▁was ▁still ▁very ▁young ▁and ▁having ▁not ▁had ▁a ▁full ▁app rent ices hip ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁the ▁usual ▁connections ▁via ▁a ▁former ▁master ▁to ▁establish ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁jour ne yman ▁instrument ▁mak er . ▁ ▁W att ▁was ▁saved ▁from ▁this ▁imp asse ▁by ▁the ▁arrival ▁from ▁J ama ica ▁of ▁astronom ical ▁instruments ▁be que athed ▁by ▁Alexander ▁Mac far lane ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Glasgow , ▁instruments ▁that ▁required ▁expert ▁attention . ▁W att ▁restored ▁them ▁to ▁working ▁order ▁and ▁was ▁rem un er ated . ▁These ▁instruments ▁were ▁eventually ▁installed ▁in ▁the ▁Mac far lane ▁Observ atory . ▁Sub sequently , ▁three ▁profess ors ▁offered ▁him ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁small ▁work shop ▁within ▁the ▁university . ▁It ▁was ▁initi ated ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 7 ▁and ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁profess ors , ▁the ▁phys ic ist ▁and ▁chem ist ▁Joseph ▁Black ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁f amed ▁Adam ▁Smith , ▁became ▁W att ' s ▁friends . ▁ ▁At ▁first ▁he ▁worked ▁on ▁maintain ing ▁and ▁repair ing ▁scientific ▁instruments ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁university , ▁helping ▁with ▁demonstr ations , ▁and ▁expand ing ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁quadr ants . ▁He ▁made ▁and ▁rep a ired ▁br ass ▁reflect ing ▁quadr ants , ▁parallel ▁r ul ers , ▁scales , ▁parts ▁for ▁teles cop es , ▁and ▁bar om eters , ▁among ▁other ▁things . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁sometimes ▁f als ely ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁strugg led ▁to ▁establish ▁himself ▁in ▁Glasgow ▁due ▁to ▁opposition