I rose early next morning, and as soon as the shops
were open I went and bought a book on the subject, 'Outlines of
Physiography,' by W. Lawson, F.R.G.S. I read it all day, and at
night sat for the examination. The results of my examinations
were, failure in mathematics, but second class advanced grade
certificates in all the others. I do not attach any credit to
passing in physiography, but merely relate the circumstance as
curiously showing what can be done by a good 'cram.'
"The failure in mathematics caused me to take the subject 'by the
horns,' to see what I could do with it. I began by going over
quadratic equations, and I gradually solved the whole of those
given in Todhunter's larger 'Algebra.' Then I re-read the
progressions, permutations, combinations; the binomial theorem,
with indices and surds; the logarithmic theorem and series,
converging and diverging. I got Todhunter's larger 'Plane
Trigonometry,' and read it, with the theorems contained in it;
then his 'Spherical Trigonometry;' his 'Analytical Geometry, of
Two Dimensions,' and 'Conics.' I next obtained De Morgan's
'Differential and Integral Calculus,' then Woolhouse's, and
lastly, Todhunter's. I found this department of mathematics
difficult and perplexing to the last degree; but I mastered it
sufficiently to turn it to some account. This last mathematical
course represents eighteen months of hard work, and I often sat
up the whole night through.
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