身怀最多门派的武学功法;他的人生道路该何去何从,当明月遇到寒星,一切谜底终将揭晓······
  • 文化复兴:传统文化的现代价值

    文化复兴:传统文化的现代价值

    本书重点阐释了在新的历史时期,在中华文化复兴的进程中,中国传统文化应该如何传承,如何弘扬,如何重新生长,融入社会主义特色文化中,按主题分章,每章讨论中国文化的一个特质及其在新的时代环境下的作用。
  • 王俊凯之若冰恋

    王俊凯之若冰恋

    她是首富的女儿,她喜欢当红明星王俊凯,他们遇见了。他们能有怎样的爱情火花呢
  • 情乱三生之只因是你

    情乱三生之只因是你

    什么嘛,暗恋了7年的人突然回到身边,魔界的人找上门来,几天后人又消失了!又有莫名其妙的什么神界小公主下“战帖”……“如果我不喜欢你的话,不就没有这一切了吗?这个世界不就和平安定了吗?我也就不会变成这样。”————蓝银月
  • 洪荒大世界

    洪荒大世界

    混沌初开,无数空间错乱重叠。原始天王化身盘古巨人,劈开这凌乱的虚空,成就三千大世界及亿万小世界。洪荒,便存在于三千大世界之中。这里有滴水成河;这里有撒豆成兵;这里有修仙悟道的人族;也有修练千年的神魔妖寇。有这三千大世界便有三千修仙大道,悟道悟道,则领悟大道,便成就仙道;随心随意,返璞归真,吾悟出之道便是天道、王道。
  • 全能透视高手

    全能透视高手

    “十岁发高烧而意外拥有透视能力的刘文,他可以透视敌人携带的武器,轻松躲避危险。在边缘村上安稳过日子的他,被家里的老爷子威逼利诱来到金山市,保护一个小歌手美女学生,斗智斗勇打到富商、阔少,进入娱乐圈,潜入黑帮势力……开始史上最牛全能保镖高手之路。”
  • 逆天医妃:魔君太腹黑

    逆天医妃:魔君太腹黑

    她是科学试验品。一朝穿越成为天元帝国的天才谋师,本是前途无量,却在册封台上潇洒离去。就在所有人感叹她愚蠢行为时,她以医师的身份重新崛起,逆天而行。司法局首领杀她爹,那就灭了司法局!九洲府悬赏她娘亲?那就让九洲府鸡飞狗跳!就连天元帝君的灵丹妙药圣药堂,也是她的小仓库。她剑指苍穹!放下狠话,命运从新洗牌!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】