At sunrise he would
retire to his dwelling, where he spent a portion of the day in repose.
But as he seemed to require less sleep than most people, he employed
the hours of the afternoons in the cultivation of his garden, trimming
of fruit-trees, or in observing the habits and flight of his bees.
When his service and attention were not required out-doors, he busied
himself with his books, papers, and mathematical instruments, at a
large oval table in his house. The situation of Banneker's dwelling
was one which would be admired by every lover of nature, and furnished
a fine field for the observation of celestial phenomena. It was about
half a mile from the Patapsco River, and commanded a prospect of the
near and distant hills upon its banks, which have been so justly
celebrated for their picturesque beauty. A never-failing spring issued
from beneath a large golden-willow tree in the midst of his
orchard.[615] The whole situation was charming, inspiring, and no
doubt helped him in the solution of difficult problems.

There is no reliable data to enlighten us as to the day of his death;
but it is the opinion of those who lived near him, and their
descendants, that he died in the fall of 1804. It was a bright,
beautiful day, and feeling unwell he walked out on the hills to enjoy
the sunlight and air. During his walk he came across a neighbor, to
whom he complained of being sick. They both returned to his house,
where, after lying down upon his couch, he became speechless, and died
peacefully. During a previous sickness he had charged his sisters,
Minta Black and Molly Morten, that, so soon as he was dead, all the
books, instruments, etc., which Mr. Ellicott had loaned him, should be
taken back to the benevolent lender; and, as a token of his gratitude,
all his manuscripts containing all his almanacs, his observations and
writings on various subjects, his letter to Thomas Jefferson, and that
gentleman's reply, etc., were given to Mr. Ellicott.[616] On the day
of his death, faithful to the instructions of their brother,
Banneker's sisters had all the articles moved to Mr. Ellicott's house;
and their arrival was the first sad news of the astronomer's death. To
the promptness of these girls in carrying out his orders is the
gratitude of the friends of science due for the preservation of the
results of Banneker's labors. During the performance of the last sad
rites at the grave, two days after his death, his house was discover