north america-2-第30节

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　war。　　They　cannot　be　accused　of　parsimony。　　The　largest　of　these　vessels；　called　the　〃Benton；〃　had　cost　36；000l。　　These　boats　are　made　with　sides　sloping　inward　at　an　angle　of　forty…five　degrees。　　The　iron　is　two　and　a　half　inches　thick；　and　it　has　not；　I　believe；　been　calculated　that　this　will　resist　cannon…shot　of　great　weight；　should　it　be　struck　in　a　direct　line。　　But　the　angle　of　the　sides　of　the　boat　makes　it　improbable　that　any　such　shot　should　strike　them；　and　the　iron；　bedded　as　it　is　upon　oak；　is　supposed　to　be　sufficient　to　turn　a　shot　that　does　not　hit　it　in　a　direct　line。　　The　boats　are　also　roofed　in　with　iron；　and　the　pilots　who　steer　the　vessel　stand　incased；　as　it　were；　under　an　iron　cupola。　　I　imagine　that　these　boats　are　well　calculated　for　the　river　service；　for　which　they　have　been　built。　　Six　or　seven　of　them　had　gone　up　the　Tennessee　River　the　day　before　we　reached　Cairo；　and　while　we　were　there　they　succeeded　in　knocking　down　Fort　Henry；　and　in　carrying　off　the　soldiers　stationed　there　and　the　officer　in　command。　　One　of　the　boats；　however；　had　been　penetrated　by　a　shot；　which　made　its　way　into　the　boiler；　and　the　men　on　decksix；　I　think；　in　numberwere　scalded　to　death　by　the　escaping　steam。　　The　two　pilots　up　in　the　cupola　were　destroyed　in　this　terrible　manner。　　As　they　were　altogether　closed　in　by　the　iron　roof　and　sides；　there　was　no　escape　for　the　steam。　　The　boats；　however；　were　well　made　and　very　powerfully　armed；　and　will　probably　succeed　in　driving　the　secessionist　armies　away　from　the　great　river　banks。　　By　what　machinery　the　secessionist　armies　are　to　be　followed　into　the　interior　is　altogether　another　question。　But　there　was　also　another　fleet　at　Cairo；　and　we　were　informed　that　we　were　just　in　time　to　see　the　first　essay　made　at　testing　the　utility　of　this　armada。　　It　consisted　of　no　less　than　thirty…eight　mortar…boats；　each　of　which　had　cost　1700l。　　These　mortar…boats　were　broad；　flat…bottomed　rafts；　each　constructed　with　a　deck　raised　three　feet　above　the　bottom。　　They　were　protected　by　high　iron　sides　supposed　to　be　proof　against　rifle…balls；　and；　when　supplied；　had　been　furnished　each　with　a　little　boat；　a　rope；　and　four　rough　sweeps　or　oars。　　They　had　no　other　furniture　or　belongings；　and　were　to　be　moved　either　by　steam…tugs　or　by　the　use　of　the　long　oars　which　were　sent　with　them。　　It　was　intended　that　one　13…inch　mortar；　of　enormous　weight；　should　be　put　upon　each；　that　these　mortars　should　be　fired　with　twenty…three　pounds　of　powder；　and　that　the　shell　thrown　should；　at　a　distance　of　three　miles；　fall　with　absolute　precision　into　any　devoted　town　which　the　rebels　might　hold　the　river　banks。　　The　grandeur　of　the　idea　is　almost　sublime。　　So　large　an　amount　of　powder　had；　I　imagine；　never　then　been　used　for　the　single　charge　in　any　instrument　of　war；　and　when　we　were　told　that　thirty…eight　of　them　were　to　play　at　once　on　a　city；　and　that　they　could　be　used　with　absolute　precision；　it　seemed　as　though　the　fate　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrah　could　not　be　worse　than　the　fate　of　that　city。　　Could　any　city　be　safe　when　such　implements　of　war　were　about　upon　the　waters？　But　when　we　came　to　inspect　the　mortar…boats；　our　misgivings　as　to　any　future　destination　for　this　fleet　were　relieved；　and　our　admiration　was　given　to　the　smartness　of　the　contractor　who　had　secured　to　himself　the　job　of　building　them。　　In　the　first　place；　they　had　all　leaked　till　the　spaces　between　the　bottoms　and　the　decks　were　filled　with　water。　　This　space　had　been　intended　for　ammunition；　but　now　seemed　hardly　to　be　fitted　for　that　purpose。　The　officer　who　was　about　to　test　them；　by　putting　a　mortar　into　one　and　by　firing　it　off　with　twenty…three　pounds　of　powder；　had　the　water　pumped　out　of　a　selected　raft；　and　we　were　towed　by　a　steam…　tug；　from　their　moorings　a　mile　up　the　river；　down　to　the　spot　where　the　mortar　lay　ready　to　be　lifted　in　by　a　derrick。　　But　as　we　turned　on　the　river；　the　tug…boat　which　had　brought　us　down　was　unable　to　hold　us　up　against　the　force　of　the　stream。　　A　second　tug…boat　was　at　hand；　and；　with　one　on　each　side；　we　were　just　able　in　half　an　hour　to　recover　the　hundred　yards　which　we　had　lost　down　the　river。　The　pressure　against　the　stream　was　so　great；　owing　partly　to　the　weight　of　the　raft　and　partly　to　the　fact　that　its　flat　head　buried　itself　in　the　water；　that　it　was　almost　immovable　against　the　stream；　although　the　mortar　was　not　yet　on　it。　It　soon　became　manifest　that　no　trial　could　be　made　on　that　day；　and　so　we　were　obliged　to　leave　Cairo　without　having　witnessed　the　firing　of　the　great　gun。　　My　belief　is　that　very　little　evil　to　the　enemy　will　result　from　those　mortar…boats；　and　that　they　cannot　be　used　with　much　effect。　　Since　that　time　they　have　been　used　on　the　Mississippi；　but　as　yet　we　do　not　know　with　what　results。　　Island　No。　10　has　been　taken；　but　I　do　not　know　that　the　mortar…boats　contributed　much　to　that　success。　　But　the　enormous　cost　of　moving　them　against　the　stream　of　the　river　is　in　itself　a　barrier　to　their　use。　　When　we　saw　themand　then　they　were　quite　newmany　of　the　rivets　were　already　gone。　　The　small　boats　had　been　stolen　from　some　of　them；　and　the　ropes　and　oars　from　others。　　There　they　lay；　thirty…eight　in　number；　up　against　the　mud　banks　of　the　Ohio；　under　the　boughs　of　the　half…clad；　melancholy　forest　trees；　as　sad　a　spectacle　of　reckless　prodigality　as　the　eye　ever　beheld。　　But　the　contractor　who　made　them　no　doubt　was　a　smart　man。　This　armada　was　moored　on　the　Ohio；　against　the　low；　reedy　bank；　a　mile　above　the　levee；　where　the　old；　unchanged　forest　of　nature　came　down　to　the　very　edge　of　the　river；　and　mixed　itself　with　the　shallow；　overflowing　waters。　　I　am　wrong　in　saying　that　it　lay　under　the　boughs　of　the　trees；　for　such　trees　do　not　spread　themselves　out　with　broad　branches。　　They　stand　thickly　together；　broken；　stunted；　spongy　with　rot；　straight；　and　ugly；　with　ragged　tops　and　shattered　arms；　seemingly　decayed；　but　still　ever　renewing　themselves　with　the　rapid；　moist　life　of　luxuriant　forest　vegetation。　　Nothing　to　my　eyes　is　sadder　than　the　monotonous　desolation　of　such　scenery。　　We　in　England；　when　we　read　and　speak　of　the　primeval　forests　of　America；　are　apt　to　form　pictures　in　our　minds　of　woodland　glades；　with　spreading　oaks；　and　green；　mossy　turf　beneathof　scenes　than　which　nothing　that　God　has　given　us　is　more　charming。　　But　these　forests　are　not　after　that　fashion；　they　offer　no　allurement　to　the　lover；　no　solace　to　the　melancholy　man　of　thought。　　The　ground　is　deep　with　mud　or　overflown　with　water。　　The　soil　and　the　river　have　no　defined　margins。　　Each　tree；　though　full　of　the　forms　of　life；　has　all　the　appearance　of　death。　　Even　to　the　outward　eye　they　seem　to　be　laden　with　ague；　fever；　sudden　chills；　and　pestilential　malaria。　When　we　first　visited　the　spot　we　were　alone；　and　we　walked　across　from　the　railway　line　to　the　place　at　which　the　boats　were　moored。　They　lay　in　treble　rank　along　the　shore；　and　immediately　above　them　an　old　steamboat　was　fastened　against　the　bank。　　Her　back　was　broken；　and　she　was　given　up　to　ruinplaced　there　that　she　might　rot　quietly　into　her　watery　grave。　　It　was　midwinter；　and　every　tree　was　covered　with　frozen　sleet　and　small　particles　of　snow　which　had　drizzled　through　the　air；　for　the　snow　had　not　fallen　in　hearty；　honest　flakes。　　The　ground　beneath　our　feet　was　crisp　with　frost；　but　traitorous　in　its　crispness；　not　frozen　manfully　so　as　to　bear　a　man's　weight；　but　ready　at　every　point　to　let　him　through　into　the　fat；　glutinous　mud　below。　　I　never　saw　a　sadder　picture；　or　one　which　did　more　to　awaken　pity　for　those　whose　fate　had　fixed　their　abodes　in　such　a　locality。　　And　yet　there　was　a　beauty　about　it　too　a　melancholy；　death…like　beauty。　　The　disordered　ruin　and　confused　decay　of　the　forest　was　all　gemmed　with　particles　of　ice。　　The　eye　reaching　through　the　thin　underwood　could　form　for　itself　picturesque　shapes　and　solitary　bowers　of　broken　wood；　which　were　bright　with　the　opaque　brightness　of　the　hoar…frost。　　The　great　river　ran　noiselessly　along；　rapid　but　still　with　an　apparent　lethargy　in　its　waters。　　The　ground　beneath　our　feet　was　fertile　beyond　compare；　but　as　yet　fertile　to　death　rather　than　to　life。　Where　we　then　trod　man　had　not　yet　come　with　his　axe　and　his　plow；　but　the　railroad　was　close　to　us；　and　within　a　mile　of　the　spot　thousands　of　dollars　had　been　spent　in　raising　a　city　which　was　to　have　been　rich　with　the　united　wealth　of　the　rivers　and　the　land。　Hitherto　fever　and　ague；　mud　and　malaria；　had　been　too　strong　for　man；　and　the　dollars　had　been　spent　in　vain。　　The　day；　however；　will　come　when　this　promontory　between　the　two　great　rivers　will　be　a　fit　abode　for　industry。　　Men　will　settle　there；　wandering　down　from　the　North　and　East；　and　toil　sadly；　and　leave　their　bones　among　the　mud。　Thin；　pale…faced；　joyless　mothers　will　come　there；　and　grow　old　before　their　time；　and　sickly　children　will　be　born；　struggling　up　with　wan　faces　to　their　sad　life's　labor。　　But　the　work　will　go　on；　for　it　is　God's　work；　and　the　earth　will　be　prepared　for　the　people　and　the　fat　rottenness　of　the　still　living　forest　will　be　made　to　give　forth　its　riches。　We　found　that　two　days　at　Cairo　were　quite　enough　for　us。　　We　had　seen　th