records of a family of engineers-第14节
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h； brooding over the waves； counting them； noting their least deflection； noting when they broke。 On Tweedside； or by Lyne or Manor； we have spent together whole afternoons； to me； at the time； extremely wearisome； to him； as I am now sorry to think； bitterly mortifying。 The river was to me a pretty and various spectacle； I could not see … I could not be made to see … it otherwise。 To my father it was a chequer…board of lively forces； which he traced from pool to shallow with minute appreciation and enduring interest。 'That bank was being under…cut；' he might say。 ‘Why？ Suppose you were to put a groin out here； would not the FILUM FLUMINIS be cast abruptly off across the channel？ and where would it impinge upon the other shore？ and what would be the result？ Or suppose you were to blast that boulder； what would happen？ Follow it … use the eyes God has given you … can you not see that a great deal of land would be reclaimed upon this side？' It was to me like school in holidays； but to him； until I had worn him out with my invincible triviality； a delight。 Thus he pored over the engineer's voluminous handy…book of nature； thus must； too； have pored my grand…father and uncles。
But it is of the essence of this knowledge； or this knack of mind； to be largely incommunicable。 ‘It cannot be imparted to another；' says my father。 The verbal casting…net is thrown in vain over these evanescent； inferential relations。 Hence the insignificance of much engineering literature。 So far as the science can be reduced to formulas or diagrams； the book is to the point； so far as the art depends on intimate study of the ways of nature； the author's words will too often be found vapid。 This fact … that engineering looks one way； and literature another … was what my grand…father overlooked。 All his life long； his pen was in his hand； piling up a treasury of knowledge； preparing himself against all possible contingencies。 Scarce anything fell under his notice but he perceived in it some relation to his work； and chronicled it in the pages of his journal in his always lucid； but sometimes inexact and wordy； style。 The Travelling Diary （so he called it） was kept in fascicles of ruled paper； which were at last bound up； rudely indexed； and put by for future reference。 Such volumes as have reached me contain a surprising medley： the whole details of his employment in the Northern Lights and his general practice； the whole biography of an enthusiastic engineer。 Much of it is useful and curious； much merely otiose； and much can only be described as an attempt to impart that which cannot be imparted in words。 Of such are his repeated and heroic descriptions of reefs； monuments of misdirected literary energy； which leave upon the mind of the reader no effect but that of a multiplicity of words and the suggested vignette of a lusty old gentleman scrambling among tangle。 It is to be remembered that he came to engineering while yet it was in the egg and without a library； and that he saw the bounds of that profession widen daily。 He saw iron ships； steamers； and the locomotive engine； introduced。 He lived to travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh in the inside of a forenoon； and to remember that he himself had ‘often been twelve hours upon the journey； and his grand…father （Lillie） two days'！ The profession was still but in its second generation； and had already broken down the barriers of time and space。 Who should set a limit to its future encroachments？ And hence； with a kind of sanguine pedantry； he pursued his design of ‘keeping up with the day' and posting himself and his family on every mortal subject。 Of this unpractical idealism we shall meet with many instances； there was not a trade； and scarce an accomplishment； but he thought it should form part of the outfit of an engineer； and not content with keeping an encyclopaedic diary himself； he would fain have set all his sons to work continuing and extending it。 They were more happily inspired。 My father's engineering pocket…book was not a bulky volume； with its store of pregnant notes and vital formulas； it served him through life； and was not yet filled when he came to die。 As for Robert Stevenson and the Travelling Diary； I should be ungrateful to complain； for it has supplied me with many lively traits for this and subsequent chapters； but I must still remember much of the period of my study there as a sojourn in the Valley of the Shadow。
The duty of the engineer is twofold … to design the work； and to see the work done。 We have seen already something of the vociferous thoroughness of the man； upon the cleaning of lamps and the polishing of reflectors。 In building； in road… making； in the construction of bridges； in every detail and byway of his employments； he pursued the same ideal。 Perfection （with a capital P and violently under…scored） was his design。 A crack for a penknife； the waste of ‘six…and… thirty shillings；' ‘the loss of a day or a tide；' in each of these he saw and was revolted by the finger of the sloven； and to spirits intense as his； and immersed in vital undertakings； the slovenly is the dishonest； and wasted time is instantly translated into lives endangered。 On this consistent idealism there is but one thing that now and then trenches with a touch of incongruity； and that is his love of the picturesque。 As when he laid out a road on Hogarth's line of beauty； bade a foreman be careful； in quarrying； not ‘to disfigure the island'； or regretted in a report that ‘the great stone； called the DEVIL IN THE HOLE； was blasted or broken down to make road…metal； and for other purposes of the work。'
CHAPTER III THE BUILDING OF THE BELL ROCK
OFF the mouths of the Tay and the Forth； thirteen miles from Fifeness； eleven from Arbroath； and fourteen from the Red Head of Angus； lies the Inchcape or Bell Rock。 It extends to a length of about fourteen hundred feet； but the part of it discovered at low water to not more than four hundred and twenty…seven。 At a little more than half…flood in fine weather the seamless ocean joins over the reef； and at high… water springs it is buried sixteen feet。 As the tide goes down； the higher reaches of the rock are seen to be clothed by CONFERVA RUPESTRIS as by a sward of grass； upon the more exposed edges； where the currents are most swift and the breach of the sea heaviest； Baderlock or Henware flourishes； and the great Tangle grows at the depth of several fathoms with luxuriance。 Before man arrived； and introduced into the silence of the sea the smoke and clangour of a blacksmith's shop； it was a favourite resting…place of seals。 The crab and lobster haunt in the crevices； and limpets； mussels； and the white buckie abound。
According to a tradition； a bell had been once hung upon this rock by an abbot of Arbroath； （1） ‘and being taken down by a sea…pirate； a year thereafter he perished upon the same rock； with ship and goods； in the righteous judgment of God。' From the days of the abbot and the sea…pirate no man had set foot upon the Inchcape； save fishers from the neighbouring coast； or perhaps … for a moment； before the surges swallowed them … the unfortunate victims of shipwreck。 The fishers approached the rock with an extreme timidity； but their harvest appears to have been great； and the adventure no more perilous than lucrative。 In 1800； on the occasion of my grandfather's first landing； and during the two or three hours which the ebb…tide and the smooth water allowed them to pass upon its shelves； his crew collected upwards of two hundredweight of old metal： pieces of a kedge anchor and a cabin stove； crowbars； a hinge and lock of a door； a ship's marking…iron； a piece of a ship's caboose； a soldier's bayonet； a cannon ball； several pieces of money； a shoe… buckle； and the like。 Such were the spoils of the Bell Rock。
（1） This is； of course； the tradition commemorated by Southey in his ballad of ‘The Inchcape Bell。' Whether true or not； it points to the fact that from the infancy of Scottish navigation； the seafaring mind had been fully alive to the perils of this reef。 Repeated attempts had been made to mark the place with beacons； but all efforts were unavailing （one such beacon having been carried away within eight days of its erection） until Robert Stevenson conceived and carried out the idea of the stone tower。 But the number of vessels actually lost upon the reef was as nothing to those that were cast away in fruitless efforts to avoid it。 Placed right in the fairway of two navigations； and one of these the entrance to the only harbour of refuge between the Downs and the Moray Firth； it breathed abroad along the whole coast an atmosphere of terror and perplexity； and no ship sailed that part of the North Sea at night； but what the ears of those on board would be strained to catch the roaring of the seas on the Bell Rock。
From 1794 onward； the mind of my grandfather had been exercised with the idea of a light upon this formidable danger。 To build a tower on a sea rock； eleven miles from shore； and barely uncovered at low water of neaps； appeared a fascinating enterprise。 It was something yet unattempted； unessayed； and even now； after it has been lighted for more than eighty years； it is still an e
