For his first notion of building, "John" was indebted to the affection
of his aunt, who, on his second or third birthday, lifted him in the
trenches to lay the south corner-stone of the building which was added
to Sir William's original house at Slough. On further reflection, she
felt convinced that this incident occurred in the second year of her
nephew's age, for she remembered being obliged to use "a deal of
coaxing" to make him part with the money he was to lay on the
comer-stone.
About the same time, when she was sitting near him one day, listening to
his prattle, her attention was drawn to his repeated and formidable
hammering. On investigating into its object, she found that it was the
continuation of the labour of many days, during which he had undermined
the ground about the corner of the house, had entirely removed the
corner-stone, and was zealously toiling to overthrow the next! His aunt
gave the alarm, and old John Wiltshire, a favourite carpenter, ran to
the spot, exclaiming, "Heaven bless the boy! if he is not going to pull
the house down!"
* * * * *
In 1834, Sir John, as already stated, made a voyage to the Cape of Good
Hope, in order to undertake a series of observations of the southern
heavens.
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