the mirror of the sea-第22节

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the　open　water　remains　with　the　ship　steering　to　the　westward



through　one　of　the　lighted　and　buoyed　passage…ways　of　the　Thames；



such　as　Queen's　Channel；　Prince's　Channel；　Four…Fathom　Channel；　or



else　coming　down　the　Swin　from　the　north。　　The　rush　of　the　yellow



flood…tide　hurries　her　up　as　if　into　the　unknown　between　the　two



fading　lines　of　the　coast。　　There　are　no　features　to　this　land；　no



conspicuous；　far…famed　landmarks　for　the　eye；　there　is　nothing　so



far　down　to　tell　you　of　the　greatest　agglomeration　of　mankind　on



earth　dwelling　no　more　than　five　and　twenty　miles　away；　where　the



sun　sets　in　a　blaze　of　colour　flaming　on　a　gold　background；　and　the



dark；　low　shores　trend　towards　each　other。　　And　in　the　great



silence　the　deep；　faint　booming　of　the　big　guns　being　tested　at



Shoeburyness　hangs　about　the　Nore　…　a　historical　spot　in　the



keeping　of　one　of　England's　appointed　guardians。















XXXI。















The　Nore　sand　remains　covered　at　low…water；　and　never　seen　by　human



eye；　but　the　Nore　is　a　name　to　conjure　with　visions　of　historical



events；　of　battles；　of　fleets；　of　mutinies；　of　watch　and　ward　kept



upon　the　great　throbbing　heart　of　the　State。　　This　ideal　point　of



the　estuary；　this　centre　of　memories；　is　marked　upon　the　steely



gray　expanse　of　the　waters　by　a　lightship　painted　red　that；　from　a



couple　of　miles　off；　looks　like　a　cheap　and　bizarre　little　toy。　　I



remember　how；　on　coming　up　the　river　for　the　first　time；　I　was



surprised　at　the　smallness　of　that　vivid　object　…　a　tiny　warm　speck



of　crimson　lost　in　an　immensity　of　gray　tones。　　I　was　startled；　as



if　of　necessity　the　principal　beacon　in　the　water…way　of　the



greatest　town　on　earth　should　have　presented　imposing　proportions。



And；　behold！　the　brown　sprit…sail　of　a　barge　hid　it　entirely　from



my　view。







Coming　in　from　the　eastward；　the　bright　colouring　of　the　lightship



marking　the　part　of　the　river　committed　to　the　charge　of　an　Admiral



（the　Commander…in…Chief　at　the　Nore）　accentuates　the　dreariness　and



the　great　breadth　of　the　Thames　Estuary。　　But　soon　the　course　of



the　ship　opens　the　entrance　of　the　Medway；　with　its　men…of…war



moored　in　line；　and　the　long　wooden　jetty　of　Port　Victoria；　with



its　few　low　buildings　like　the　beginning　of　a　hasty　settlement　upon



a　wild　and　unexplored　shore。　　The　famous　Thames　barges　sit　in　brown



clusters　upon　the　water　with　an　effect　of　birds　floating　upon　a



pond。　　On　the　imposing　expanse　of　the　great　estuary　the　traffic　of



the　port　where　so　much　of　the　world's　work　and　the　world's　thinking



is　being　done　becomes　insignificant；　scattered；　streaming　away　in



thin　lines　of　ships　stringing　themselves　out　into　the　eastern



quarter　through　the　various　navigable　channels　of　which　the　Nore



lightship　marks　the　divergence。　　The　coasting　traffic　inclines　to



the　north；　the　deep…water　ships　steer　east　with　a　southern



inclination；　on　through　the　Downs；　to　the　most　remote　ends　of　the



world。　　In　the　widening　of　the　shores　sinking　low　in　the　gray；



smoky　distances　the　greatness　of　the　sea　receives　the　mercantile



fleet　of　good　ships　that　London　sends　out　upon　the　turn　of　every



tide。　　They　follow　each　other；　going　very　close　by　the　Essex　shore。



Such　as　the　beads　of　a　rosary　told　by　business…like　shipowners　for



the　greater　profit　of　the　world　they　slip　one　by　one　into　the　open：



while　in　the　offing　the　inward…bound　ships　come　up　singly　and　in



bunches　from　under　the　sea　horizon　closing　the　mouth　of　the　river



between　Orfordness　and　North　Foreland。　　They　all　converge　upon　the



Nore；　the　warm　speck　of　red　upon　the　tones　of　drab　and　gray；　with



the　distant　shores　running　together　towards　the　west；　low　and　flat；



like　the　sides　of　an　enormous　canal。　　The　sea…reach　of　the　Thames



is　straight；　and；　once　Sheerness　is　left　behind；　its　banks　seem



very　uninhabited；　except　for　the　cluster　of　houses　which　is



Southend；　or　here　and　there　a　lonely　wooden　jetty　where　petroleum



ships　discharge　their　dangerous　cargoes；　and　the　oil…storage　tanks；



low　and　round　with　slightly…domed　roofs；　peep　over　the　edge　of　the



fore…shore；　as　it　were　a　village　of　Central　African　huts　imitated



in　iron。　　Bordered　by　the　black　and　shining　mud…flats；　the　level



marsh　extends　for　miles。　　Away　in　the　far　background　the　land



rises；　closing　the　view　with　a　continuous　wooded　slope；　forming　in



the　distance　an　interminable　rampart　overgrown　with　bushes。







Then；　on　the　slight　turn　of　the　Lower　Hope　Reach；　clusters　of



factory　chimneys　come　distinctly　into　view；　tall　and　slender　above



the　squat　ranges　of　cement　works　in　Grays　and　Greenhithe。　　Smoking



quietly　at　the　top　against　the　great　blaze　of　a　magnificent　sunset；



they　give　an　industrial　character　to　the　scene；　speak　of　work；



manufactures；　and　trade；　as　palm…groves　on　the　coral　strands　of



distant　islands　speak　of　the　luxuriant　grace；　beauty　and　vigour　of



tropical　nature。　　The　houses　of　Gravesend　crowd　upon　the　shore　with



an　effect　of　confusion　as　if　they　had　tumbled　down　haphazard　from



the　top　of　the　hill　at　the　back。　　The　flatness　of　the　Kentish　shore



ends　there。　　A　fleet　of　steam…tugs　lies　at　anchor　in　front　of　the



various　piers。　　A　conspicuous　church　spire；　the　first　seen



distinctly　coming　from　the　sea；　has　a　thoughtful　grace；　the



serenity　of　a　fine　form　above　the　chaotic　disorder　of　men's　houses。



But　on　the　other　side；　on　the　flat　Essex　side；　a　shapeless　and



desolate　red　edifice；　a　vast　pile　of　bricks　with　many　windows　and　a



slate　roof　more　inaccessible　than　an　Alpine　slope；　towers　over　the



bend　in　monstrous　ugliness；　the　tallest；　heaviest　building　for



miles　around；　a　thing　like　an　hotel；　like　a　mansion　of　flats　（all



to　let）；　exiled　into　these　fields　out　of　a　street　in　West



Kensington。　　Just　round　the　corner；　as　it　were；　on　a　pier　defined



with　stone　blocks　and　wooden　piles；　a　white　mast；　slender　like　a



stalk　of　straw　and　crossed　by　a　yard　like　a　knitting…needle；　flying



the　signals　of　flag　and　balloon；　watches　over　a　set　of　heavy　dock…



gates。　　Mast…heads　and　funnel…tops　of　ships　peep　above　the　ranges



of　corrugated　iron　roofs。　　This　is　the　entrance　to　Tilbury　Dock；



the　most　recent　of　all　London　docks；　the　nearest　to　the　sea。







Between　the　crowded　houses　of　Gravesend　and　the　monstrous　red…brick



pile　on　the　Essex　shore　the　ship　is　surrendered　fairly　to　the　grasp



of　the　river。　　That　hint　of　loneliness；　that　soul　of　the　sea　which



had　accompanied　her　as　far　as　the　Lower　Hope　Reach；　abandons　her　at



the　turn　of　the　first　bend　above。　　The　salt；　acrid　flavour　is　gone



out　of　the　air；　together　with　a　sense　of　unlimited　space　opening



free　beyond　the　threshold　of　sandbanks　below　the　Nore。　　The　waters



of　the　sea　rush　on　past　Gravesend；　tumbling　the　big　mooring　buoys



laid　along　the　face　of　the　town；　but　the　sea…freedom　stops　short



there；　surrendering　the　salt　tide　to　the　needs；　the　artifices；　the



contrivances　of　toiling　men。　　Wharves；　landing…places；　dock…gates；



waterside　stairs；　follow　each　other　continuously　right　up　to　London



Bridge；　and　the　hum　of　men's　work　fills　the　river　with　a　menacing；



muttering　note　as　of　a　breathless；　ever…driving　gale。　　The　water…



way；　so　fair　above　and　wide　below；　flows　oppressed　by　bricks　and



mortar　and　stone；　by　blackened　timber　and　grimed　glass　and　rusty



iron；　covered　with　black　barges；　whipped　up　by　paddles　and　screws；



overburdened　with　craft；　overhung　with　chains；　overshadowed　by



walls　making　a　steep　gorge　for　its　bed；　filled　with　a　haze　of　smoke



and　dust。







This　stretch　of　the　Thames　from　London　Bridge　to　the　Albert　Docks



is　to　other　watersides　of　river　ports　what　a　virgin　forest　would　be



to　a　garden。　　It　is　a　thing　grown　up；　not　made。　　It　recalls　a



jungle　by　the　confused；　varied；　and　impenetrable　aspect　of　the



buildings　that　line　the　shore；　not　according　to　a　planned　purpose；



but　as　if　sprung　up　by　accident　from　scattered　seeds。　　Like　the



matted　growth　of　bushes　and　creepers　veiling　the　silent　depths　of



an　unexplored　wilderness；　they　hide　the　depths　of　London's



infinitely　varied；　vigorous；　seething　life。　　In　other　river　ports



it　is　not　so。　　They　lie　open　to　their　stream；　with　quays　like　broad



clearings；　with　streets　like　avenues　cut　through　thick　timber　for



the　convenience　of　trade。　　I　am　thinking　now　of　river　ports　I　have



seen　…　of　Antwerp；　for　instance；　of　Nantes　or　Bordeaux；　or　even　old



Rouen；　where　the　night…watchmen　of　ships；　elbows　on　rail；　gaze　at



shop…windows　and　brilliant　cafes；　and　see　the　audience　go　in　and



come　out　of　the　opera…house。　　But　London；　the　oldest　and　greatest



of　river　ports；　does　not　possess　as　much　as　a　hundred　yards　of　open



quays　upon　its　river　front。　　Dark　and　impenetrable　at　night；　like



the　face　of　a　forest；　is　the　London　waterside。　　It　is　the