the uncommercial traveller-第58节

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and　on　the　shortest　notice　you　may　revolve　in　a　whirlpool　of　red

shirts；　shaggy　beards；　wild　heads　of　hair；　bare　tattooed　arms；

Britannia's　daughters；　malice；　mud；　maundering；　and　madness。　　Down

by　the　Docks；　scraping　fiddles　go　in　the　public…houses　all　day

long；　and；　shrill　above　their　din　and　all　the　din；　rises　the

screeching　of　innumerable　parrots　brought　from　foreign　parts；　who

appear　to　be　very　much　astonished　by　what　they　find　on　these　native

shores　of　ours。　　Possibly　the　parrots　don't　know；　possibly　they　do；

that　Down　by　the　Docks　is　the　road　to　the　Pacific　Ocean；　with　its

lovely　islands；　where　the　savage　girls　plait　flowers；　and　the

savage　boys　carve　cocoa…nut　shells；　and　the　grim　blind　idols　muse

in　their　shady　groves　to　exactly　the　same　purpose　as　the　priests

and　chiefs。　　And　possibly　the　parrots　don't　know；　possibly　they　do；

that　the　noble　savage　is　a　wearisome　impostor　wherever　he　is；　and

has　five　hundred　thousand　volumes　of　indifferent　rhyme；　and　no

reason；　to　answer　for。



Shadwell　church！　　Pleasant　whispers　of　there　being　a　fresher　air

down　the　river　than　down　by　the　Docks；　go　pursuing　one　another；

playfully；　in　and　out　of　the　openings　in　its　spire。　　Gigantic　in

the　basin　just　beyond　the　church；　looms　my　Emigrant　Ship：　　her

name；　the　Amazon。　　Her　figure…head　is　not　disfigured　as　those

beauteous　founders　of　the　race　of　strong…minded　women　are　fabled　to

have　been；　for　the　convenience　of　drawing　the　bow；　but　I　sympathise

with　the　carver：





A　flattering　carver　who　made　it　his　care

To　carve　busts　as　they　ought　to　be　…　not　as　they　were。





My　Emigrant　Ship　lies　broadside…on　to　the　wharf。　　Two　great

gangways　made　of　spars　and　planks　connect　her　with　the　wharf；　and

up　and　down　these　gangways；　perpetually　crowding　to　and　fro　and　in

and　out；　like　ants；　are　the　Emigrants　who　are　going　to　sail　in　my

Emigrant　Ship。　　Some　with　cabbages；　some　with　loaves　of　bread；　some

with　cheese　and　butter；　some　with　milk　and　beer；　some　with　boxes；

beds；　and　bundles；　some　with　babies　…　nearly　all　with　children　…

nearly　all　with　bran…new　tin　cans　for　their　daily　allowance　of

water；　uncomfortably　suggestive　of　a　tin　flavour　in　the　drink。　　To

and　fro；　up　and　down；　aboard　and　ashore；　swarming　here　and　there

and　everywhere；　my　Emigrants。　　And　still　as　the　Dock…Gate　swings

upon　its　hinges；　cabs　appear；　and　carts　appear；　and　vans　appear；

bringing　more　of　my　Emigrants；　with　more　cabbages；　more　loaves；

more　cheese　and　butter；　more　milk　and　beer；　more　boxes；　beds；　and

bundles；　more　tin　cans；　and　on　those　shipping　investments

accumulated　compound　interest　of　children。



I　go　aboard　my　Emigrant　Ship。　　I　go　first　to　the　great　cabin；　and

find　it　in　the　usual　condition　of　a　Cabin　at　that　pass。　　Perspiring

landsmen；　with　loose　papers；　and　with　pens　and　inkstands；　pervade

it；　and　the　general　appearance　of　things　is　as　if　the　late　Mr。

Amazon's　funeral　had　just　come　home　from　the　cemetery；　and　the

disconsolate　Mrs。　Amazon's　trustees　found　the　affairs　in　great

disorder；　and　were　looking　high　and　low　for　the　will。　　I　go　out　on

the　poop…deck；　for　air；　and　surveying　the　emigrants　on　the　deck

below　（indeed　they　are　crowded　all　about　me；　up　there　too）；　find

more　pens　and　inkstands　in　action；　and　more　papers；　and

interminable　complication　respecting　accounts　with　individuals　for

tin　cans　and　what　not。　　But　nobody　is　in　an　ill…temper；　nobody　is

the　worse　for　drink；　nobody　swears　an　oath　or　uses　a　coarse　word；

nobody　appears　depressed；　nobody　is　weeping；　and　down　upon　the　deck

in　every　corner　where　it　is　possible　to　find　a　few　square　feet　to

kneel；　crouch；　or　lie　in；　people；　in　every　unsuitable　attitude　for

writing；　are　writing　letters。



Now；　I　have　seen　emigrant　ships　before　this　day　in　June。　　And　these

people　are　so　strikingly　different　from　all　other　people　in　like

circumstances　whom　I　have　ever　seen；　that　I　wonder　aloud；　'What

WOULD　a　stranger　suppose　these　emigrants　to　be！'



The　vigilant；　bright　face　of　the　weather…browned　captain　of　the

Amazon　is　at　my　shoulder；　and　he　says；　'What；　indeed！　　The　most　of

these　came　aboard　yesterday　evening。　　They　came　from　various　parts

of　England　in　small　parties　that　had　never　seen　one　another　before。

Yet　they　had　not　been　a　couple　of　hours　on　board；　when　they

established　their　own　police；　made　their　own　regulations；　and　set

their　own　watches　at　all　the　hatchways。　　Before　nine　o'clock；　the

ship　was　as　orderly　and　as　quiet　as　a　man…of…war。'



I　looked　about　me　again；　and　saw　the　letter…writing　going　on　with

the　most　curious　composure。　　Perfectly　abstracted　in　the　midst　of

the　crowd；　while　great　casks　were　swinging　aloft；　and　being　lowered

into　the　hold；　while　hot　agents　were　hurrying　up　and　down；

adjusting　the　interminable　accounts；　while　two　hundred　strangers

were　searching　everywhere　for　two　hundred　other　strangers；　and　were

asking　questions　about　them　of　two　hundred　more；　while　the　children

played　up　and　down　all　the　steps；　and　in　and　out　among　all　the

people's　legs；　and　were　beheld；　to　the　general　dismay；　toppling

over　all　the　dangerous　places；　the　letter…writers　wrote　on　calmly。

On　the　starboard　side　of　the　ship；　a　grizzled　man　dictated　a　long

letter　to　another　grizzled　man　in　an　immense　fur　cap：　　which　letter

was　of　so　profound　a　quality；　that　it　became　necessary　for　the

amanuensis　at　intervals　to　take　off　his　fur　cap　in　both　his　hands；

for　the　ventilation　of　his　brain；　and　stare　at　him　who　dictated；　as

a　man　of　many　mysteries　who　was　worth　looking　at。　　On　the　lar…board

side；　a　woman　had　covered　a　belaying…pin　with　a　white　cloth　to　make

a　neat　desk　of　it；　and　was　sitting　on　a　little　box；　writing　with

the　deliberation　of　a　bookkeeper。　　Down；　upon　her　breast　on　the

planks　of　the　deck　at　this　woman's　feet；　with　her　head　diving　in

under　a　beam　of　the　bulwarks　on　that　side；　as　an　eligible　place　of

refuge　for　her　sheet　of　paper；　a　neat　and　pretty　girl　wrote　for　a

good　hour　（she　fainted　at　last）；　only　rising　to　the　surface

occasionally　for　a　dip　of　ink。　　Alongside　the　boat；　close　to　me　on

the　poop…deck；　another　girl；　a　fresh；　well…grown　country　girl；　was

writing　another　letter　on　the　bare　deck。　　Later　in　the　day；　when

this　self…same　boat　was　filled　with　a　choir　who　sang　glees　and

catches　for　a　long　time；　one　of　the　singers；　a　girl；　sang　her　part

mechanically　all　the　while；　and　wrote　a　letter　in　the　bottom　of　the

boat　while　doing　so。



'A　stranger　would　be　puzzled　to　guess　the　right　name　for　these

people；　Mr。　Uncommercial；'　says　the　captain。



'Indeed　he　would。'



'If　you　hadn't　known；　could　you　ever　have　supposed　…　？'



'How　could　I！　　I　should　have　said　they　were　in　their　degree；　the

pick　and　flower　of　England。'



'So　should　I；'　says　the　captain。



'How　many　are　they？'



'Eight　hundred　in　round　numbers。'



I　went　between…decks；　where　the　families　with　children　swarmed　in

the　dark；　where　unavoidable　confusion　had　been　caused　by　the　last

arrivals；　and　where　the　confusion　was　increased　by　the　little

preparations　for　dinner　that　were　going　on　in　each　group。　　A　few

women　here　and　there；　had　got　lost；　and　were　laughing　at　it；　and

asking　their　way　to　their　own　people；　or　out　on　deck　again。　　A　few

of　the　poor　children　were　crying；　but　otherwise　the　universal

cheerfulness　was　amazing。　　'We　shall　shake　down　by　to…morrow。'　　'We

shall　come　all　right　in　a　day　or　so。'　　'We　shall　have　more　light　at

sea。'　　Such　phrases　I　heard　everywhere；　as　I　groped　my　way　among

chests　and　barrels　and　beams　and　unstowed　cargo　and　ring…bolts　and

Emigrants；　down　to　the　lower…deck；　and　thence　up　to　the　light　of

day　again；　and　to　my　former　station。



Surely；　an　extraordinary　people　in　their　power　of　self…abstraction！

All　the　former　letter…writers　were　still　writing　calmly；　and　many

more　letter…writers　had　broken　out　in　my　absence。　　A　boy　with　a　bag

of　books　in　his　hand　and　a　slate　under　his　arm；　emerged　from　below；

concentrated　himself　in　my　neighbourhood　（espying　a　convenient

skylight　for　his　purpose）；　and　went　to　work　at　a　sum　as　if　he　were

stone　deaf。　　A　father　and　mother　and　several　young　children；　on　the

main　deck　below　me；　had　formed　a　family　circle　close　to　the　foot　of

the　crowded　restless　gangway；　where　the　children　made　a　nest　for

themselves　in　a　coil　of　rope；　and　the　father　and　mother；　she

suckling　the　youngest；　discussed　family　affairs　as　peaceably　as　if

they　were　in　perfect　retirement。　　I　think　the　most　noticeable

characteristic　in　the　eight　hundred　as　a　mass；　was　their　exemption

from　hurry。



Eight　hundred　what？　　'Geese；　villain？'　　EIGHT　HUNDRED　MORMONS。　　I；

Uncommercial　Traveller　for　the　firm　of　Human　Interest　Brothers；　had

come　aboard　this　Emigrant　Ship　to　see　what　Eight　hundred　Latter…day

Saints　were　like；　and　I　found　them　（to　the　rout　and　overthrow　of

all　my　expectations）　like　what　I　now　describe　with　scrupulous

exactness。



The　Mormon　Agent　who　had　been　active　in　getting　them　together；　and

i