the uncommercial traveller-第21节

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not　have　been　selected　because　they　were　the　men　who　had　the　most

to　tell　it；　but　because　they　happened　to　be　in　a　state　admitting　of

their　safe　removal。　　Fourthly；　to　say　whether　the　coroner　and　jury

could　have　come　there；　to　those　pillows；　and　taken　a　little

evidence？　　My　official　friend　declined　to　commit　himself　to　a

reply。



There　was　a　sergeant；　reading；　in　one　of　the　fireside　groups。　　As

he　was　a　man　of　very　intelligent　countenance；　and　as　I　have　a　great

respect　for　non…commissioned　officers　as　a　class；　I　sat　down　on　the

nearest　bed；　to　have　some　talk　with　him。　　（It　was　the　bed　of　one　of

the　grisliest　of　the　poor　skeletons；　and　he　died　soon　afterwards。）



'I　was　glad　to　see；　in　the　evidence　of　an　officer　at　the　Inquest；

sergeant；　that　he　never　saw　men　behave　better　on　board　ship　than

these　men。'



'They　did　behave　very　well；　sir。'



'I　was　glad　to　see；　too；　that　every　man　had　a　hammock。'　　The

sergeant　gravely　shook　his　head。　　'There　must　be　some　mistake；　sir。

The　men　of　my　own　mess　had　no　hammocks。　　There　were　not　hammocks

enough　on　board；　and　the　men　of　the　two　next　messes　laid　hold　of

hammocks　for　themselves　as　soon　as　they　got　on　board；　and　squeezed

my　men　out；　as　I　may　say。'



'Had　the　squeezed…out　men　none　then？'



'None；　sir。　　As　men　died；　their　hammocks　were　used　by　other　men；

who　wanted　hammocks；　but　many　men　had　none　at　all。'



'Then　you　don't　agree　with　the　evidence　on　that　point？'



'Certainly　not；　sir。　　A　man　can't；　when　he　knows　to　the　contrary。'



'Did　any　of　the　men　sell　their　bedding　for　drink？'



'There　is　some　mistake　on　that　point　too；　sir。　　Men　were　under　the

impression　…　I　knew　it　for　a　fact　at　the　time　…　that　it　was　not

allowed　to　take　blankets　or　bedding　on　board；　and　so　men　who　had

things　of　that　sort　came　to　sell　them　purposely。'



'Did　any　of　the　men　sell　their　clothes　for　drink？'



'They　did；　sir。'　　（I　believe　there　never　was　a　more　truthful

witness　than　the　sergeant。　　He　had　no　inclination　to　make　out　a

case。）



'Many？'



'Some；　sir'　（considering　the　question）。　　'Soldier…like。　　They　had

been　long　marching　in　the　rainy　season；　by　bad　roads　…　no　roads　at

all；　in　short　…　and　when　they　got　to　Calcutta；　men　turned　to　and

drank；　before　taking　a　last　look　at　it。　　Soldier…like。'



'Do　you　see　any　men　in　this　ward；　for　example；　who　sold　clothes　for

drink　at　that　time？'



The　sergeant's　wan　eye；　happily　just　beginning　to　rekindle　with

health；　travelled　round　the　place　and　came　back　to　me。　　'Certainly；

sir。'



'The　marching　to　Calcutta　in　the　rainy　season　must　have　been

severe？'



'It　was　very　severe；　sir。'



'Yet　what　with　the　rest　and　the　sea　air；　I　should　have　thought　that

the　men　（even　the　men　who　got　drunk）　would　have　soon　begun　to

recover　on　board　ship？'



'So　they　might；　but　the　bad　food　told　upon　them；　and　when　we　got

into　a　cold　latitude；　it　began　to　tell　more；　and　the　men　dropped。'



'The　sick　had　a　general　disinclination　for　food；　I　am　told；

sergeant？'



'Have　you　seen　the　food；　sir？'



'Some　of　it。'



'Have　you　seen　the　state　of　their　mouths；　sir？'



If　the　sergeant；　who　was　a　man　of　a　few　orderly　words；　had　spoken

the　amount　of　this　volume；　he　could　not　have　settled　that　question

better。　　I　believe　the　sick　could　as　soon　have　eaten　the　ship；　as

the　ship's　provisions。



I　took　the　additional　liberty　with　my　friend　Pangloss；　when　I　had

left　the　sergeant　with　good　wishes；　of　asking　Pangloss　whether　he

had　ever　heard　of　biscuit　getting　drunk　and　bartering　its

nutritious　qualities　for　putrefaction　and　vermin；　of　peas　becoming

hardened　in　liquor；　of　hammocks　drinking　themselves　off　the　face　of

the　earth；　of　lime…juice；　vegetables；　vinegar；　cooking

accommodation；　water　supply；　and　beer；　all　taking　to　drinking

together　and　going　to　ruin？　　'If　not　（I　asked　him）；　what　did　he　say

in　defence　of　the　officers　condemned　by　the　Coroner's　jury；　who；　by

signing　the　General　Inspection　report　relative　to　the　ship　Great

Tasmania；　chartered　for　these　troops；　had　deliberately　asserted　all

that　bad　and　poisonous　dunghill　refuse；　to　be　good　and　wholesome

food？'　　My　official　friend　replied　that　it　was　a　remarkable　fact；


that　whereas　some　officers　were　only　positively　good；　and　other

officers　only　comparatively　better；　those　particular　officers　were

superlatively　the　very　best　of　all　possible　officers。



My　hand　and　my　heart　fail　me；　in　writing　my　record　of　this　journey。

The　spectacle　of　the　soldiers　in　the　hospital…beds　of　that

Liverpool　workhouse　（a　very　good　workhouse；　indeed；　be　it

understood）；　was　so　shocking　and　so　shameful；　that　as　an　Englishman

I　blush　to　remember　it。　　It　would　have　been　simply　unbearable　at

the　time；　but　for　the　consideration　and　pity　with　which　they　were

soothed　in　their　sufferings。



No　punishment　that　our　inefficient　laws　provide；　is　worthy　of　the

name　when　set　against　the　guilt　of　this　transaction。　　But；　if　the

memory　of　it　die　out　unavenged；　and　if　it　do　not　result　in　the

inexorable　dismissal　and　disgrace　of　those　who　are　responsible　for

it；　their　escape　will　be　infamous　to　the　Government　（no　matter　of

what　party）　that　so　neglects　its　duty；　and　infamous　to　the　nation

that　tamely　suffers　such　intolerable　wrong　to　be　done　in　its　name。







CHAPTER　IX　…　CITY　OF　LONDON　CHURCHES







If　the　confession　that　I　have　often　travelled　from　this　Covent

Garden　lodging　of　mine　on　Sundays；　should　give　offence　to　those　who

never　travel　on　Sundays；　they　will　be　satisfied　（I　hope）　by　my

adding　that　the　journeys　in　question　were　made　to　churches。



Not　that　I　have　any　curiosity　to　hear　powerful　preachers。　　Time

was；　when　I　was　dragged　by　the　hair　of　my　head；　as　one　may　say；　to

hear　too　many。　　On　summer　evenings；　when　every　flower；　and　tree；

and　bird；　might　have　better　addressed　my　soft　young　heart；　I　have

in　my　day　been　caught　in　the　palm　of　a　female　hand　by　the　crown；

have　been　violently　scrubbed　from　the　neck　to　the　roots　of　the　hair

as　a　purification　for　the　Temple；　and　have　then　been　carried　off

highly　charged　with　saponaceous　electricity；　to　be　steamed　like　a

potato　in　the　unventilated　breath　of　the　powerful　Boanerges　Boiler

and　his　congregation；　until　what　small　mind　I　had；　was　quite

steamed　out　of　me。　　In　which　pitiable　plight　I　have　been　haled　out

of　the　place　of　meeting；　at　the　conclusion　of　the　exercises；　and

catechised　respecting　Boanerges　Boiler；　his　fifthly；　his　sixthly；

and　his　seventhly；　until　I　have　regarded　that　reverend　person　in

the　light　of　a　most　dismal　and　oppressive　Charade。　　Time　was；　when

I　was　carried　off　to　platform　assemblages　at　which　no　human　child；

whether　of　wrath　or　grace；　could　possibly　keep　its　eyes　open；　and

when　I　felt　the　fatal　sleep　stealing；　stealing　over　me；　and　when　I

gradually　heard　the　orator　in　possession；　spinning　and　humming　like

a　great　top；　until　he　rolled；　collapsed；　and　tumbled　over；　and　I

discovered　to　my　burning　shame　and　fear；　that　as　to　that　last　stage

it　was　not　he；　but　I。　　I　have　sat　under　Boanerges　when　he　has

specifically　addressed　himself　to　us　…　us；　the　infants　…　and　at

this　present　writing　I　hear　his　lumbering　jocularity　（which　never

amused　us；　though　we　basely　pretended　that　it　did）；　and　I　behold

his　big　round　face；　and　I　look　up　the　inside　of　his　outstretched

coat…sleeve　as　if　it　were　a　telescope　with　the　stopper　on；　and　I

hate　him　with　an　unwholesome　hatred　for　two　hours。　　Through　such

means　did　it　come　to　pass　that　I　knew　the　powerful　preacher　from

beginning　to　end；　all　over　and　all　through；　while　I　was　very　young；

and　that　I　left　him　behind　at　an　early　period　of　life。　　Peace　be

with　him！　　More　peace　than　he　brought　to　me！



Now；　I　have　heard　many　preachers　since　that　time　…　not　powerful；

merely　Christian；　unaffected；　and　reverential　…　and　I　have　had　many

such　preachers　on　my　roll　of　friends。　　But；　it　was　not　to　hear

these；　any　more　than　the　powerful　class；　that　I　made　my　Sunday

journeys。　　They　were　journeys　of　curiosity　to　the　numerous　churches

in　the　City　of　London。　　It　came　into　my　head　one　day；　here　had　I

been　cultivating　a　familiarity　with　all　the　churches　of　Rome；　and　I

knew　nothing　of　the　insides　of　the　old　churches　of　London！　　This

befell　on　a　Sunday　morning。　　I　began　my　expeditions　that　very　same

day；　and　they　lasted　me　a　year。



I　never　wanted　to　know　the　names　of　the　churches　to　which　I　went；

and　to　this　hour　I　am　profoundly　ignorant　in　that　particular　of　at

least　nine…tenths　of　them。　　Indeed；　saying　that　I　know　the　church

of　old　GOWER'S　tomb　（he　lies　in　effigy　with　his　head　upon　his

books）　to　be　the　church　of　Saint　Saviour's；　Southwark；　and　the

church　of　MILTON'S　tomb　to　be　the　church　of　Cripplegate；　and　the

church　on　Cornhill　with　the　great　golden　keys　to　be　the　church　of

Saint　Peter；　I　doubt　if　I　could　pass　a　competitive　examination　in

any　of　the　names。　　No　question　did　I　ever　ask　of　living　creature

concerning　these　churches