men of invention and industry-第59节

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entire　coast　of　Ireland　from　August　till　December。〃　　〃Large

shoals　of　pilchards〃　were　observed　on　the　south　and　south…west

coasts。　　Off　Dingle；　it　is　remarked；　〃the　supply　of　all　kinds　of

fish　is　practically　inexhaustible。〃



〃Immense　shoals　of　herrings　off　Liscannor　and　Loop　Head；〃　　〃the

mackerel　is　always　on　this　coast；　and　can　be　captured　at　any　time

of　the　year；　weather　permitting。〃　　At　Belmullet；　〃the　shoals　of

fish　off　the　coast；　particularly　herring　and　mackerel；　are

sometimes　enormous。〃　　The　fishermen；　though　poor；　are　all　very

orderly　and　well　conducted。　　They　only　want　energy　and　industry。



＇16＇　The　Harleian　Miscellany；　iii。　378…91。



＇17＇　The　Harleian　Miscellany；　iii。　392。



＇18＇　See　The　Huguenots　in　England　and　Ireland。　　A　Board　of

Traders；　for　the　encouragement　and　promotion　of　the　hemp　and　flax

manufacture　in　Ireland；　was　appointed　by　an　Act　of　Parliament　at

the　beginning　of　last　century　（6th　October；　1711）；　and　the　year

after　the　appointment　of　the　Board　the　following　notice　was

placed　on　the　records　of　the　institution：　〃Louis　Crommelin　and

the　Huguenot　colony　have　been　greatly　instrumental　in　improving

and　propagating　the　flaxen　manufacture　in　the　north　of　this

Kingdom；　and　the　perfection　to　which　the　same　is　brought　in　that

part　of　the　country　has　been　greatly　owing　to　the　skill　and

industry　of　the　said　Crommelin。〃　　In　a　history　of　the　linen

trade；　published　at　Belfast；　it　is　said　that　〃the　dignity　which

that　enterprising　man　imparted　to　labour；　and　the　halo　which　his

example　cast　around　physical　exertion；　had　the　best　effect　in

raising　the　tone　of　popular　feeling；　as　well　among　the　patricians

as　among　the　peasants　of　the　north　of　Ireland。　　This　love　of

industry　did　much　to　break　down　the　national　prejudice　in　favour

of　idleness；　and　cast　doubts　on　the　social　orthodoxy　of　the　idea

then　so　popular　with　the　squirearchy；　that　those　alone　who　were

able　to　live　without　employment　had　any　rightful　claim　to　the

distinctive　title　of　gentleman。。。。　　A　patrician　by　birth　and　a

merchant　by　profession；　Crommelin　proved；　by　his　own　life；　his

example；　and　his　enterprise；　that　an　energetic　manufacturer　may；

at　the　same　time；　take　a　high　place　in　the　conventional　world。〃



＇19＇　Benn's　History　of　Belfast；　p。　78。



＇20＇　From　the　Irish　Manufacturers'　Almanack　for　1883　I　learn　that

nearly　one…third　of　the　spindles　used　in　Europe　in　the　linen

trade；　and　more　than　one…fourth　of　the　power…looms；　belong　to

Ireland；　that　〃the　Irish　linen　and　associated　trades　at　present

give　employment　to　176；303　persons；　and　it　is　estimated　that　the

capital　sunk　in　spinning　and　weaving　factories；　and　the　business

incidental　thereto；　is　about　100；000；000L。；　and　of　that　sum

37；000；000L。　is　credited　to　Belfast　alone。〃



＇21＇　The　importation　of　coal　in　1883　amounted　to　over　700；000

tons。



＇22＇　We　are　indebted　to　the　obliging　kindness　of　the　Right　Hon。

Mr。　Fawcett；　Postmaster…General　for　this　return。　　The　total

number　of　depositors　in　the　Post　Office　Savings　banks　in　the

Parliamentary　borough　of　Belfast　is　10；827　and　the　amount　of

their　deposits；　including　the　interest　standing　to　their　credit；

on　the　31st　December；　1882；　was　158；064L。　0s。　1d。



An　important　item　in　the　savings　of　Belfast；　not　included　in　the

above　returns；　consists　in　the　amounts　of　deposits　made　with　the

various　Limited　Companies；　as　well　as　with　the　thriving　Building

Societies　in　the　town　and　neighbourhood。





CHAPTER　XI。



SHIPBUILDING　IN　BELFASTITS　ORIGIN　AND　PROGRESS。



BY　SIR　E。　J。　HARLAND；　ENGINEER　AND　SHIPBUILDER。



〃The　useful　arts　are　but　reproductions　or　new　combinations　by　the

art　of　man；　of　the　same　natural　benefactors。　　He　no　longer　waits

for　favouring　gales；　but　by　means　of　steam　he　realises　the　fable

of　AEolus's　bag；　and　carries　the　two…and…thirty　winds　in　the

boiler　of　his　boat。〃Emerson。



〃The　most　exquisite　and　the　most　expensive　machinery　is　brought

into　play　where　operations　on　the　most　common　materials　are　to　be

performed；　because　these　are　executed　on　the　widest　scale。　　This

is　the　meaning　of　the　vast　and　astonishing　prevalence　of　machine

work　in　this　country：　that　the　machine；　with　its　million　fingers；

works　for　millions　of　purchasers；　while　in　remote　countries；

where　magnificence　and　savagery　stand　side　by　side；　tens　of

thousands　work　for　one。　　There　Art　labours　for　the　rich　alone；

here　she　works　for　the　poor　no　less。　　There　the　multitude　produce

only　to　give　splendour　and　grace　to　the　despot　or　the　warrior；

whose　slaves　they　are；　and　whom　they　enrich；　here　the　man　who　is

powerful　in　the　weapons　of　peace；　capital；　and　machinery；　uses

them　to　give　comfort　and　enjoyment　to　the　public；　whose　servant

he　is；　and　thus　becomes　rich　while　he　enriches　others　with　his

goods。〃William　Whewell；　D。D。



I　was　born　at　Scarborough　in　May；　1831；　the　sixth　of　a　family　of

eight。　　My　father　was　a　native　of　Rosedale；　half…way　between

Whitby　and　Pickering：　　his　nurse　was　the　sister　of　Captain

Scoresby；　celebrated　as　an　Arctic　explorer。　　Arrived　at　manhood；

he　studied　medicine；　graduated　at　Edinburgh；　and　practised　in

Scarborough　until　nearly　his　death　in　1866。　　He　was　thrice　Mayor

and　a　Justice　of　the　Peace　for　the　borough。　　Dr。　Harland　was　a

man　of　much　force　of　character；　and　displayed　great　originality

in　the　treatment　of　disease。　　Besides　exercising　skill　in　his

profession；　he　had　a　great　love　for　mechanical　pursuits。　　He

spent　his　leisure　time　in　inventions　of　many　sorts；　and；　in

conjunction　with　the　late　Sir　George　Cayley　of　Brompton；　he　kept

an　excellent　mechanic　constantly　at　work。



In　1827　he　invented　and　patented　a　steam…carriage　for　running　on

common　roads。　　Before　the　adoption　of　railways；　the　old　stage

coaches　were　found　slow　and　insufficient　for　the　traffic。　　A

working　model　of　the　steam…coach　was　perfected；　embracing　a

multitubular　boiler　for　quickly　raising　high…pressure　steam；　with

a　revolving　surface　condenser　for　reducing　the　steam　to　water

again；　by　means　of　its　exposure　to　the　cold　draught　of　the

atmosphere　through　the　interstices　of　extremely　thin　laminations

of　copper　plates。　　The　entire　machinery；　placed　under　the　bottom

of　the　carriage；　was　borne　on　springs；　the　whole　being　of　an

elegant　form。　　This　model　steam…carriage　ascended　with　perfect

ease　the　steepest　roads。　　Its　success　was　so　complete　that　Dr。

Harland　designed　a　full…sized　carriage；　but　the　demands　upon　his

professional　skill　were　so　great　that　he　was　prevented　going

further　than　constructing　the　pair　of　engines；　the　wheels；　and　a

part　of　the　boiler；all　of　which　remnants　I　still　preserve；　as

valuable　links　in　the　progress　of　steam　locomotion。



Other　branches　of　practical　sciencesuch　as　electricity；

magnetism；　and　chemical　cultivation　of　the　soilreceived　a　share

of　his　attention。　　He　predicted　that　three　or　four　powerful

electric　lamps　would　yet　light　a　whole　city。　　He　was　also

convinced　of　the　feasibility　of　an　electric　cable　to　New　York；

and　calculated　the　probable　cost。　　As　an　　example　to　the

neighbourhood；　he　successfully　cultivated　a　tract　of　moorland；

and　overcame　difficulties　which　before　then　were　thought

insurmountable。



When　passing　through　Newcastle；　while　still　a　young　man；　on　one

of　his　journeys　to　the　University　at　Edinburgh；　and　being

desirous　of　witnessing　the　operations　in　a　coal…mine；　a　friend

recommended　him　to　visit　Killingworth　pit；　where　he　would　find

one　George　Stephenson；　a　most　intelligent　workman；　in　charge。　　My

father　was　introduced　to　Mr。　Stephenson　accordingly；　and　after

rambling　over　the　underground　workings；　and　observing　the　pumping

and　winding　engines　in　full　operation；　a　friendship　was　made；

which　afterwards　proved　of　the　greatest　service　to　myself；　by

facilitating　my　being　placed　as　a　pupil　at　the　great　engineering

works　of　Messrs。　Robert　Stephenson　and　Co。；　at　Newcastle。



My　mother　was　the　daughter　of　Gawan　Pierson；　a　landed　proprietor

of　Goathland；　near　Rosedale。　　She；　too；　was　surprisingly

mechanical　in　her　tastes；　and　assisted　my　father　in　preparing

many　of　his　plans；　besides　attaining　considerable　proficiency　in

drawing；　painting；　and　modelling　in　wax。　　Toys　in　those　days　were

poor；　as　well　as　very　expensive　to　purchase。　　But　the　nursery

soon　became　a　little　workshop　under　her　directions；　and　the　boys

were　usually　engaged；　one　in　making　a　cart；　another　in　carving

out　a　horse；　and　a　third　in　cutting　out　a　boat；　while　the　girls

were　making　harness；　or　sewing　sails；　or　cutting　out　and　making

perfect　dresses　for　their　dollswhose　houses　were　completely

furnished　with　everything；　from　the　kitchen　to　the　attic；　all

made　at　home。



It　was　in　a　house　of　such　industry　and　mechanism　that　I　was

brought　up。　　As　a　youth；　I　was　slow　at　my　lessons；　preferring　to

watch　and　assist　workmen　when　I　had　an　opportunity　of　doing　so；

even　with　the　certainty　of　having　a　thrashing　from　the

schoolmaster　for　my　neglect。