records of a family of engineers-第9部分

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hip　plunge　at　her　two　anchors　…　and　to　turn　in　at　night　and　wake　again　at　morning；　in　his　narrow　berth；　to　the　glamorous　and　continued　voices　of　the　gale。

His　perils　and　escapes　were　beyond　counting。　　I　shall　only　refer　to　two：　the　first；　because　of　the　impression　made　upon　himself；　the　second；　from　the　incidental　picture　it　presents　of　the　north　islanders。　　On　the　9th　October　1794　he　took　passage　from　Orkney　in　the　sloop　ELIZABETH　of　Stromness。　She　made　a　fair　passage　till　within　view　of　Kinnaird　Head；　where；　as　she　was　becalmed　some　three　miles　in　the　offing；　and　wind　seemed　to　threaten　from　the　south…east；　the　captain　landed　him；　to　continue　his　journey　more　expeditiously　ashore。　A　gale　immediately　followed；　and　the　ELIZABETH　was　driven　back　to　Orkney　and　lost　with　all　hands。　　The　second　escape　I　have　been　in　the　habit　of　hearing　related　by　an　eye…witness；　my　own　father；　from　the　earliest　days　of　childhood。　　On　a　September　night；　the　REGENT　lay　in　the　Pentland　Firth　in　a　fog　and　a　violent　and　windless　swell。　　It　was　still　dark；　when　they　were　alarmed　by　the　sound　of　breakers；　and　an　anchor　was　immediately　let　go。　　The　peep　of　dawn　discovered　them　swinging　in　desperate　proximity　to　the　Isle　of　Swona　（1）　and　the　surf　bursting　close　under　their　stern。　　There　was　in　this　place　a　hamlet　of　the　inhabitants；　fisher…folk　and　wreckers；　their　huts　stood　close　about　the　head　of　the　beach。　　All　slept；　the　doors　were　closed；　and　there　was　no　smoke；　and　the　anxious　watchers　on　board　ship　seemed　to　contemplate　a　village　of　the　dead。　　It　was　thought　possible　to　launch　a　boat　and　tow　the　REGENT　from　her　place　of　danger；　and　with　this　view　a　signal　of　distress　was　made　and　a　gun　fired　with　a　red…hot　poker　from　the　galley。　　Its　detonation　awoke　the　sleepers。　　Door　after　door　was　opened；　and　in　the　grey　light　of　the　morning　fisher　after　fisher　was　seen　to　come　forth；　yawning　and　stretching　himself；　nightcap　on　head。　　Fisher　after　fisher；　I　wrote；　and　my　pen　tripped；　for　it　should　rather　stand　wrecker　after　wrecker。　　There　was　no　emotion；　no　animation；　it　scarce　seemed　any　interest；　not　a　hand　was　raised；　but　all　callously　awaited　the　harvest　of　the　sea；　and　their　children　stood　by　their　side　and　waited　also。　　To　the　end　of　his　life；　my　father　remembered　that　amphitheatre　of　placid　spectators　on　the　beach；　and　with　a　special　and　natural　animosity；　the　boys　of　his　own　age。　　But　presently　a　light　air　sprang　up；　and　filled　the　sails；　and　fainted；　and　filled　them　again；　and　little　by　little　the　REGENT　fetched　way　against　the　swell；　and　clawed　off　shore　into　the　turbulent　firth。


（1）　This　is　only　a　probable　hypothesis；　I　have　tried　to　identify　my　father's　anecdote　in　my　grandfather's　diary；　and　may　very　well　have　been　deceived。　…　＇R。　L。　S。＇

The　purpose　of　these　voyages　was　to　effect　a　landing　on　open　beaches　or　among　shelving　rocks；　not　for　persons　only；　but　for　coals　and　food；　and　the　fragile　furniture　of　light…　rooms。　　It　was　often　impossible。　　In　1831　I　find　my　grandfather　‘hovering　for　a　week'　about　the　Pentland　Skerries　for　a　chance　to　land；　and　it　was　almost　always　difficult。　Much　knack　and　enterprise　were　early　developed　among　the　seamen　of　the　service；　their　management　of　boats　is　to　this　day　a　matter　of　admiration；　and　I　find　my　grandfather　in　his　diary　depicting　the　nature　of　their　excellence　in　one　happily　descriptive　phrase；　when　he　remarks　that　Captain　Soutar　had　landed　‘the　small　stores　and　nine　casks　of　oil　WITH　ALL　THE　ACTIVITY　OF　A　SMUGGLER。'　　And　it　was　one　thing　to　land；　another　to　get　on　board　again。　　I　have　here　a　passage　from　the　diary；　where　it　seems　to　have　been　touch…and…go。　　‘I　landed　at　Tarbetness；　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　point；　in　a　MERE　GALE　OR　BLAST　OF　WIND　from　west…south…west；　at　2　p。m。　　It　blew　so　fresh　that　the　captain；　in　a　kind　of　despair；　went　off　to　the　ship；　leaving　myself　and　the　steward　ashore。　　While　I　was　in　the　light…room；　I　felt　it　shaking　and　waving；　not　with　the　tremor　of　the　Bell　Rock；　but　with　the　WAVING　OF　A　TREE！　　This　the　light…keepers　seemed　to　be　quite　familiar　to；　the　principal　keeper　remarking　that　〃it　was　very　pleasant；〃　perhaps　meaning　interesting　or　curious。　　The　captain　worked　the　vessel　into　smooth　water　with　admirable　dexterity；　and　I　got　on　board　again　about　6　p。m。　from　the　other　side　of　the　point。'　　But　not　even　the　dexterity　of　Soutar　could　prevail　always；　and　my　grandfather　must　at　times　have　been　left　in　strange　berths　and　with　but　rude　provision。　　I　may　instance　the　case　of　my　father；　who　was　storm…bound　three　days　upon　an　islet；　sleeping　in　the　uncemented　and　unchimneyed　houses　of　the　islanders；　and　subsisting　on　a　diet　of　nettle…soup　and　lobsters。

The　name　of　Soutar　has　twice　escaped　my　pen；　and　I　feel　I　owe　him　a　vignette。　　Soutar　first　attracted　notice　as　mate　of　a　praam　at　the　Bell　Rock；　and　rose　gradually　to　be　captain　of　the　REGENT。　　He　was　active；　admirably　skilled　in　his　trade；　and　a　man　incapable　of　fear。　　Once；　in　London；　he　fell　among　a　gang　of　confidence…men；　naturally　deceived　by　his　rusticity　and　his　prodigious　accent。　　They　plied　him　with　drink　…　a　hopeless　enterprise；　for　Soutar　could　not　be　made　drunk；　they　proposed　cards；　and　Soutar　would　not　play。　　At　last；　one　of　them；　regarding　him　with　a　formidable　countenance；　inquired　if　he　were　not　frightened？　　‘I'm　no'　very　easy　fleyed；'　replied　the　captain。　　And　the　rooks　withdrew　after　some　easier　pigeon。　So　many　perils　shared；　and　the　partial　familiarity　of　so　many　voyages；　had　given　this　man　a　stronghold　in　my　grandfather's　estimation；　and　there　is　no　doubt　but　he　had　the　art　to　court　and　please　him　with　much　hypocritical　skill。　　He　usually　dined　on　Sundays　in　the　cabin。　　He　used　to　come　down　daily　after　dinner　for　a　glass　of　port　or　whisky；　often　in　his　full　rig　of　sou'…wester；　oilskins；　and　long　boots；　and　I　have　often　heard　it　described　how　insinuatingly　he　carried　himself　on　these　appearances；　artfully　combining　the　extreme　of　deference　with　a　blunt　and　seamanlike　demeanour。　　My　father　and　uncles；　with　the　devilish　penetration　of　the　boy；　were　far　from　being　deceived；　and　my　father；　indeed；　was　favoured　with　an　object…　lesson　not　to　be　mistaken。　　He　had　crept　one　rainy　night　into　an　apple…barrel　on　deck；　and　from　this　place　of　ambush　overheard　Soutar　and　a　comrade　conversing　in　their　oilskins。　The　smooth　sycophant　of　the　cabin　had　wholly　disappeared；　and　the　boy　listened　with　wonder　to　a　vulgar　and　truculent　ruffian。　　Of　Soutar；　I　may　say　TANTUM　VIDI；　having　met　him　in　the　Leith　docks　now　more　than　thirty　years　ago；　when　he　abounded　in　the　praises　of　my　grandfather；　encouraged　me　（in　the　most　admirable　manner）　to　pursue　his　footprints；　and　left　impressed　for　ever　on　my　memory　the　image　of　his　own　Bardolphian　nose。　　He　died　not　long　after。

The　engineer　was　not　only　exposed　to　the　hazards　of　the　sea；　he　must　often　ford　his　way　by　land　to　remote　and　scarce　accessible　places；　beyond　reach　of　the　mail　or　the　post…　chaise；　beyond　even　the　tracery　of　the　bridle…path；　and　guided　by　natives　across　bog　and　heather。　　Up　to　1807　my　grand…father　seems　to　have　travelled　much　on　horseback；　but　he　then　gave　up　the　idea　…　‘such；'　he　writes　with　characteristic　emphasis　and　capital　letters；　‘is　the　Plague　of　Baiting。'　　He　was　a　good　pedestrian；　at　the　age　of　fifty…eight　I　find　him　covering　seventeen　miles　over　the　moors　of　the　Mackay　country　in　less　than　seven　hours；　and　that　is　not　bad　travelling　for　a　scramble。　　The　piece　of　country　traversed　was　already　a　familiar　track；　being　that　between　Loch　Eriboll　and　Cape　Wrath；　and　I　think　I　can　scarce　do　better　than　reproduce　from　the　diary　some　traits　of　his　first　visit。　　The　tender　lay　in　Loch　Eriboll；　by　five　in　the　morning　they　sat　down　to　breakfast　on　board；　by　six　they　were　ashore　…　my　grandfather；　Mr。　Slight　an　assistant；　and　Soutar　of　the　jolly　nose；　and　had　been　taken　in　charge　by　two　young　gentlemen　of　the　neighbourhood　and　a　pair　of　gillies。　　About　noon　they　reached　the　Kyle　of　Durness　and　passed　the　ferry。　　By　half…past　three　they　were　at　Cape　Wrath　…　not　yet　known　by　the　emphatic　abbreviation　of　‘The　Cape'　…　and　beheld　upon　all　sides　of　them　unfrequented　shores；　an　expanse　of　desert　moor；　and　the　high…　piled　Western　Ocean。　　The　site　of　the　tower　was　chosen。　Perhaps　it　is　by　inheritance　of　blood；　but　I　know　few　things　more　inspiriting　than　this　location　of　a　lighthouse　in　a　designated　space　of　heather　and　air；　through　which　the　sea…　birds　are　still　flying。　　By　9　p。m。　the　return　journey　had　brought　them　again　to　the　shores　of　the　Kyle。　　The　night　was　dirty；　and　as　the　sea　was　high　and　the　ferry…boat　small；　Soutar　and　Mr。　Stevenson　were　left　on　the　far　side；　while　the　rest　of　the　party　embarked　and　were　received　into　the　darkness。　　They　made；　in　fact；　a　safe　though　an　alarming　passage；　but　the　ferryman　refused　to　repeat　the　adventure；　and　my　grand…father　and　the　captain　long　paced　the　beach；　impatient　for　their　turn　to　pass；　and　tormented　with　rising　anxiety　as　to　the　fate　of　their　companions。　　At　length　they　sought　the　shelter　of　a　shepherd's　house。　　‘We　had　miserable　up…putting；'　the　diary　continues；　‘and　on　both　sides　of　the　ferry　much　anxiety　of　mind。　　Our　beds　were　clean　straw；　and　but　for　the　circumstance　of　the　boat；　I　should　have　slept　as　soundly　as　ever　I　did　afte