the life of thomas telford-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　motion　of　the　hand　on　some　elevated　spot；　the　old　wooden　plough

is　still　at　work；　and　the　goad　is　still　used　to　urge　the　yoke　of

oxen　in　dragging　it　along。



＇Image＇　The　Devonshire　Crooks



〃In　such　a　place　as　Chagford；〃　says　Mr。　Rowe；　〃the　cooper　or　rough

carpenter　will　still　find　a　demand　for　the　pack…saddle；　with　its

accompanying　furniture　of　crooks；　crubs；　or　dung…pots。　　Before　the

general　introduction　of　carts；　these　rough　and　ready　contrivances

were　found　of　great　utility　in　the　various　operations　of　husbandry；

and　still　prove　exceedingly　convenient　in　situations　almost；　or

altogether；　inaccessible　to　wheel…carriages。　　The　long　crooks　are

used　for　the　carriage　of　corn　in　sheaf　from　the　harvest…field　to

the　mowstead　or　barn；　for　the　removal　of　furze；　browse；

faggot…wood；　and　other　light　materials。　　The　writer　of　one　of　the

happiest　effusions　of　the　local　muse；*＇10＇　with　fidelity　to　nature

equal　to　Cowper　or　Crabbe；　has　introduced　the　figure　of　a

Devonshire　pack…horse　bending　under　the　'swagging　load'　of　the

high…piled　crooks　as　an　emblem　of　care　toiling　along　the　narrow　and

rugged　path　of　life。　　The　force　and　point　of　the　imagery　must　be

lost　to　those　who　have　never　seen　（and；　as　in　an　instance　which

came　under　my　own　knowledge；　never　heard　of）　this　unique　specimen

of　provincial　agricultural　machinery。　The　crooks　are　formed　of　two

poles；*＇11＇　about　ten　feet　long；　bent；　when　green；　into　the

required　curve；　and　when　dried　in　that　shape　are　connected　by

horizontal　bars。　　A　pair　of　crooks；　thus　completed；　is　slung　over

the　pack…saddleone　'swinging　on　each　side　to　make　the　balance

true。'　The　short　crooks；　or　crubs；　are　slung　in　a　similar　manner。

These　are　of　stouter　fabric；　and　angular　shape；　and　are　used　for

carrying　logs　of　wood　and　other　heavy　materials。　The　dung…pots；　as

the　name　implies；　were　also　much　in　use　in　past　times；　for　the

removal　of　dung　and　other　manure　from　the　farmyard　to　the　fallow　or

plough　lands。　　The　slide；　or　sledge；　may　also　still　occasionally

be　seen　in　the　hay　or　corn　fields；　sometimes　without；　and　in　other

cases　mounted　on　low　wheels；　rudely　but　substantially　formed　of

thick　plank；　such　as　might　have　brought　the　ancient　Roman's　harvest

load　to　the　barn　some　twenty　centuries　ago。〃



Mrs。　Bray　says　the　crooks　are　called　by　the　country　people

〃Devil's　tooth…picks。〃　　A　correspondent　informs　us　that　the　queer

old　crook…packs　represented　in　our　illustration　are　still　in　use　in

North　Devon。　　He　adds：　〃The　pack…horses　were　so　accustomed　to　their

position　when　travelling　in　line　（going　in　double　file）　and　so

jealous　of　their　respective　places；　that　if　one　got　wrong　and　took

another's　place；　the　animal　interfered　with　would　strike　at　the

offender　with　his　crooks。〃



Footnotes　for　Chapter　III。



*＇1＇　'Three　Years'　Travels　in　England；　Scotland；　and　Wales。'

By　James　Brome；　M。A。；　Rector　of　Cheriton；　Kent。　　London；　1726。



*＇2＇　The　treatment　the　stranger　received　was　often　very　rude。

When　William　Hutton；　of　Birmingham；　accompanied　by　another　gentleman；

went　to　view　the　field　of　Bosworth；　in　1770；　〃the　inhabitants；〃

he　says；　〃set　their　dogs　at　us　in　the　street；　merely　because　we　were

strangers。　　Human　figures　not　their　own　are　seldom　seen　in　these

inhospitable　regions。　　Surrounded　with　impassable　roads；　no

intercourse　with　man　to　humanise　the　mind。　　nor　commerce　to　smooth

their　rugged　manners；　they　continue　the　boors　of　Nature。〃

In　certain　villages　in　Lancashire　and　Yorkshire；　not　very　remote　from

large　towns；　the　appearance　of　a　stranger；　down　to　a　comparatively

recent　period；　excited　a　similar　commotion　amongst　the　villagers；

and　the　word　would　pass　from　door　to　door；　〃Dost　knaw'im？〃　〃Naya。〃

〃Is　'e　straunger？〃　〃Ey；　for　sewer。〃　　〃Then　paus'　'im　'Eave　a　duck

＇stone＇　at　'im　Fettle　'im！〃　　And　the　〃straunger〃　would　straightway

find　the　〃ducks〃　flying　about　his　head；　and　be　glad　to　make　his

escape　from　the　village　with　his　life。



*＇3＇　Scatcherd；　'History　of　Morley。'



*＇4＇　Murray's　'　Handbook　of　Surrey；　Hants；　and　Isle　of　Wight；'　168。



*＇5＇　Whitaker's　'History　of　Craven。'



*＇6＇　Scatcherd's　'History　of　Morley；'　226。



*＇7＇　Vixen　Tor　is　the　name　of　this　singular…looking　rock。　　But　it

is　proper　to　add；　that　its　appearance　is　probably　accidental；　the

head　of　the　Sphynx　being　produced　by　the　three　angular　blocks　of

rock　seen　in　profile。　　Mr。　Borlase；　however；　in　his　'　Antiquities

of　Cornwall；'　expresses　the　opinion　that　the　rock…basins　on　the

summit　of　the　rock　were　used　by　the　Druids　for　purposes　connected

with　their　religious　ceremonies。



*＇8＇　The　provisioning　of　London；　now　grown　so　populous；　would　be

almost　impossible　but　for　the　perfect　system　of　roads　now

converging　on　it　from　all　parts。　　In　early　times；　London；　like

country　places；　had　to　lay　in　its　stock　of　salt…provisions　against

winter；　drawing　its　supplies　of　vegetables　from　the　country　within

easy　reach　of　the　capital。　　Hence　the　London　market…gardeners

petitioned　against　the　extension　of　tumpike…roads　about　a　century

ago；　as　they　afterwards　petitioned　against　the　extension　of

railways；　fearing　lest　their　trade　should　be　destroyed　by　the

competition　of　country…grown　cabbages。　　But　the　extension　of　the

roads　had　become　a　matter　of　absolute　necessity；　in　order　to　feed

the　huge　and　ever…increasing　mouth　of　the　Great　Metropolis；　the

population　of　which　has　grown　in　about　two　centuries　from　four

hundred　thousand　to　three　millions。　This　enormous　population　has；

perhaps；　never　at　any　time　more　than　a　fortnight's　supply　of　food

in　stock；　and　most　families　not　more　than　a　few　days；　yet　no　one

ever　entertains　the　slightest　apprehension　of　a　failure　in　the

supply；　or　even　of　a　variation　in　the　price　from　day　to　day　in

consequence　of　any　possible　shortcoming。　　That　this　should　be　so；

would　be　one　of　the　most　surprising　things　in　the　history　of　modern

London；　but　that　it　is　sufficiently　accounted　for　by　the

magnificent　system　of　roads；　canals；　and　railways；　which　connect　it

with　the　remotest　corners　of　the　kingdom。　　Modern　London　is　mainly

fed　by　steam。　　The　Express　Meat…Train；　which　runs　nightly　from

Aberdeen　to　London；　drawn　by　two　engines　and　makes　the　journey　in

twenty…four　hours；　is　but　a　single　illustration　of　the　rapid　and

certain　method　by　which　modem　London　is　fed。　　The　north　Highlands

of　Scotland　have　thus；　by　means　of　railways；　become　grazing…grounds

for　the　metropolis。　　Express　fish　trains　from　Dunbar　and　Eyemouth

（Smeaton's　harbours）；　augmented　by　fish…trucks　from　Cullercoats　and

Tynemouth　on　the　Northumberland　coast；　and　from　Redcar；　Whitby；　and

Scarborough　on　the　Yorkshire　coast；　also　arrive　in　London　every

morning。　　And　what　with　steam…vessels　bearing　cattle；　and　meat　and

fish　arriving　by　sea；　and　canal…boats　laden　with　potatoes　from

inland；　and　railway…vans　laden　with　butter　and　milk　drawn　from　a

wide　circuit　of　country；　and　road…vans　piled　high　with　vegetables

within　easy　drive　of　Covent　Garden；　the　Great　Mouth　is　thus　from

day　to　day　regularly；　satisfactorily；　and　expeditiously　filled。



*＇9＇　The　white　witches　are　kindly　disposed；　the　black　cast　the

〃evil　eye；〃　and　the　grey　are　consulted　for　the　discovery　of　theft；

&c。



*＇10＇　See　'The　Devonshire　Lane'；　above　quoted



*＇11＇　Willow　saplings；　crooked　and　dried　in　the　required　form。





CHAPTER　IV。



ROADS　AND　TRAVELLING　IN　SCOTLAND　IN　THE　LAST　CENTURY。



The　internal　communications　of　Scotland；　which　Telford　did　so　much

in　the　course　of　his　life　to　improve；　were；　if　possible；　even　worse

than　those　of　England　about　the　middle　of　last　century。　　The　land

was　more　sterile；　and　the　people　were　much　poorer。　　Indeed；　nothing

could　be　more　dreary　than　the　aspect　which　Scotland　then　presented。

Her　fields　lay　untilled；　her　mines　unexplored；　and　her　fisheries

uncultivated。　　The　Scotch　towns　were　for　the　most　part　collections

of　thatched　mud　cottages；　giving　scant　shelter　to　a　miserable

population。　The　whole　country　was　desponding；　gaunt；　and　haggard；

like　Ireland　in　its　worst　times。　　The　common　people　were　badly　fed

and　wretchedly　clothed；　those　in　the　country　for　the　most　part

living　in　huts　with　their　cattle。　　Lord　Kaimes　said　of　the　Scotch

tenantry　of　the　early　part　of　last　century；　that　they　were　so

benumbed　by　oppression　and　poverty　that　the　most　able　instructors

in　husbandry　could　have　made　nothing　of　them。　　A　writer　in　the

'Farmer's　Magazine'　sums　up　his　account　of　Scotland　at　that　time　in

these　words：〃Except　in　a　few　instances；　it　was　little　better　than

a　barren　waste。〃*＇1＇





The　modern　traveller　through　the　Lothianswhich　now　exhibit

perhaps　the　finest　agriculture　in　the　worldwill　scarcely　believe

that　less　than　a　century　ago　these　counties　were　mostly　in　the

state　in　which　Nature　had　left　them。　　In　the　interior　there　was

little　to　be　seen　but　bleak　moors　and　quaking　bogs。　　The　chief　part

of　each　farm　consisted　of　〃out…field；〃　or　unenclosed　land；　no