the uncommercial traveller-第76章

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ripple　at　my　feet；　the　clinking　windlass　afar　off；　or　the　humming

steam…ship　paddles　further　away　yet。　　These；　with　the　creaking

little　jetty　on　which　I　sit；　and　the　gaunt　high…water　marks　and

low…water　marks　in　the　mud；　and　the　broken　causeway；　and　the　broken

bank；　and　the　broken　stakes　and　piles　leaning　forward　as　if　they

were　vain　of　their　personal　appearance　and　looking　for　their

reflection　in　the　water；　will　melt　into　any　train　of　fancy。

Equally　adaptable　to　any　purpose　or　to　none；　are　the　posturing

sheep　and　kine　upon　the　marshes；　the　gulls　that　wheel　and　dip

around　me；　the　crows　（well　out　of　gunshot）　going　home　from　the　rich

harvest…fields；　the　heron　that　has　been　out　a…fishing　and　looks　as

melancholy；　up　there　in　the　sky；　as　if　it　hadn't　agreed　with　him。

Everything　within　the　range　of　the　senses　will；　by　the　aid　of　the

running　water；　lend　itself　to　everything　beyond　that　range；　and

work　into　a　drowsy　whole；　not　unlike　a　kind　of　tune；　but　for　which

there　is　no　exact　definition。



One　of　these　landing…places　is　near　an　old　fort　（I　can　see　the　Nore

Light　from　it　with　my　pocket…glass）；　from　which　fort　mysteriously

emerges　a　boy；　to　whom　I　am　much　indebted　for　additions　to　my

scanty　stock　of　knowledge。　　He　is　a　young　boy；　with　an　intelligent

face　burnt　to　a　dust　colour　by　the　summer　sun；　and　with　crisp　hair

of　the　same　hue。　　He　is　a　boy　in　whom　I　have　perceived　nothing

incompatible　with　habits　of　studious　inquiry　and　meditation；　unless

an　evanescent　black　eye　（I　was　delicate　of　inquiring　how

occasioned）　should　be　so　considered。　　To　him　am　I　indebted　for

ability　to　identify　a　Custom…house　boat　at　any　distance；　and　for

acquaintance　with　all　the　forms　and　ceremonies　observed　by　a

homeward…bound　Indiaman　coming　up　the　river；　when　the　Custom…house

officers　go　aboard　her。　　But　for　him；　I　might　never　have　heard　of

'the　dumb…ague；'　respecting　which　malady　I　am　now　learned。　　Had　I

never　sat　at　his　feet；　I　might　have　finished　my　mortal　career　and

never　known　that　when　I　see　a　white　horse　on　a　barge's　sail；　that

barge　is　a　lime　barge。　　For　precious　secrets　in　reference　to　beer；

am　I　likewise　beholden　to　him；　involving　warning　against　the　beer

of　a　certain　establishment；　by　reason　of　its　having　turned　sour

through　failure　in　point　of　demand：　　though　my　young　sage　is　not　of

opinion　that　similar　deterioration　has　befallen　the　ale。　　He　has

also　enlightened　me　touching　the　mushrooms　of　the　marshes；　and　has

gently　reproved　my　ignorance　in　having　supposed　them　to　be

impregnated　with　salt。　　His　manner　of　imparting　information；　is

thoughtful；　and　appropriate　to　the　scene。　　As　he　reclines　beside

me；　he　pitches　into　the　river；　a　little　stone　or　piece　of　grit；　and

then　delivers　himself　oracularly；　as　though　he　spoke　out　of　the

centre　of　the　spreading　circle　that　it　makes　in　the　water。　　He

never　improves　my　mind　without　observing　this　formula。



With　the　wise　boy　…　whom　I　know　by　no　other　name　than　the　Spirit　of

the　Fort　…　I　recently　consorted　on　a　breezy　day　when　the　river

leaped　about　us　and　was　full　of　life。　　I　had　seen　the　sheaved　corn

carrying　in　the　golden　fields　as　I　came　down　to　the　river；　and　the

rosy　farmer；　watching　his　labouring…men　in　the　saddle　on　his　cob；

had　told　me　how　he　had　reaped　his　two　hundred　and　sixty　acres　of

long…strawed　corn　last　week；　and　how　a　better　week's　work　he　had

never　done　in　all　his　days。　　Peace　and　abundance　were　on　the

country…side　in　beautiful　forms　and　beautiful　colours；　and　the

harvest　seemed　even　to　be　sailing　out　to　grace　the　never…reaped　sea

in　the　yellow…laden　barges　that　mellowed　the　distance。



It　was　on　this　occasion　that　the　Spirit　of　the　Fort；　directing　his

remarks　to　a　certain　floating　iron　battery　lately　lying　in　that

reach　of　the　river；　enriched　my　mind　with　his　opinions　on　naval

architecture；　and　informed　me　that　he　would　like　to　be　an　engineer。

I　found　him　up　to　everything　that　is　done　in　the　contracting　line

by　Messrs。　Peto　and　Brassey　…　cunning　in　the　article　of　concrete　…

mellow　in　the　matter　of　iron　…　great　on　the　subject　of　gunnery。

When　he　spoke　of　pile…driving　and　sluice…making；　he　left　me　not　a

leg　to　stand　on；　and　I　can　never　sufficiently　acknowledge　his

forbearance　with　me　in　my　disabled　state。　　While　he　thus

discoursed；　he　several　times　directed　his　eyes　to　one　distant

quarter　of　the　landscape；　and　spoke　with　vague　mysterious　awe　of

'the　Yard。'　　Pondering　his　lessons　after　we　had　parted；　I　bethought

me　that　the　Yard　was　one　of　our　large　public　Dockyards；　and　that　it

lay　hidden　among　the　crops　down　in　the　dip　behind　the　windmills；　as

if　it　modestly　kept　itself　out　of　view　in　peaceful　times；　and

sought　to　trouble　no　man。　　Taken　with　this　modesty　on　the　part　of

the　Yard；　I　resolved　to　improve　the　Yard's　acquaintance。



My　good　opinion　of　the　Yard's　retiring　character　was　not　dashed　by

nearer　approach。　　It　resounded　with　the　noise　of　hammers　beating

upon　iron；　and　the　great　sheds　or　slips　under　which　the　mighty　men…

of…war　are　built；　loomed　business…like　when　contemplated　from　the

opposite　side　of　the　river。　　For　all　that；　however；　the　Yard　made

no　display；　but　kept　itself　snug　under　hill…sides　of　corn…fields；

hop…gardens；　and　orchards；　its　great　chimneys　smoking　with　a　quiet

…　almost　a　lazy　…　air；　like　giants　smoking　tobacco；　and　the　great

Shears　moored　off　it；　looking　meekly　and　inoffensively　out　of

proportion；　like　the　Giraffe　of　the　machinery　creation。　　The　store

of　cannon　on　the　neighbouring　gun…wharf；　had　an　innocent　toy…like

appearance；　and　the　one　red…coated　sentry　on　duty　over　them　was　a

mere　toy　figure；　with　a　clock…work　movement。　　As　the　hot　sunlight

sparkled　on　him　he　might　have　passed　for　the　identical　little　man

who　had　the　little　gun；　and　whose　bullets　they　were　made　of　lead；

lead；　lead。



Crossing　the　river　and　landing　at　the　Stairs；　where　a　drift　of

chips　and　weed　had　been　trying　to　land　before　me　and　had　not

succeeded；　but　had　got　into　a　corner　instead；　I　found　the　very

street　posts　to　be　cannon；　and　the　architectural　ornaments　to　be

shells。　　And　so　I　came　to　the　Yard；　which　was　shut　up　tight　and

strong　with　great　folded　gates；　like　an　enormous　patent　safe。

These　gates　devouring　me；　I　became　digested　into　the　Yard；　and　it

had；　at　first；　a　clean…swept　holiday　air；　as　if　it　had　given　over

work　until　next　war…time。　　Though　indeed　a　quantity　of　hemp　for

rope　was　tumbling　out　of　store…houses；　even　there；　which　would

hardly　be　lying　like　so　much　hay　on　the　white　stones　if　the　Yard

were　as　placid　as　it　pretended。



Ding；　Clash；　Dong；　BANG；　Boom；　Rattle；　Clash；　BANG；　Clink；　BANG；

Dong；　BANG；　Clatter；　BANG　BANG　BANG！　　What　on　earth　is　this！　　This

is；　or　soon　will　be；　the　Achilles；　iron　armour…plated　ship。　　Twelve

hundred　men　are　working　at　her　now；　twelve　hundred　men　working　on

stages　over　her　sides；　over　her　bows；　over　her　stern；　under　her

keel；　between　her　decks；　down　in　her　hold；　within　her　and　without；

crawling　and　creeping　into　the　finest　curves　of　her　lines　wherever

it　is　possible　for　men　to　twist。　　Twelve　hundred　hammerers；

measurers；　caulkers；　armourers；　forgers；　smiths；　shipwrights；

twelve　hundred　dingers；　clashers；　dongers；　rattlers；　clinkers；

bangers　bangers　bangers！　　Yet　all　this　stupendous　uproar　around　the

rising　Achilles　is　as　nothing　to　the　reverberations　with　which　the

perfected　Achilles　shall　resound　upon　the　dreadful　day　when　the

full　work　is　in　hand　for　which　this　is　but　note　of　preparation　…

the　day　when　the　scuppers　that　are　now　fitting　like　great；　dry；

thirsty　conduit…pipes；　shall　run　red。　　All　these　busy　figures

between　decks；　dimly　seen　bending　at　their　work　in　smoke　and　fire；

are　as　nothing　to　the　figures　that　shall　do　work　here　of　another

kind　in　smoke　and　fire；　that　day。　　These　steam…worked　engines

alongside；　helping　the　ship　by　travelling　to　and　fro；　and　wafting

tons　of　iron　plates　about；　as　though　they　were　so　many　leaves　of

trees；　would　be　rent　limb　from　limb　if　they　stood　by　he