the life of thomas telford-第71章

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Victoria　Level　will　have　been　reclaimed　for　purposes　of

agriculture。





CHAPTER　XIV。



SOUTHEY'S　TOUR　IN　THE　HIGHLANDS。



While　Telford's　Highland　works　were　in　full　progress；　he　persuaded

his　friend　Southey；　the　Poet　Laureate；　to　accompany　him　on　one　of

his　visits　of　inspection；　as　far　north　as　the　county　of　Sutherland；

in　the　autumn　of　1819。　　Mr。　Southey；　as　was　his　custom；　made　careful

notes　of　the　tour；　which　have　been　preserved；*＇1＇　and　consist　in　a

great　measure　of　an　interesting　resume　of　the　engineer's　operations

in　harbour…making；　road…making；　and　canal…making　north　of　the　Tweed。



Southey　reached　Edinburgh　by　the　Carlisle　mail　about　the　middle　of

August；　and　was　there　joined　by　Mr。　Telford；　and　Mr。　and　Mrs。

Rickman；*＇2＇　who　were　to　accompany　him　on　the　journey。　　They　first

proceeded　to　Linlithgow；　Bannockburn；*＇3＇　Stirling；　Callendar；　the

Trosachs；　and　round　by　the　head　of　Loch　Earn　to　Killin；　Kenmore；

and　by　Aberfeldy　to　Dunkeld。　　At　the　latter　place；　the　poet　admired

Telford's　beautiful　bridge；　which　forms　a　fine　feature　in　the

foreground　of　the　incomparable　picture　which　the　scenery　of　Dunkeld

always　presents　in　whatever　aspect　it　is　viewed。



From　Dunkeld　the　party　proceeded　to　Dundee；　along　the　left　bank　of

the　Firth　of　Tay。　　The　works　connected　with　the　new　harbour　were　in

active　progress；　and　the　engineer　lost　no　time　in　taking　his　friend

to　see　them。　　Southey's　account　is　as　follows：



〃Before　breakfast　I　went　with　Mr。　Telford　to　the　harbour；　to　look

at　his　works；　which　are　of　great　magnitude　and　importance：　a　huge

floating　dock；　and　the　finest　graving　dock　I　ever　saw。　　The　town

expends　70；000L。　on　these　improvements；　which　will　be　completed　in

another　year。　　What　they　take　from　the　excavations　serves　to　raise

ground　which　was　formerly　covered　by　the　tide；　but　will　now　be　of

the　greatest　value　for　wharfs；　yards；　&c。　The　local　authorities

originally　proposed　to　build　fifteen　piers；　but　Telford　assured

them　that　three　would　be　sufficient；　and；　in　telling　me　this；　he

said　the　creation　of　fifteen　new　Scotch　peers　was　too　strong　a

measure。。。。



〃Telford's　is　a　happy　life；　everywhere　making　roads；　building

bridges；　forming　canals；　and　creating　harboursworks　of　sure；

solid；　permanent　utility；　everywhere　employing　a　great　number　of

persons；　selecting　the　most　meritorious；　and　putting　them　forward

in　the　world　in　his　own　way。〃



After　the　inspection　at　Dundee　was　over；　the　party　proceeded　on

their　journey　northward；　along　the　east　coast：



〃Near　Gourdon　or　Bervie　harbour；　which　is　about　a　mile　and　a　half

on　this　side　the　town；　we　met　Mr。　Mitchell　and　Mr。　Gibbs；　two　of

Mr。　Telford's　aides…de…camp；　who　had　come　thus　far　to　meet　him。　　The

former　he　calls　his　'Tartar；'　from　his　cast　of　countenance；　which

is　very　much　like　a　Tartar's；　as　well　as　from　his　Tartar…like　mode

of　life；　for；　in　his　office　of　overseer　of　the　roads；　which　are

under　the　management　of　the　Commissioners；　he　travels　on　horseback

not　less　than　6000　miles　a　year。　　Mr。　Telford　found　him　in　the

situation　of　a　working　mason；　who　could　scarcely　read　or　write；　but

noticing　him　for　his　good　conduct；　his　activity；　and　his　firm

steady　character；　he；　has　brought　him　forward；　and　Mitchell　now

holds　a　post　of　respectability　and　importance；　and　performs　his

business　with　excellent　ability。〃



After　inspecting　the　little　harbour　of　Bervie；　one　of　the　first

works　of　the　kind　executed　by　Telford　for　the　Commissioners；　the

party　proceeded　by　Stonehaven；　and　from　thence　along　the　coast　to

Aberdeen。　　Here　the　harbour　works　were　visited　and　admired：



〃The　quay；〃　says　Southey；　〃is　very　fine；　and　Telford　has　carried

out　his　pier　900　feet　beyond　the　point　where　Smeaton's　terminated。

This　great　work；　which　has　cost　100；000L。；　protects　the　entrance

of　the　harbour　from　the　whole　force　of　the　North　Sea。　　A　ship　was

entering　it　at　the　time　of　our　visit；　the　Prince　of　Waterloo。

She　had　been　to　America；　had　discharged　her　cargo　at　London；　and　we

now　saw　her　reach　her　own　port　in　safetya　joyous　and　delightful

sight。〃



The　next　point　reached　was　Banff；　along　the　Don　and　the　line　of　the

Inverury　Canal：



〃The　approach　to　Banff　is　very　fine；〃*＇4＇　says　Southey；　〃by　the

Earl　of　Fife's　grounds；　where　the　trees　are　surprisingly　grown；

considering　how　near　they　are　to　the　North　Sea；　Duff　House

a　square；　odd；　and　not　unhandsome　pile；　built　by　Adams　（one　of　the

Adelphi　brothers）；　some　forty　years　ago；　a　good　bridge　of　seven

arches　by　Smeaton；　the　open　sea；　not　as　we　had　hitherto　seen　it；

grey　under　a　leaden　sky；　but　bright　and　blue　in　the　sunshine；　Banff

on　the　left　of　the　bay；　the　River　Doveran　almost　lost　amid　banks　of

shingle；　where　it　enters　the　sea；　a　white　and　tolerably　high　shore

extending　eastwards；　a　kirk；　with　a　high　spire　which　serves　as　a

sea…mark；　and；　on　the　point；　about　a　mile　to　the　east；　the　town　of

Macduff。　　At　Banff；　we　at　once　went　to　the　pier；　about　half　finished；

on　which　15；000L。　will　be　expended；　to　the　great　benefit　of　this

clean；　cheerful；　and　active　little　town。　　The　pier　was　a　busy

scene；　hand…carts　going　to　and　fro　over　the　railroads；　cranes　at

work　charging　and　discharging；　plenty　of　workmen；　and　fine　masses

of　red　granite　from　the　Peterhead　quarries。　　The　quay　was　almost

covered　with　barrels　of　herrings；　which　women　were　busily　employed

in　salting　and　packing。〃



The　next　visit　was　paid　to　the　harbour　works　at　Cullen；　which　were

sufficiently　advanced　to　afford　improved　shelter　for　the　fishing

vessels　of　the　little　port：



〃When　I　stood　upon　the　pier　at　low　water；〃　says　Southey；　〃seeing

the　tremendous　rocks　with　which　the　whole　shore　is　bristled；　and

the　open　sea　to　which　the　place　is　exposed；　it　was　with　a　proud

feeling　that　I　saw　the　first　talents　in　the　world　employed　by　the

British　Government　in　works　of　such　unostentatious；　but　great；

immediate；　palpable；　and　permanent　utility。　　Already　their　excellent

effects　are　felt。　　The　fishing　vessels　were　just　coming　in；　having

caught　about　300　barrels　of　herrings　during　the　night。。。。



〃However　the　Forfeited　Estates　Fund　may　have　been　misapplied　in

past　times；　the　remainder　could　not　be　better　invested　than　in

these　great　improvements。　　Wherever　a　pier　is　needed；　if　the　people

or　the　proprietors　of　the　place　will　raise　one…half　the　necessary

funds；　Government　supplies　the　other　half。　　On　these　terms；

20；000L。　are　expending　at　Peterhead；　and　14；000L。　at　Frazerburgh；

and　the　works　which　we　visited　at　Bervie　and　Banff；　and　many　other

such　along　this　coast；　would　never　have　been　undertaken　without

such　aid；　public　liberality　thus　inducing　private　persons　to　tax

themselves　heavily；　and　expend　with　a　good　will　much　larger　sums

than　could　have　been　drawn　from　them　by　taxation。〃



From　Cullen；　the　travellers　proceeded　in　gigs　to　Fochabers；　thence

by　Craigellachie　Bridge；　which　Southey　greatly　admired；　along

Speyside；　to　Ballindalloch　and　Inverallen；　where　Telford's　new　road

was　in　course　of　construction　across　the　moors　towards　Forres。

The　country　for　the　greater　part　of　the　way　was　a　wild　waste；　nothing

but　mountains　and　heather　to　be　seen；　yet　the　road　was　as　perfectly

made　and　maintained　as　if　it　had　lain　through　a　very　Goschen。

The　next　stages　were　to　Nairn　and　Inverness；　from　whence　then

proceeded　to　view　the　important　works　constructed　at　the　crossing

of　the　River　Beauly：



〃At　Lovat　Bridge；〃　says　Southey；　〃we　turned　aside　and　went　four

miles　up　the　river；　along　the　Strathglass　roadone　of　the　new

works；　and　one　of　the　most　remarkable；　because　of　the　difficulty　of

constructing　it；　and　also　because　of　the　fine　scenery　which　it

commands。。。。。



〃Lovat　Bridge；　by　which　we　returned；　is　a　plain；　handsome　structure

of　five　arches；　two　of　40　feet　span；　two　of　50；　and　the　centre　one

of　60。　　The　curve　is　as　little　as　possible。　　I　learnt　in　Spain　to

admire　straight　bridges；　But　Mr。　Telford　thinks　there　always　ought