memories and portraits-第17章

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mainland　began　to　go　down　on　the　horizon；　before　she　came　to　her　

unhomely　destination；　and　lay…to　at　last　where　the　rock　clapped　its　

black　head　above　the　swell；　with　the　tall　iron　barrack　on　its　

spider　legs；　and　the　truncated　tower；　and　the　cranes　waving　their　

arms；　and　the　smoke　of　the　engine…fire　rising　in　the　mid…sea。　　An　

ugly　reef　is　this　of　the　Dhu　Heartach；　no　pleasant　assemblage　of　

shelves；　and　pools；　and　creeks；　about　which　a　child　might　play　for　

a　whole　summer　without　weariness；　like　the　Bell　Rock　or　the　

Skerryvore；　but　one　oval　nodule　of　black…trap；　sparsely　bedabbled　

with　an　inconspicuous　fucus；　and　alive　in　every　crevice　with　a　

dingy　insect　between　a　slater　and　a　bug。　　No　other　life　was　there　

but　that　of　sea…birds；　and　of　the　sea　itself；　that　here　ran　like　a　

mill…race；　and　growled　about　the　outer　reef　for　ever；　and　ever　and　

again；　in　the　calmest　weather；　roared　and　spouted　on　the　rock　

itself。　　Times　were　different　upon　Dhu…Heartach　when　it　blew；　and　

the　night　fell　dark；　and　the　neighbour　lights　of　Skerryvore　and　

Rhu…val　were　quenched　in　fog；　and　the　men　sat　prisoned　high　up　in　

their　iron　drum；　that　then　resounded　with　the　lashing　of　the　

sprays。　　Fear　sat　with　them　in　their　sea…beleaguered　dwelling；　and　

the　colour　changed　in　anxious　faces　when　some　greater　billow　struck　

the　barrack；　and　its　pillars　quivered　and　sprang　under　the　blow。　　

It　was　then　that　the　foreman　builder；　Mr。　Goodwillie；　whom　I　see　

before　me　still　in　his　rock…habit　of　undecipherable　rags；　would　get　

his　fiddle　down　and　strike　up　human　minstrelsy　amid　the　music　of　

the　storm。　　But　it　was　in　sunshine　only　that　I　saw　Dhu…Heartach；　

and　it　was　in　sunshine；　or　the　yet　lovelier　summer　afterglow；　that　

the　steamer　would　return　to　Earraid；　ploughing　an　enchanted　sea；　

the　obedient　lighters；　relieved　of　their　deck　cargo；　riding　in　her　

wake　more　quietly；　and　the　steersman　upon　each；　as　she　rose　on　the　

long　swell；　standing　tall　and　dark　against　the　shining　west。



But　it　was　in　Earraid　itself　that　I　delighted　chiefly。　　The　

lighthouse　settlement　scarce　encroached　beyond　its　fences；　over　the　

top　of　the　first　brae　the　ground　was　all　virgin；　the　world　all　shut　

out；　the　face　of　things　unchanged　by　any　of　man's　doings。　　Here　was　

no　living　presence；　save　for　the　limpets　on　the　rocks；　for　some　

old；　gray；　rain…beaten　ram　that　I　might　rouse　out　of　a　ferny　den　

betwixt　two　boulders；　or　for　the　haunting　and　the　piping　of　the　

gulls。　　It　was　older　than　man；　it　was　found　so　by　incoming　Celts；　

and　seafaring　Norsemen；　and　Columba's　priests。　　The　earthy　savour　

of　the　bog…plants；　the　rude　disorder　of　the　boulders；　the　

inimitable　seaside　brightness　of　the　air；　the　brine　and　the　iodine；　

the　lap　of　the　billows　among　the　weedy　reefs；　the　sudden　springing　

up　of　a　great　run　of　dashing　surf　along　the　sea…front　of　the　isle；　

all　that　I　saw　and　felt　my　predecessors　must　have　seen　and　felt　

with　scarce　a　difference。　　I　steeped　myself　in　open　air　and　in　past　

ages。



〃Delightful　would　it　be　to　me　to　be　in　UCHD　AILIUN

On　the　pinnacle　of　a　rock；

That　I　might　often　see

The　face　of　the　ocean；

That　I　might　hear　the　song　of　the　wonderful　birds；

Source　of　happiness；

That　I　might　hear　the　thunder　of　the　crowding　waves

Upon　the　rocks：

At　times　at　work　without　compulsion　…

This　would　be　delightful；

At　times　plucking　dulse　from　the　rocks

At　times　at　fishing。〃



So；　about　the　next　island　of　Iona；　sang　Columba　himself　twelve　

hundred　years　before。　　And　so　might　I　have　sung　of　Earraid。



And　all　the　while　I　was　aware　that　this　life　of　sea…bathing　and　

sun…burning　was　for　me　but　a　holiday。　　In　that　year　cannon　were　

roaring　for　days　together　on　French　battlefields；　and　I　would　sit　

in　my　isle　（I　call　it　mine；　after　the　use　of　lovers）　and　think　upon　

the　war；　and　the　loudness　of　these　far…away　battles；　and　the　pain　

of　the　men's　wounds；　and　the　weariness　of　their　marching。　　And　I　

would　think　too　of　that　other　war　which　is　as　old　as　mankind；　and　

is　indeed　the　life　of　man：　the　unsparing　war；　the　grinding　slavery　

of　competition；　the　toil　of　seventy　years；　dear…bought　bread；　

precarious　honour；　the　perils　and　pitfalls；　and　the　poor　rewards。　　

It　was　a　long　look　forward；　the　future　summoned　me　as　with　trumpet　

calls；　it　warned　me　back　as　with　a　voice　of　weeping　and　beseeching；　

and　I　thrilled　and　trembled　on　the　brink　of　life；　like　a　childish　

bather　on　the　beach。



There　was　another　young　man　on　Earraid　in　these　days；　and　we　were　

much　together；　bathing；　clambering　on　the　boulders；　trying　to　sail　

a　boat　and　spinning　round　instead　in　the　oily　whirlpools　of　the　

roost。　　But　the　most　part　of　the　time　we　spoke　of　the　great　

uncharted　desert　of　our　futures；　wondering　together　what　should　

there　befall　us；　hearing　with　surprise　the　sound　of　our　own　voices　

in　the　empty　vestibule　of　youth。　　As　far；　and　as　hard；　as　it　seemed　

then　to　look　forward　to　the　grave；　so　far　it　seems　now　to　look　

backward　upon　these　emotions；　so　hard　to　recall　justly　that　loath　

submission；　as　of　the　sacrificial　bull；　with　which　we　stooped　our　

necks　under　the　yoke　of　destiny。　　I　met　my　old　companion　but　the　

other　day；　I　cannot　tell　of　course　what　he　was　thinking；　but；　upon　

my　part；　I　was　wondering　to　see　us　both　so　much　at　home；　and　so　

composed　and　sedentary　in　the　world；　and　how　much　we　had　gained；　

and　how　much　we　had　lost；　to　attain　to　that　composure；　and　which　

had　been　upon　the　whole　our　best　estate：　when　we　sat　there　prating　

sensibly　like　men　of　some　experience；　or　when　we　shared　our　

timorous　and　hopeful　counsels　in　a　western　islet。









CHAPTER　IX。　THOMAS　STEVENSON　…　CIVIL　ENGINEER





THE　death　of　Thomas　Stevenson　will　mean　not　very　much　to　the　

general　reader。　　His　service　to　mankind　took　on　forms　of　which　the　

public　knows　little　and　understands　less。　　He　came　seldom　to　

London；　and　then　only　as　a　task；　remaining　always　a　stranger　and　a　

convinced　provincial；　putting　up　for　years　at　the　same　hotel　where　

his　father　had　gone　before　him；　faithful　for　long　to　the　same　

restaurant；　the　same　church；　and　the　same　theatre；　chosen　simply　

for　propinquity；　steadfastly　refusing　to　dine　out。　　He　had　a　circle　

of　his　own；　indeed；　at　home；　few　men　were　more　beloved　in　

Edinburgh；　where　he　breathed　an　air　that　pleased　him；　and　wherever　

he　went；　in　railway　carriages　or　hotel　smoking…rooms；　his　strange；　

humorous　vein　of　talk；　and　his　transparent　honesty；　raised　him　up　

friends　and　admirers。　　But　to　the　general　public　and　the　world　of　

London；　except　about　the　parliamentary　committee…rooms；　he　remained　

unknown。　　All　the　time；　his　lights　were　in　every　part　of　the　world；　

guiding　the　mariner；　his　firm　were　consulting　engineers　to　the　

Indian；　the　New　Zealand；　and　the　Japanese　Lighthouse　Boards；　so　

that　Edinburgh　was　a　world　centre　for　that　branch　of　applied　

science；　in　Germany；　he　had　been　called　〃the　Nestor　of　lighthouse　

illumination〃；　even　in　France；　where　his　claims　were　long　denied；　

he　was　at　last；　on　the　occasion　of　the　late　Exposition；　recognised　

and　medalled。　　And　to　show　by　one　instance　the　inverted　nature　of　

his　reputation；　comparatively　small　at　home；　yet　filling　the　world；　

a　friend　of　mine　was　this　winter　on　a　visit　to　the　Spanish　main；　

and　was　asked　by　a　Peruvian　if　he　〃knew　Mr。　Stevenson　the　author；　

because　his　works　were　much　esteemed　in　Peru？〃　　My　friend　supposed　

the　reference　was　to　the　writer　of　tales；　but　the　Peruvian　had　

never　heard　of　DR。　JEKYLL；　what　he　had　in　his　eye；　what　was　

esteemed　in　Peru；　where　the　volumes　of　the　engineer。



Thomas　Stevenson　was　born　at　Edinburgh　in　the　year　1818；　the　

grandson　of　Thomas　Smith；　first　engineer　to　the　Board　of　Northern　

Lights；　son　of　Robert　Stevenson；　brother　of　Alan　and　David；　so　that　

his　nephew；　David　Alan　Stevenson；　joined　with　him　at　the　time　of　

his　death　in　the　engineership；　is　the　sixth　of　the　family　who　has　

held；　successively　o