the mirror of the sea-第26章

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perhaps　that　superannuated　fellow…craftsman　was　simply　admiring　the



ship's　perfect　order　aloft；　I　thought；　with　some　secret　pride；　for



the　chief　officer　is　responsible　for　his　ship's　appearance；　and　as



to　her　outward　condition；　he　is　the　man　open　to　praise　or　blame。



Meantime　the　old　salt　（〃ex…coasting　skipper〃　was　writ　large　all



over　his　person）　had　hobbled　up　alongside　in　his　bumpy；　shiny



boots；　and；　waving　an　arm；　short　and　thick　like　the　flipper　of　a



seal；　terminated　by　a　paw　red　as　an　uncooked　beef…steak；　addressed



the　poop　in　a　muffled；　faint；　roaring　voice；　as　if　a　sample　of



every　North…Sea　fog　of　his　life　had　been　permanently　lodged　in　his



throat：　　〃Haul　'em　round；　Mr。　Mate！〃　were　his　words。　　〃If　you　don't



look　sharp；　you'll　have　your　topgallant　yards　through　the　windows



of　that　'ere　warehouse　presently！〃　　This　was　the　only　cause　of　his



interest　in　the　ship's　beautiful　spars。　　I　own　that　for　a　time　I



was　struck　dumb　by　the　bizarre　associations　of　yard…arms　and



window…panes。　　To　break　windows　is　the　last　thing　one　would　think



of　in　connection　with　a　ship's　topgallant　yard；　unless；　indeed；　one



were　an　experienced　berthing…master　in　one　of　the　London　docks。



This　old　chap　was　doing　his　little　share　of　the　world's　work　with



proper　efficiency。　　His　little　blue　eyes　had　made　out　the　danger



many　hundred　yards　off。　　His　rheumaticky　feet；　tired　with　balancing



that　squat　body　for　many　years　upon　the　decks　of　small　coasters；



and　made　sore　by　miles　of　tramping　upon　the　flagstones　of　the　dock



side；　had　hurried　up　in　time　to　avert　a　ridiculous　catastrophe。　　I



answered　him　pettishly；　I　fear；　and　as　if　I　had　known　all　about　it



before。







〃All　right；　all　right！　can't　do　everything　at　once。〃







He　remained　near　by；　muttering　to　himself　till　the　yards　had　been



hauled　round　at　my　order；　and　then　raised　again　his　foggy；　thick



voice：







〃None　too　soon；〃　he　observed；　with　a　critical　glance　up　at　the



towering　side　of　the　warehouse。　　〃That's　a　half…sovereign　in　your



pocket；　Mr。　Mate。　　You　should　always　look　first　how　you　are　for



them　windows　before　you　begin　to　breast　in　your　ship　to　the　quay。〃







It　was　good　advice。　　But　one　cannot　think　of　everything　or　foresee



contacts　of　things　apparently　as　remote　as　stars　and　hop…poles。















XXXII。















The　view　of　ships　lying　moored　in　some　of　the　older　docks　of　London



has　always　suggested　to　my　mind　the　image　of　a　flock　of　swans　kept



in　the　flooded　backyard　of　grim　tenement　houses。　　The　flatness　of



the　walls　surrounding　the　dark　pool　on　which　they　float　brings　out



wonderfully　the　flowing　grace　of　the　lines　on　which　a　ship's　hull



is　built。　　The　lightness　of　these　forms；　devised　to　meet　the　winds



and　the　seas；　makes；　by　contrast　with　the　great　piles　of　bricks；



the　chains　and　cables　of　their　moorings　appear　very　necessary；　as



if　nothing　less　could　prevent　them　from　soaring　upwards　and　over



the　roofs。　　The　least　puff　of　wind　stealing　round　the　corners　of



the　dock　buildings　stirs　these　captives　fettered　to　rigid　shores。



It　is　as　if　the　soul　of　a　ship　were　impatient　of　confinement。



Those　masted　hulls；　relieved　of　their　cargo；　become　restless　at　the



slightest　hint　of　the　wind's　freedom。　　However　tightly　moored；　they



range　a　little　at　their　berths；　swaying　imperceptibly　the　spire…



like　assemblages　of　cordage　and　spars。　　You　can　detect　their



impatience　by　watching　the　sway　of　the　mastheads　against　the



motionless；　the　soulless　gravity　of　mortar　and　stones。　　As　you　pass



alongside　each　hopeless　prisoner　chained　to　the　quay；　the　slight



grinding　noise　of　the　wooden　fenders　makes　a　sound　of　angry



muttering。　　But；　after　all；　it　may　be　good　for　ships　to　go　through



a　period　of　restraint　and　repose；　as　the　restraint　and　self…



communion　of　inactivity　may　be　good　for　an　unruly　soul　…　not；



indeed；　that　I　mean　to　say　that　ships　are　unruly；　on　the　contrary；



they　are　faithful　creatures；　as　so　many　men　can　testify。　　And



faithfulness　is　a　great　restraint；　the　strongest　bond　laid　upon　the



self…will　of　men　and　ships　on　this　globe　of　land　and　sea。







This　interval　of　bondage　in　the　docks　rounds　each　period　of　a



ship's　life　with　the　sense　of　accomplished　duty；　of　an　effectively



played　part　in　the　work　of　the　world。　　The　dock　is　the　scene　of



what　the　world　would　think　the　most　serious　part　in　the　light；



bounding；　swaying　life　of　a　ship。　　But　there　are　docks　and　docks。



The　ugliness　of　some　docks　is　appalling。　　Wild　horses　would　not



drag　from　me　the　name　of　a　certain　river　in　the　north　whose　narrow



estuary　is　inhospitable　and　dangerous；　and　whose　docks　are　like　a



nightmare　of　dreariness　and　misery。　　Their　dismal　shores　are



studded　thickly　with　scaffold…like；　enormous　timber　structures；



whose　lofty　heads　are　veiled　periodically　by　the　infernal　gritty



night　of　a　cloud　of　coal…dust。　　The　most　important　ingredient　for



getting　the　world's　work　along　is　distributed　there　under　the



circumstances　of　the　greatest　cruelty　meted　out　to　helpless　ships。



Shut　up　in　the　desolate　circuit　of　these　basins；　you　would　think　a



free　ship　would　droop　and　die　like　a　wild　bird　put　into　a　dirty



cage。　　But　a　ship；　perhaps　because　of　her　faithfulness　to　men；　will



endure　an　extraordinary　lot　of　ill…usage。　　Still；　I　have　seen　ships



issue　from　certain　docks　like　half…dead　prisoners　from　a　dungeon；



bedraggled；　overcome；　wholly　disguised　in　dirt；　and　with　their　men



rolling　white　eyeballs　in　black　and　worried　faces　raised　to　a



heaven　which；　in　its　smoky　and　soiled　aspect；　seemed　to　reflect　the



sordidness　of　the　earth　below。　　One　thing；　however；　may　be　said　for



the　docks　of　the　Port　of　London　on　both　sides　of　the　river：　　for



all　the　complaints　of　their　insufficient　equipment；　of　their



obsolete　rules；　of　failure　（they　say）　in　the　matter　of　quick



despatch；　no　ship　need　ever　issue　from　their　gates　in　a　half…



fainting　condition。　　London　is　a　general　cargo　port；　as　is　only



proper　for　the　greatest　capital　of　the　world　to　be。　　General　cargo



ports　belong　to　the　aristocracy　of　the　earth's　trading　places；　and



in　that　aristocracy　London；　as　it　is　its　way；　has　a　unique



physiognomy。







The　absence　of　picturesqueness　cannot　be　laid　to　the　charge　of　the



docks　opening　into　the　Thames。　　For　all　my　unkind　comparisons　to



swans　and　backyards；　it　cannot　be　denied　that　each　dock　or　group　of



docks　along　the　north　side　of　the　river　has　its　own　individual



attractiveness。　　Beginning　with　the　cosy　little　St。　Katherine's



Dock；　lying　overshadowed　and　black　like　a　quiet　pool　amongst　rocky



crags；　through　the　venerable　and　sympathetic　London　Docks；　with　not



a　single　line　of　rails　in　the　whole　of　their　area　and　the　aroma　of



spices　lingering　between　its　warehouses；　with　their　far…famed　wine…



cellars　…　down　through　the　interesting　group　of　West　India　Docks；



the　fine　docks　at　Blackwall；　on　past　the　Galleons　Reach　entrance　of



the　Victoria　and　Albert　Docks；　right　down　to　the　vast　gloom　of　the



great　basins　in　Tilbury；　each　of　those　places　of　restraint　for



ships　has　its　own　peculiar　physiognomy；　its　own　expression。　　And



what　makes　them　unique　and　attractive　is　their　common　trait　of



being　romantic　in　their　usefulness。







In　their　way　they　are　as　romantic　as　the　river　they　serve　is　unlike



all　the　other　commercial　streams　of　the　world。　　The　cosiness　of　the



St。　Katherine's　Dock；　the　old…world　air　of　the　London　Docks；　remain



impressed　upon　the　memory。　　The　docks　down　the　river；　abreast　of



Woolwich；　are　imposing　by　their　proportions　and　the　vast　scale　of



the　ugliness　that　forms　their　surroundings　…　ugliness　so



picturesque　as　to　become　a　delight　to　the　eye。　　When　one　talks　of



the　Thames　docks；　〃beauty〃　is　a　vain　word；　but　romance　has　lived



too　long　upon　this　river　not　to　have　thrown　a　man