records of a family of engineers-第10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！


n　straw；　and　but　for　the　circumstance　of　the　boat；　I　should　have　slept　as　soundly　as　ever　I　did　after　a　walk　through　moss　and　mire　of　sixteen　hours。'

To　go　round　the　lights；　even　to…day；　is　to　visit　past　centuries。　　The　tide　of　tourists　that　flows　yearly　in　Scotland；　vulgarising　all　where　it　approaches；　is　still　defined　by　certain　barriers。　　It　will　be　long　ere　there　is　a　hotel　at　Sumburgh　or　a　hydropathic　at　Cape　Wrath；　it　will　be　long　ere　any　CHAR…A…BANC；　laden　with　tourists；　shall　drive　up　to　Barra　Head　or　Monach；　the　Island　of　the　Monks。　　They　are　farther　from　London　than　St。　Petersburg；　and　except　for　the　towers；　sounding　and　shining　all　night　with　fog…bells　and　the　radiance　of　the　light…room；　glittering　by　day　with　the　trivial　brightness　of　white　paint；　these　island　and　moorland　stations　seem　inaccessible　to　the　civilisation　of　to…day；　and　even　to　the　end　of　my　grandfather's　career　the　isolation　was　far　greater。　　There　ran　no　post　at　all　in　the　Long　Island；　from　the　light…house　on　Barra　Head　a　boat　must　be　sent　for　letters　as　far　as　Tobermory；　between　sixty　and　seventy　miles　of　open　sea；　and　the　posts　of　Shetland；　which　had　surprised　Sir　Walter　Scott　in　1814；　were　still　unimproved　in　1833；　when　my　grandfather　reported　on　the　subject。　　The　group　contained　at　the　time　a　population　of　30；000　souls；　and　enjoyed　a　trade　which　had　increased　in　twenty　years　seven…fold；　to　between　three　and　four　thousand　tons。　　Yet　the　mails　were　despatched　and　received　by　chance　coasting　vessels　at　the　rate　of　a　penny　a　letter；　six　and　eight　weeks　often　elapsed　between　opportunities；　and　when　a　mail　was　to　be　made　up；　sometimes　at　a　moment's　notice；　the　bellman　was　sent　hastily　through　the　streets　of　Lerwick。　　Between　Shetland　and　Orkney；　only　seventy　miles　apart；　there　was　‘no　trade　communication　whatever。'

Such　was　the　state　of　affairs；　only　sixty　years　ago；　with　the　three　largest　clusters　of　the　Scottish　Archipelago；　and　forty…seven　years　earlier；　when　Thomas　Smith　began　his　rounds；　or　forty…two；　when　Robert　Stevenson　became　conjoined　with　him　in　these　excursions；　the　barbarism　was　deep；　the　people　sunk　in　superstition；　the　circumstances　of　their　life　perhaps　unique　in　history。　　Lerwick　and　Kirkwall；　like　Guam　or　the　Bay　of　Islands；　were　but　barbarous　ports　where　whalers　called　to　take　up　and　to　return　experienced　seamen。　　On　the　outlying　islands　the　clergy　lived　isolated；　thinking　other　thoughts；　dwelling　in　a　different　country　from　their　parishioners；　like　missionaries　in　the　South　Seas。　　My　grandfather's　unrivalled　treasury　of　anecdote　was　never　written　down；　it　embellished　his　talk　while　he　yet　was；　and　died　with　him　when　he　died；　and　such　as　have　been　preserved　relate　principally　to　the　islands　of　Ronaldsay　and　Sanday；　two　of　the　Orkney　group。　　These　bordered　on　one　of　the　water…highways　of　civilisation；　a　great　fleet　passed　annually　in　their　view；　and　of　the　shipwrecks　of　the　world　they　were　the　scene　and　cause　of　a　proportion　wholly　incommensurable　to　their　size。　　In　one　year；　1798；　my　grandfather　found　the　remains　of　no　fewer　than　five　vessels　on　the　isle　of　Sanday；　which　is　scarcely　twelve　miles　long。

‘Hardly　a　year　passed；'　he　writes；　‘without　instances　of　this　kind；　for；　owing　to　the　projecting　points　of　this　strangely　formed　island；　the　lowness　and　whiteness　of　its　eastern　shores；　and　the　wonderful　manner　in　which　the　scanty　patches　of　land　are　intersected　with　lakes　and　pools　of　water；　it　becomes；　even　in　daylight；　a　deception；　and　has　often　been　fatally　mistaken　for　an　open　sea。　　It　had　even　become　proverbial　with　some　of　the　inhabitants　to　observe　that　〃if　wrecks　were　to　happen；　they　might　as　well　be　sent　to　the　poor　isle　of　Sanday　as　anywhere　else。〃　　On　this　and　the　neighbouring　islands　the　inhabitants　had　certainly　had　their　share　of　wrecked　goods；　for　the　eye　is　presented　with　these　melancholy　remains　in　almost　every　form。　　For　example；　although　quarries　are　to　be　met　with　generally　in　these　islands；　and　the　stones　are　very　suitable　for　building　dykes　（ANGLICE；　walls）；　yet　instances　occur　of　the　land　being　enclosed；　even　to　a　considerable　extent；　with　ship…timbers。　The　author　has　actually　seen　a　park　（ANGLICE；　meadow）　paled　round　chiefly　with　cedar…wood　and　mahogany　from　the　wreck　of　a　Honduras…built　ship；　and　in　one　island；　after　the　wreck　of　a　ship　laden　with　wine；　the　inhabitants　have　been　known　to　take　claret　to　their　barley…meal　porridge。　　On　complaining　to　one　of　the　pilots　of　the　badness　of　his　boat's　sails；　he　replied　to　the　author　with　some　degree　of　pleasantry；　〃Had　it　been　His　will　that　you　came　na'　here　wi'　your　lights；　we　might　'a'　had　better　sails　to　our　boats；　and　more　o'　other　things。〃　　It　may　further　be　mentioned　that　when　some　of　Lord　Dundas's　farms　are　to　be　let　in　these　islands　a　competition　takes　place　for　the　lease；　and　it　is　BONA　FIDE　understood　that　a　much　higher　rent　is　paid　than　the　lands　would　otherwise　give　were　it　not　for　the　chance　of　making　considerably　by　the　agency　and　advantages　attending　shipwrecks　on　the　shores　of　the　respective　farms。'

The　people　of　North　Ronaldsay　still　spoke　Norse；　or；　rather；　mixed　it　with　their　English。　　The　walls　of　their　huts　were　built　to　a　great　thickness　of　rounded　stones　from　the　sea…beach；　the　roof　flagged；　loaded　with　earth；　and　perforated　by　a　single　hole　for　the　escape　of　smoke。　　The　grass　grew　beautifully　green　on　the　flat　house…top；　where　the　family　would　assemble　with　their　dogs　and　cats；　as　on　a　pastoral　lawn；　there　were　no　windows；　and　in　my　grandfather's　expression；　‘there　was　really　no　demonstration　of　a　house　unless　it　were　the　diminutive　door。'　　He　once　landed　on　Ronaldsay　with　two　friends。　　The　inhabitants　crowded　and　pressed　so　much　upon　the　strangers　that　the　bailiff；　or　resident　factor　of　the　island；　blew　with　his　ox…horn；　calling　out　to　the　natives　to　stand　off　and　let　the　gentlemen　come　forward　to　the　laird；　upon　which　one　of　the　islanders；　as　spokesman；　called　out；　〃God　ha'e　us；　man！　thou　needsna　mak'　sic　a　noise。　　It's　no'　every　day　we　ha'e　THREE　HATTED　MEN　on　our　isle。〃　'　　When　the　Surveyor　of　Taxes　came　（for　the　first　time；　perhaps）　to　Sanday；　and　began　in　the　King's　name　to　complain　of　the　unconscionable　swarms　of　dogs；　and　to　menace　the　inhabitants　with　taxation；　it　chanced　that　my　grandfather　and　his　friend；　Dr。　Patrick　Neill；　were　received　by　an　old　lady　in　a　Ronaldsay　hut。　　Her　hut；　which　was　similar　to　the　model　described；　stood　on　a　Ness；　or　point　of　land　jutting　into　the　sea。　　They　were　made　welcome　in　the　firelit　cellar；　placed　‘in　CASEY　or　straw…worked　chairs；　after　the　Norwegian　fashion；　with　arms；　and　a　canopy　overhead；'　and　given　milk　in　a　wooden　dish。　　These　hospitalities　attended　to；　the　old　lady　turned　at　once　to　Dr。　Neill；　whom　she　took　for　the　Surveyor　of　Taxes。　　‘Sir；'　said　she；　‘gin　ye'll　tell　the　King　that　I　canna　keep　the　Ness　free　o'　the　Bangers　（sheep）　without　twa　hun's；　and　twa　guid　hun's　too；　he'll　pass　me　threa　the　tax　on　dugs。'

This　familiar　confidence；　these　traits　of　engaging　simplicity；　are　characters　of　a　secluded　people。　　Mankind　…　and；　above　all；　islanders　…　come　very　swiftly　to　a　bearing；　and　find　very　readily；　upon　one　convention　or　another；　a　tolerable　corporate　life。　　The　danger　is　to　those　from　without；　who　have　not　grown　up　from　childhood　in　the　islands；　but　appear　suddenly　in　that　narrow　horizon；　life…sized　apparitions。　　For　these　no　bond　of　humanity　exists；　no　feeling　of　kinship　is　awakened　by　their　peril；　they　will　assist　at　a　shipwreck；　like　the　fisher…folk　of　Lunga；　as　spectators；　and　when　the　fatal　scene　is　over；　and　the　beach　strewn　with　dead　bodies；　they　will　fence　their　fields　with　mahogany；　and；　after　a　decent　grace；　sup　claret　to　their　porridge。　　It　is　not　wickedness：　it　is　scarce　evil；　it　is　only；　in　its　highest　power；　the　sense　of　isolation　and　the　wise　disinterestedness　of　feeble　and　poor　races。　　Think　how　many　viking　ships　had　sailed　by　these　islands　in　the　past；　how　many　vikings　had　landed；　and　raised　turmoil；　and　broken　up　the　barrows　of　the　dead；　and　carried　off　the　wines　of　the　living；　and　blame　them；　if　you　are　able；　for　that　belief　（which　may　be　called　one　of　the　parables　of　the　devil's　gospel）　that　a　man　rescued　from　the　sea　will　prove　the　bane　of　his　deliverer。　　It　might　be　thought　that　my　grandfather；　coming　there　unknown；　and　upon　an　employment　so　hateful　to　the　inhabitants；　must　have　run　the　hazard　of　his　life。　　But　this　were　to　misunderstand。　　He　came　franked　by　the　laird　and　the　clergyman；　he　was　the　King's　officer；　the　work　was　‘opened　with　prayer　by　the　Rev。　Walter　Trail；　minister　of　the　parish'；　God　and　the　King　had　decided　it；　and　the　people　of　these　pious　islands　bowed　their　heads。　There　landed；　indeed；　in　North　Ronaldsay；　during　the　last　decade　of　the　eighteenth　century；　a　traveller　whose　life　seems　really　to　have　been　imperilled。　　A　very　little　man　of　a　swarthy　complexion；　he　came　ashore；　exhausted　and　unshaved；　from　a　long　boat　passage；　and　lay　down　to　sleep　in　the　home　of　the　parish　schoolmaster。　　But　he　had　been　seen　landing。　　The　inhabitants　had　identified　him　for　a　Pict；　as；　by　some　singular　confusion　of　name；　they　called　the　dark　and　dwarfish　aboriginal　people　of　the　land。　　Immediately　the　obscure　ferment　of　a　race…hatred；　grown　into　a　superstition；　began