north america-1-第20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！


of　the　different　buildings　is　so　much　alike　as　to　make　one　whole；　though　the　designs　of　different　architects　were　selected　and　these　different　architects　employed；　I　imagine　that　considerable　alterations　must　have　been　made　in　the　original　drawings。　　There　are　three　buildings；　forming　three　sides　of　a　quadrangle；　but　they　are　not　joined；　the　vacant　spaces　at　the　corner　being　of　considerable　extent。　　The　fourth　side　of　the　quadrangle　opens　upon　one　of　the　principal　streets　of　the　town。　　The　center　building　is　intended　for　the　Houses　of　Parliament；　and　the　two　side　buildings　for　the　government　offices。　　Of　the　first　Messrs。　Fuller　and　Jones　are　the　architects；　and　of　the　latter　Messrs。　Stent　and　Laver。　　I　did　not　have　the　pleasure　of　meeting　any　of　these　gentlemen；　but　I　take　upon　myself　to　say　that；　as　regards　purity　of　art　and　manliness　of　conception；　their　joint　work　is　entitled　to　the　very　highest　praise。　　How　far　the　buildings　may　be　well　arranged　for　the　required　purposeshow　far　they　maybe　economical　in　construction　or　specially　adapted　to　the　severe　climate　of　the　countryI　cannot　say；　but　I　have　no　hesitation　in　risking　my　reputation　for　judgment　in　giving　my　warmest　commendation　to　them　as　regards　beauty　of　outline　and　truthful　nobility　of　detail。　I　shall　not　attempt　to　describe　them；　for　I　should　interest　no　one　in　doing　so；　and　should　certainly　fail　in　my　attempt　to　make　any　reader　understand　me。　　I　know　no　modern　Gothic　purer　of　its　kind　or　less　sullied　with　fictitious　ornamentation。　　Our　own　Houses　of　Parliament　are　very　fine；　but　it　is；　I　believe；　generally　felt　that　the　ornamentation　is　too　minute；　and；　moreover；　it　may　be　questioned　whether　perpendicular　Gothic　is　capable　of　the　highest　nobility　which　architecture　can　achieve。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　say　that　these　Canadian　public　buildings　will　reach　that　highest　nobility。　　They　must　be　finished　before　any　final　judgment　can　be　pronounced；　but　I　do　feel　very　certain　that　that　final　judgment　will　be　greatly　in　their　favor。　　The　total　frontage　of　the　quadrangle；　including　the　side　buildings；　is　1200　feet；　that　of　the　center　buildings　is　475。　　As　I　have　said　before；　225；000　pounds　have　already　been　expended；　and　it　is　estimated　that　the　total　cost；　including　the　arrangement　and　decoration　of　the　ground　behind　the　building　and　in　the　quadrangle；　will　be　half　a　million。　The　buildings　front　upon　what　will；　I　suppose；　be　the　principal　street　of　Ottawa；　and　they　stand　upon　a　rock　looking　immediately　down　upon　the　river。　　In　this　way　they　are　blessed　with　a　site　peculiarly　happy。　　Indeed；　I　cannot　at　this　moment　remember　any　so　much　so。　　The　Castle　of　Edinburgh　stands　very　well；　but　then；　like　many　other　castles；　it　stands　on　a　summit　by　itself；　and　can　only　be　approached　by　a　steep　ascent。　　These　buildings　at　Ottawa；　though　they　look　down　from　a　grand　eminence　immediately　on　the　river；　are　approached　from　the　town　without　any　ascent。　　The　rock；　though　it　falls　almost　precipitously　down　to　the　water　is　covered　with　trees　and　shrubs；　and　then　the　river　that　runs　beneath　is　rapid；　bright；　and　picturesque　in　the　irregularity　of　all　its　lines。　　The　view　from　the　back　of　the　library；　up　to　the　Chaudiere　Falls　and　to　the　saw…mills　by　which　they　are　surrounded；　is　very　lovely。　　So　that　I　will　say　again　that　I　know　no　site　for　such　a　set　of　buildings　so　happy　as　regards　both　beauty　and　grandeur。　　It　is　intended　that　the　library；　of　which　the　walls　were　only　ten　feet　above　the　ground　when　I　was　there；　shall　be　an　octagonal　building；　in　shape　and　outward　character　like　the　chapter　house　of　a　cathedral。　　This　structure　will；　I　presume；　be　surrounded　by　gravel　walks　and　green　sward。　　Of　the　library　there　is　a　large　model　showing　all　the　details　of　the　architecture；　and　if　that　model　be　ultimately　followed；　this　building　alone　will　be　worthy　of　a　visit　from　English　tourists。　　To　me　it　was　very　wonderful　to　find　such　an　edifice　in　the　course　of　erection　on　the　banks　of　a　wild　river　almost　at　the　back　of　Canada。　　But　if　ever　I　visit　Canada　again；　it　will　be　to　see　those　buildings　when　completed。　And　now；　like　all　friendly　critics；　having　bestowed　my　modicum　of　praise；　I　must　proceed　to　find　fault。　　I　cannot　bring　myself　to　administer　my　sugar…plum　without　adding　to　it　some　bitter　morsel　by　way　of　antidote。　　The　building　to　the　left　of　the　quadrangle　as　it　is　entered　is　deficient　in　length；　and　on　that　account　appears　mean　to　the　eye。　　The　two　side　buildings　are　brought　up　close　to　the　street；　so　that　each　has　a　frontage　immediately　on　the　street。　Such　being　the　case；　they　should　be　of　equal　length；　or　nearly　so。　Had　the　center　of　one　fronted　the　center　of　the　other；　a　difference　of　length　might　have　been　allowed；　but　in　this　case　the　side　front　of　the　smaller　one　would　not　have　reached　the　street。　　As　it　is；　the　space　between　the　main　building　and　the　smaller　wing　is　disproportionably　large；　and　the　very　distance　at　which　it　stands　will；　I　fear；　give　to　it　that　appearance　of　meanness　of　which　I　have　spoken。　　The　clerk　of　the　works；　who　explained　to　me　with　much　courtesy　the　plan　of　the　buildings；　stated　that　the　design　of　this　wing　was　capable　of　elongation；　and　had　been　expressly　prepared　with　that　object。　　If　this　be　so；　I　trust　that　the　defect　will　be　remedied。　The　great　trade　of　Canada　is　lumbering；　and　lumbering　consists　in　cutting　down　pine…trees　up　in　the　far　distant　forests；　in　hewing　or　sawing　them　into　shape　for　market；　and　getting　them　down　the　rivers　to　Quebec；　from　whence　they　are　exported　to　Europe；　and　chiefly　to　England。　　Timber　in　Canada　is　called　lumber；　those　engaged　in　the　trade　are　called　lumberers；　and　the　business　itself　is　called　lumbering。　　After　a　lapse　of　time　it　must　no　doubt　become　monotonous　to　those　engaged　in　it；　and　the　name　is　not　engaging；　but　there　is　much　about　it　that　is　very　picturesque。　　A　saw…mill　worked　by　water　power　is　almost　always　a　pretty　object；　and　stacks　of　new…cut　timber　are　pleasant　to　the　smell；　and　group　themselves　not　amiss　on　the　water's　edge。　　If　I　had　the　time；　and　were　a　year　or　two　younger；　I　should　love　well　to　go　up　lumbering　into　the　woods。　　The　men　for　this　purpose　are　hired　in　the　fall　of　the　year；　and　are　sent　up　hundreds　of　miles　away　to　the　pine　forests　in　strong　gangs。　　Everything　is　there　found　for　them。　　They　make　log　huts　for　their　shelter；　and　food　of　the　best　and　the　strongest　is　taken　up　for　their　diet。　　But　no　strong　drink　of　any　kind　is　allowed；　nor　is　any　within　reach　of　the　men。　　There　are　no　publics；　no　shebeen　houses；　no　grog…shops。　　Sobriety　is　an　enforced　virtue；　and　so　much　is　this　considered　by　the　masters；　and　understood　by　the　men；　that　very　little　contraband　work　is　done　in　the　way　of　taking　up　spirits　to　these　settlements。　　It　may　be　said　that　the　work　up　in　the　forests　is　done　with　the　assistance　of　no　stronger　drink　than　tea；　and　it　is　very　hard　work。　　There　cannot　be　much　work　that　is　harder；　and　it　is　done　amid　the　snows　and　forests　of　a　Canadian　winter。　　A　convict　in　Bermuda　cannot　get　through　his　daily　eight　hours　of　light　labor　without　an　allowance　of　rum；　but　a　Canadian　lumberer　can　manage　to　do　his　daily　task　on　tea　without　milk。　　These　men；　however；　are　by　no　means　teetotalers。　　When　they　come　back　to　the　towns　they　break　out；　and　reward　themselves　for　their　long…enforced　moderation。　　The　wages　I　found　to　be　very　various；　running　from　thirteen　or　fourteen　dollars　a　month　to　twenty…eight　or　thirty；　according　to　the　nature　of　the　work。　　The　men　who　cut　down　the　trees　receive　more　than　those　who　hew　them　when　down；　and　these　again　more　than　the　under　class　who　make　the　roads　and　clear　the　ground。　　These　money　wages；　however；　are　in　addition　to　their　diet。　　The　operation　requiring　the　most　skill　is　that　of　marking　the　trees　for　the　axe。　　The　largest　only　are　worth　cutting；　and　form　and　soundness　must　also　be　considered。　But　if　I　were　about　to　visit　a　party　of　lumberers　in　the　forest；　I　should　not　be　disposed　to　pass　a　whole　winter　with　them。　　Even　of　a　very　good　thing　one　may　have　too　much；　I　would　go　up　in　the　spring；　when　the　rafts　are　being　formed　in　the　small　tributary　streams；　and　I　would　come　down　upon　one　of　them；　shooting　the　rapids　of　the　rivers　as　soon　as　the　first　freshets　had　left　the　way　open。　　A　freshet　in　the　rivers　is　the　rush　of　waters　occasioned　by　melting　snow　and　ice。　　The　first　freshets　take　down　the　winter　waters　of　the　nearer　lakes　and　rivers。　　Then　the　streams　become　for　a　time　navigable；　and　the　rafts　go　down。　　After　that　comes　the　second　freshet；　occasioned　by　the　melting　of　far…off　snow　and　ice　up　in　the　great　northern　lakes；　which　are　little　known。　　These　rafts　are　of　immense　construction；　such　as　those　which　we　have　seen　on　the　Rhone　and　Rhine；　and　often　contain　timber　to　the　value　of　two；　three；　and　four　thousand　pounds。　　At　the　rapids　the　large　rafts　are；　as　it　were；　unyoked；　and　divided　into　small　portions；　which　go　down　separately。　　The　excitement　and　motion　of　such　transit　must；　I　should　say；　be　very　joyous。　　I　was　told　that　the　Prince　of　Wales　desired　to　go　down　a　rapid　on　a　raft；　but　that　the　men　in　charge　would　not　undertake　to　say　that　there　was　no　possible　danger；　whereupon　those　who　accompanied　the　prince　requested　his　Royal　Highness　to　forbear。　　I　fear　that；　in　these