three men in a boat-第45章

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wrapped　up　in　a　rug　on　the　boards　of　a　boat；　with　a　Gladstone　bag　for　a　

pillow；　as　one　does　in　a　featherbed。　　We　had　finished　breakfast；　and　were　

through　Clifton　Lock　by　half…past　eight。



From　Clifton　to　Culham　the　river　banks　are　flat；　monotonous；　and　

uninteresting；　but；　after　you　get　through　Culhalm　Lock　…　the　coldest　and　

deepest　lock　on　the　river　…　the　landscape　improves。



At　Abingdon；　the　river　passes　by　the　streets。　　Abingdon　is　a　typical　

country　town　of　the　smaller　order　…　quiet；　eminently　respectable；　clean；　

and　desperately　dull。　　It　prides　itself　on　being　old；　but　whether　it　can　

compare　in　this　respect　with　Wallingford　and　Dorchester　seems　doubtful。　　

A　famous　abbey　stood　here　once；　and　within　what　is　left　of　its　sanctified　

walls　they　brew　bitter　ale　nowadays。



In　St。　Nicholas　Church；　at　Abingdon；　there　is　a　monument　to　John　

Blackwall　and　his　wife　Jane；　who　both；　after　leading　a　happy　married　

life；　died　on　the　very　same　day；　August　21；　1625；　and　in　St。　Helen's　

Church；　it　is　recorded　that　W。　Lee；　who　died　in　1637；　〃had　in　his　

lifetime　issue　from　his　loins　two　hundred　lacking　but　three。〃　　If　you　

work　this　out　you　will　find　that　Mr。　W。　Lee's　family　numbered　one　hundred　

and　ninety…seven。　　Mr。　W。　Lee　…　five　times　Mayor　of　Abingdon　…　was；　no　

doubt；　a　benefactor　to　his　generation；　but　I　hope　there　are　not　many　of　

his　kind　about　in　this　overcrowded　nineteenth　century。



From　Abingdon　to　Nuneham　Courteney　is　a　lovely　stretch。　　Nuneham　Park　is　

well　worth　a　visit。　　It　can　be　viewed　on　Tuesdays　and　Thursdays。　　The　

house　contains　a　fine　collection　of　pictures　and　curiosities；　and　the　

grounds　are　very　beautiful。



The　pool　under　Sandford　lasher；　just　behind　the　lock；　is　a　very　good　

place　to　drown　yourself　in。　　The　undercurrent　is　terribly　strong；　and　if　

you　once　get　down　into　it　you　are　all　right。　　An　obelisk　marks　the　spot　

where　two　men　have　already　been　drowned；　while　bathing　there；　and　the　

steps　of　the　obelisk　are　generally　used　as　a　diving…board　by　young　men　

now　who　wish　to　see　if　the　place　really　IS　dangerous。



Iffley　Lock　and　Mill；　a　mile　before　you　reach　Oxford；　is　a　favourite　

subject　with　the　river…loving　brethren　of　the　brush。　　The　real　article；　

however；　is　rather　disappointing；　after　the　pictures。　　Few　things；　I　have　

noticed；　come　quite　up　to　the　pictures　of　them；　in　this　world。



We　passed　through　Iffley　Lock　at　about　half…past　twelve；　and　then；　having　

tidied　up　the　boat　and　made　all　ready　for　landing；　we　set　to　work　on　our　

last　mile。



Between　Iffley　and　Oxford　is　the　most　difficult　bit　of　the　river　I　know。　　

You　want　to　be　born　on　that　bit　of　water；　to　understand　it。　　I　have　been　

over　it　a　fairish　number　of　times；　but　I　have　never　been　able　to　get　the　

hang　of　it。　　The　man　who　could　row　a　straight　course　from　Oxford　to　

Iffley　ought　to　be　able　to　live　comfortably；　under　one　roof；　with　his　

wife；　his　mother…in…law；　his　elder　sister；　and　the　old　servant　who　was　in　

the　family　when　he　was　a　baby。



First　the　current　drives　you　on　to　the　right　bank；　and　then　on　to　the　

left；　then　it　takes　you　out　into　the　middle；　turns　you　round　three　times；　

and　carries　you　up　stream　again；　and　always　ends　by　trying　to　smash　you　

up　against　a　college　barge。



Of　course；　as　a　consequence　of　this；　we　got　in　the　way　of　a　good　many　

other　boats；　during　the　mile；　and　they　in　ours；　and；　of　course；　as　a　

consequence　of　that；　a　good　deal　of　bad　language　occurred。



I　don't　know　why　it　should　be；　but　everybody　is　always　so　exceptionally　

irritable　on　the　river。　　Little　mishaps；　that　you　would　hardly　notice　on　

dry　land；　drive　you　nearly　frantic　with　rage；　when　they　occur　on　the　

water。　　When　Harris　or　George　makes　an　ass　of　himself　on　dry　land；　I　

smile　indulgently；　when　they　behave　in　a　chuckle…head　way　on　the　river；　I　

use　the　most　blood…curdling　language　to　them。　　When　another　boat　gets　in　

my　way；　I　feel　I　want　to　take　an　oar　and　kill　all　the　people　in　it。



The　mildest　tempered　people；　when　on　land；　become　violent　and　blood…

thirsty　when　in　a　boat。　　　I　did　a　little　boating　once　with　a　young　lady。　　

She　was　naturally　of　the　sweetest　and　gentlest　disposition　imaginable；　

but　on　the　river　it　was　quite　awful　to　hear　her。



〃Oh；　drat　the　man！〃　she　would　exclaim；　when　some　unfortunate　sculler　

would　get　in　her　way；　〃why　don't　he　look　where　he's　going？〃



And；　〃Oh；　bother　the　silly　old　thing！〃　she　would　say　indignantly；　when　

the　sail　would　not　go　up　properly。　　And　she　would　catch　hold　of　it；　and　

shake　it　quite　brutally。



Yet；　as　I　have　said；　when　on　shore　she　was　kind…hearted　and　amiable　

enough。



The　air　of　the　river　has　a　demoralising　effect　upon　one's　temper；　and　

this　it　is；　I　suppose；　which　causes　even　barge　men　to　be　sometimes　rude　

to　one　another；　and　to　use　language　which；　no　doubt；　in　their　calmer　

moments　they　regret。









CHAPTER　XIX。





OXFORD。　…　MONTMORENCY'S　IDEA　OF　HEAVEN。　…　THE　HIRED　UP…RIVER　BOAT；　ITS　

BEAUTIES　AND　ADVANTAGES。　…　THE　〃PRIDE　OF　THE　THAMES。〃　…　THE　WEATHER　

CHANGES。　…　THE　RIVER　UNDER　DIFFERENT　ASPECTS。　…　NOT　A　CHEERFUL　EVENING。　…　

YEARNINGS　FOR　THE　UNATTAINABLE。　…　THE　CHEERY　CHAT　GOES　ROUND。　…　GEORGE　

PERFORMS　UPON　THE　BANJO。　…　A　MOURNFUL　MELODY。　…　ANOTHER　WET　DAY。　…　

FLIGHT。　…　A　LITTLE　SUPPER　AND　A　TOAST。



WE　spent　two　very　pleasant　days　at　Oxford。　　There　are　plenty　of　dogs　in　

the　town　of　Oxford。　　Montmorency　had　eleven　fights　on　the　first　day；　and　

fourteen　on　the　second；　and　evidently　thought　he　had　got　to　heaven。



Among　folk　too　constitutionally　weak；　or　too　constitutionally　lazy；　

whichever　it　may　be；　to　relish　up…stream　work；　it　is　a　common　practice　to　

get　a　boat　at　Oxford；　and　row　down。　　For　the　energetic；　however；　the　up…

stream　journey　is　certainly　to　be　preferred。　　It　does　not　seem　good　to　be　

always　going　with　the　current。　　There　is　more　satisfaction　in　squaring　

one's　back；　and　fighting　against　it；　and　winning　one's　way　forward　in　

spite　of　it　…　at　least；　so　I　feel；　when　Harris　and　George　are　sculling　

and　I　am　steering。



To　those　who　do　contemplate　making　Oxford　their　starting…place；　I　would　

say；　take　your　own　boat　…　unless；　of　course；　you　can　take　someone　else's　

without　any　possible　danger　of　being　found　out。　　The　boats　that；　as　a　

rule；　are　let　for　hire　on　the　Thames　above　Marlow；　are　very　good　boats。　　

They　are　fairly　water…tight；　and　so　long　as　they　are　handled　with　care；　

they　rarely　come　to　pieces；　or　sink。　　There　are　places　in　them　to　sit　

down　on；　and　they　are　complete　with　all　the　necessary　arrangements　…　or　

nearly　all　…　to　enable　you　to　row　them　and　steer　them。



But　they　are　not　ornamental。　　The　boat　you　hire　up　the　river　above　Marlow　

is　not　the　sort　of　boat　in　which　you　can　flash　about　and　give　yourself　

airs。　　The　hired　up…river　boat　very　soon　puts　a　stop　to　any　nonsense　of　

that　sort　on　the　part　of　its　occupants。　　That　is　its　chief　…　one　may　say；　

its　only　recommendation。



The　man　in　the　hired　up…river　boat　is　modest　and　retiring。　　He　likes　to　

keep　on　the　shady　side；　underneath　the　trees；　and　to　do　most　of　his　

travelling　early　in　the　morning　or　late　at　night；　when　there　are　not　many　

people　about　on　the　river　to　look　at　him。



When　the　man　in　the　hired　up…river　boat　sees　anyone　he　knows；　he　gets　out　

on　to　the　bank；　and　hides　behind　a　tree。



I　was　one　of　a　party　who　hired　an　up…river　boat　one　summer；　for　a　few　

days'　trip。　　We　had　none　of　us　ever　seen　the　hired　up…river　boat　before；　

and　we　did　not　know　what　it　was　when　we　did　see　it。



We　had　written　for　a　boat　…　a　double　sculling　skiff；　and　when　we　went　

down　with　our　bags　to　the　yard；　and　gave　our　names；　the　man　said：



〃Oh；　yes；　you're　the　party　that　wrote　for　a　double　sculling　skiff。　　It's　

all　right。　　Jim；　fetch　round　THE　PRIDE　OF　THE　THAMES。〃



The　boy　went；　and　re…appeared　five　minutes　afterwards；　struggling　with　an　

antediluvian　chunk　of　wood；　that　looked　as　though　it　had　be