men of invention and industry-第57节

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vessels　had　been　built　in　Scotland。　　It　was　not　until　1826　that

the　first　steamboat；　the　chieftain；　was　built　in　Belfast；　by　the

same　William　Ritchie。　　Then；　in　1838；　the　first　iron　boat　was

built　in　the　Lagan　foundry；　by　Messrs。　Coates　and　Young；　though

it　was　but　a　mere　cockle…shell　compared　with　the　mighty　ocean

steamers　which　are　now　regularly　launched　from　Queen's　Island。　

In　the　year　1883　the　largest　shipbuilding　firm　in　the　town

launched　thirteen　vessels；　of　over　30；000　tons　gross；　while　two

other　firms　launched　twelve　ships；　of　about　10；000　tons　gross。



I　do　not　propose　to　enter　into　details　respecting　the　progress　of

the　trades　of　Belfast。　　The　most　important　is　the　spinning　of

fine　linen　yarn；　which　is　for　the　most　part　concentrated　in　that

town；　over　25；000；000　of　pounds　weight　being　exported　annually。　

Towards　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century　the　linen　manufacture

had　made　but　little　progress。　　In　1680　all　Ireland　did　not　export

more　than　6000L。　worth　annually。　　Drogheda　was　then　of　greater

importance　than　Belfast。　　But　with　the　settlement　of　the

persecuted　Hugnenots　in　Ulster；　and　especially　through　the

energetic　labours　of　Crommelin；　Goyer；　and　others；　the　growth　of

flax　was　sedulously　cultivated；　and　its　manufacture　into　linen　of

all　sorts　became　an　important　branch　of　Irish　industry。　　In　the

course　of　about　fifty　years　the　exports　of　linen　fabrics

increased　to　the　value　of　over　600；000L。　per　annum。



It　was　still；　however；　a　handicraft　manufacture；　and　done　for　the

most　part　at　home。　　Flax　was　spun　and　yarn　was　woven　by　hand。　

Eventually　machinery　was　employed；　and　the　turn…out　became

proportionately　large　and　valuable。　　It　would　not　be　possible　for

hand　labour　to　supply　the　amount　of　linen　now　turned　out　by　the

aid　of　machinery。　　It　would　require　three　times　the　entire

population　of　Ireland　to　spin　and　weave；　by　the　old

spinning…wheel　and　hand…loom　methods；　the　amount　of　linen　cloth

now　annually　manufactured　by　the　operatives　of　Belfast　alone。　

There　are　now　forty　large　spinning…mills　in　Belfast　and　the

neighbourhood；　which　furnish　employment　to　a　very　large　number　of

working　people。＇20＇



In　the　course　of　my　visit　to　Belfast；　I　inspected　the　works　of

the　York　Street　flax…spinning　mills；　founded　in　1830　by　the

Messrs。　Mulholland；　which　now　give　employment；　directly　or

indirectly；　to　many　thousand　persons。　　I　visited　also；　with　my

young　Italian　friend；　the　admirable　printing　establishment　of

Marcus　Ward　and　Co。；　the　works　of　the　Belfast　Rope…work　Company；

and　the　shipbuilding　works　of　Harland　and　Wolff。　　There　we　passed

through　the　roar　of　the　iron　forge；　the　clang　of　the　Nasmyth

hammer；　and　the　intermittent　glare　of　the　furnacesall　telling

of　the　novel　appliances　of　modern　shipbuilding；　and　the　power　of

the　modern　steam…engine。　　I　prefer　to　give　a　brief　account　of

this　latter　undertaking；　as　it　exhibits　one　of　the　newest　and

most　important　industries　of　Belfast。　　It　also　shows；　on　the　part

of　its　proprietors；　a　brave　encounter　with　difficulties；　and　sets

before　the　friends　of　Ireland　the　truest　and　surest　method　of　not

only　giving　employment　to　its　people；　but　of　building　up　on　the

surest　foundations　the　prosperity　of　the　country。



The　first　occasion　on　which　I　visited　Belfastthe　reader　will

excuse　the　introduction　of　myselfwas　in　1840；　about　forty…four

years　ago。　　I　went　thither　on　the　invitation　of　the　late　Wm。　

Sharman　Crawford；　Esq。；　M。P。；　the　first　prominent　advocate　of

tenant…right；　to　attend　a　public　meeting　of　the　Ulster

Association；　and　to　spend　a　few　days　with　him　at　his　residence　at

Crawfordsburn；　near　Bangor。　　Belfast　was　then　a　town　of

comparatively　little　importance；　though　it　had　already　made　a

fair　start　in　commerce　and　industry。　　As　our　steamer　approached

the　head　of　the　Lough；　a　large　number　of　labourers　were

observedwith　barrows；　picks；　and　spadesscooping　out　and

wheeling　up　the　slob　and　mud　of　the　estuary；　for　the　purpose　of

forming　what　is　now　known　as　Queen's　Island；　on　the　eastern　side

of　the　river　Lagan。　　The　work　was　conducted　by　William　Dargan；

the　famous　Irish　contractor；　and　its　object　was　to　make　a

straight　artificial　outletthe　Victoria　Channelby　means　of

which　vessels　drawing　twenty…three　feet　of　water　might　reach　the

port　of　Belfast。　　Before　then；　the　course　of　the　Lagan　was

tortuous　and　difficult　of　navigation；　but　by　the　straight　cut；

which　was　completed　in　l846；　and　afterwards　extended　further

seawards；　ships　of　large　burden　were　enabled　to　reach　the　quays；

which　extend　for　about　a　mile　below　Queen's　Bridge；　on　both　sides

of　the　river。



It　was　a　saying　of　honest　William　Dargan；　that　〃when　a　thing　is

put　anyway　right　at　all；　it　takes　a　vast　deal　of　mismanagement　to

make　it　go　wrong。〃　　He　had　another　curious　saying　about　〃the　calf

eating　the　cow's　belly；〃　which；　he　said；　was　not　right；　〃at　all；

at　all。〃　　Belfast　illustrated　his　proverbial　remarks。　　That　the

cutting　of　the　Victoria　Channel　was　doing　the　〃right　thing〃　for

Belfast；　was　clear；　from　the　constantly　increasing　traffic　of　the

port。　　In　course　of　time；　several　extensive　docks　and　tidal

basins　were　added；　while　provision　was　made；　in　laying　out　the

reclaimed　land　at　the　entrance　of　the　estuary；　for　their　future

extension　and　enlargement。　　The　town　of　Belfast　was　by　these

means　gradually　placed　in　immediate　connection　by　sea　with　the

principal　western　ports　of　England　and　Scotland；steamships　of

large　burden　now　leaving　it　daily　for　Liverpool；　Glasgow；

Fleetwood；　Barrow；　and　Ardrossan。　　The　ships　entering　the　port　of

Belfast　in　1883　were　7508；　of　1；526；535　tonnage；　they　had　been

more　than　doubled　in　fifteen　years。　　The　town　has　risen　from

nothing；　to　exhibit　a　Customs　revenue；　in　1883；　of　608；781L。；

infinitely　greater　than　that　of　Leith；　the　port　of　Edinburgh；　or

of　Hull；　the　chief　port　of　Yorkshire。　　The　population　has　also

largely　increased。　　When　I　visited　Belfast　in　1840；　the　town

contained　75；000　inhabitants。　　They　are　now　over　225；006；　or　more

than　trebled；Belfast　being　the　tenth　town；　in　point　of

population；　in　the　United　Kingdom。



The　spirit　and　enterprise　of　the　people　are　illustrated　by　the

variety　of　their　occupations。　　They　do　not　confine　themselves　to

one　branch　of　business；　but　their　energies　overflow　into　nearly

every　department　of　industry。　　Their　linen　manufacture　is　of

world…wide　fame；　but　much　less　known　are　their　more　recent

enterprises。　　The　production　of　aerated　waters；　for　instance；　is

something　extraordinary。　　In　1882　the　manufacturers　shipped　off

53；163　packages；　and　24；263　cwts。　of　aerated　waters　to　England；

Scotland；　Australia；　New　Zealand；　and　other　countries。　　　While

Ireland　produces　no　wrought　iron；　though　it　contains　plenty　of

iron…stone；and　Belfast　has　to　import　all　the　iron　which　it

consumes；yet　one　engineering　firm　alone；　that　of　Combe；

Barbour；　and　Combe；　employs　1500　highly…paid　mechanics；　and　ships

off　its　iron　machinery　to　all　parts　of　the　world。　　The　printing

establishment　of　Marcus　Ward　and　Co。　employs　over　1000　highly

skilled　and　ingenious　persons；　and　extends　the　influence　of

learning　and　literature　into　all　civilised　countries。　　We　might

add　the　various　manufactures　of　roofing　felt　（of　which　there　are

five）；　of　ropes；　of　stoves；　of　stable　fittings；　of　nails；　of

starch；　of　machinery；　all　of　which　have　earned　a　world…wide

reputation。



We　prefer；　however；　to　give　an　account　of　the　last　new　industry

of　Belfastthat　of　shipping　and　shipbuilding。　　Although；　as　we

have　said；　Belfast　imports　from　Scotland　and　England　all　its　iron

and　all　its　coal；＇21＇　it　nevertheless；　by　the　skill　and　strength

of　its　men；　sends　out　some　of　the　finest　and　largest　steamships

which　navigate　the　Atlantic　and　Pacific。　　It　all　comes　from　the

power　of　individuality；　and　furnishes　a　splendid　example　for

Dublin；　Cork；　Waterford；　and　Limerick；　each　of　which　is　provided

by　nature　with　magnificent　harbours；　with　fewer　of　those

difficulties　of　access　which　Belfast　has　triumphed　over；　and　each

of　which　might　be　the　centre　of　some　great　industrial　enterprise；

provided　only　there　were　patriotic　men　willing　to　embark　their

capital；　perfect　protection　for　the　property　invested；　and　men

willing　to　work　rather　than　to　strike。



It　was　not　until　the　year　1853　that　the　Queen's　Islandraked　out

of　the　mud　of　the　slob…landwas　first　used　for　shipbuilding

purposes。　　Robert　Hickson　and　Co。　then　commenced　operations　by

laying　down　the　Mary　Stenhouse；　a　wooden　sailing…ship　of　1289

tons　register；　and　the　vessel　was　launched　in　the　following　year。



The　operations　of　the　firm　were　continued　until　the　year　1859；

when　the　shipbuilding　establishments　on　Queen's　Island　were

acquired　by　Mr。　E。　J。　Harland　（afterwards　Harland　and　Wolff）；

since　which　time　the　development　of　this　great　branch　of　industry

in　Belfast　has　been　rapid　and　complete。



From　the　history　of　this　firm；　it　will　be　found　that　energy　is