north america-2-第24章

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n；　were　not　less　plainly　to　be　read　on　that　account。　　Every　street　was　absolutely　impassable　from　mud。　　I　mean　that　in　walking　down　the　middle　of　any　street　in　Cairo；　a　moderately…framed　man　would　soon　stick　fast；　and　not　be　able　to　move。　　The　houses　are　generally　built　at　considerable　intervals；　and　rarely　face　each　other；　and　along　one　side　of　each　street　a　plank　boarding　was　laid；　on　which　the　mud　had　accumulated　only　up　to　one's　ankles。　　I　walked　all　over　Cairo　with　big　boots；　and　with　my　trowsers　tucked　up　to　my　knees；　but　at　the　crossings　I　found　considerable　danger；　and　occasionally　had　my　doubts　as　to　the　possibility　of　progress。　　I　was　alone　in　my　work；　and　saw　no　one　else　making　any　such　attempt。　　But　few　only　were　moving　about；　and　they　moved　in　wretched　carts；　each　drawn　by　two　miserable；　floundering　horses。　　These　carts　were　always　empty；　but　were　presumed　to　be　engaged　in　some　way　on　military　service。　　No　faces　looked　out　at　the　windows　of　the　houses；　no　forms　stood　in　the　doorways。　　A　few　shops　were　open；　but　only　in　the　drinking…shops　did　I　see　customers。　　In　these；　silent；　muddy　men　were　sitting；　not　with　drink　before　them；　as　men　sit　with　us；　but　with　the　cud　within　their　jaws；　ruminating。　　Their　drinking　is　always　done　on　foot。　　They　stand　silent　at　a　bar；　with　two　small　glasses　before　them。　　Out　of　one　they　swallow　the　whisky；　and　from　the　other　they　take　a　gulp　of　water；　as　though　to　rinse　their　mouths。　　After　that；　they　again　sit　down　and　ruminate。　　It　was　thus　that　men　enjoyed　themselves　at　Cairo。　I　cannot　tell　what　was　the　existing　population　of　Cairo。　　I　asked　one　resident；　but　he　only　shook　his　head　and　said　that　the　place　was　about　〃played　out。〃　　And　a　miserable　play　it　must　have　been。　　I　tried　to　walk　round　the　point　on　the　levees；　but　I　found　that　the　mud　was　so　deep　and　slippery　on　that　which　protected　the　town　from　the　Mississippi　that　I　could　not　move　on　it。　　On　the　other；　which　forms　the　bank　of　the　Ohio；　the　railway　runs；　and　here　was　gathered　all　the　life　and　movement　of　the　place。　　But　the　life　was　galvanic　in　its　nature；　created　by　a　war　galvanism　of　which　the　shocks　were　almost　neutralized　by　mud。　As　Cairo　is　of　all　towns　in　America　the　most　desolate；　so　is　its　hotel　the　most　forlorn　and　wretched。　　Not　that　it　lacked　custom。　　It　was　so　full　that　no　room　was　to　be　had　on　our　first　entry　from　the　railway　cars　at　five　A。M。；　and　we　were　reduced　to　the　necessity　of　washing　our　hands　and　faces　in　the　public　wash…room。　　When　I　entered　it　the　barber　and　his　assistants　were　asleep　there；　and　four　or　five　citizens　from　the　railway　were　busy　at　the　basins。　　There　is　a　fixed　resolution　in　these　places　that　you　shall　be　drenched　with　dirt　and　drowned　in　abominations；　which　is　overpowering　to　a　mind　less　strong　than　Mark　Tapley's。　　The　filth　is　paraded　and　made　to　go　as　far　as　possible。　　The　stranger　is　spared　none　of　the　elements　of　nastiness。　I　remember　how　an　old　woman　once　stood　over　me　in　my　youth；　forcing　me　to　swallow　the　gritty　dregs　of　her　terrible　medicine　cup。　　The　treatment　I　received　in　the　hotel　at　Cairo　reminded　me　of　that　old　woman。　　In　that　room　I　did　not　dare　to　brush　my　teeth　lest　I　should　give　offense；　and　I　saw　at　once　that　I　was　regarded　with　suspicion　when　I　used　my　own　comb　instead　of　that　provided　for　the　public。　At　length　we　got　a　room；　one　room　for　the　two。　　I　had　become　so　depressed　in　spirits　that　I　did　not　dare　to　object　to　this　arrangement。　　My　friend　could　not　complain　much；　even　to　me；　feeling　that　these　miseries　had　been　produced　by　his　own　obstinacy。　　〃It　is　a　new　phase　of　life；〃　he　said。　　That　at　any　rate　was　true。　　If　nothing　more　be　necessary　for　pleasurable　excitement　than　a　new　phase　of　life；　I　would　recommend　all　who　require　pleasurable　excitement　to　go　to　Cairo。　　They　will　certainly　find　a　new　phase　of　life。　　But　do　not　let　them　remain　too　long；　or　they　may　find　something　beyond　a　new　phase　of　life。　　Within　a　week　of　that　time　my　friend　was　taking　quinine；　looking　hollow　about　the　eyes；　and　whispering　to　me　of　fever　and　ague。　　To　say　that　there　was　nothing　eatable　or　drinkable　in　that　hotel；　would　be　to　tell　that　which　will　be　understood　without　telling。　　My　friend；　however；　was　a　cautious　man；　carrying　with　him　comfortable　tin　pots；　hermetically　sealed；　from　Fortnum　&　Mason's；　and　on　the　second　day　of　our　sojourn　we　were　invited　by　two　officers　to　join　their　dinner　at　a　Cairo　eating…　house。　　We　plowed　our　way　gallantly　through　the　mud　to　a　little　shanty；　at　the　door　of　which　we　were　peremptorily　commanded　by　the　landlord　to　scrub　ourselves；　before　we　entered；　with　the　stump　of　an　old　broom。　　This　we　did；　producing　on　our　nether　persons　the　appearance　of　bread　which　has　been　carefully　spread　with　treacle　by　an　economic　housekeeper。　　And　the　proprietor　was　right；　for　had　we　not　done　so；　the　treacle　would　have　run　off　through　the　whole　house。　But　after　this　we　fared　royally。　　Squirrel　soup　and　prairie　chickens　regaled　us。　　One　of　our　new　friends　had　laden　his　pockets　with　champagne　and　brandy；　the　other　with　glasses　and　a　corkscrew；　and　as　the　bottle　went　round；　I　began　to　feel　something　of　the　spirit　of　Mark　Tapley　in　my　soul。　But　our　visit　to　Cairo　had　been　made　rather　with　reference　to　its　present　warlike　character　than　with　any　eye　to　the　natural　beauties　of　the　place。　　A　large　force　of　men　had　been　collected　there；　and　also　a　fleet　of　gun…boats。　　We　had　come　there　fortified　with　letters　to　generals　and　commodores；　and　were　prepared　to　go　through　a　large　amount　of　military　inspection。　　But　the　bird　had　flown　before　our　arrival；　or　rather　the　body　and　wings　of　the　bird；　leaving　behind　only　a　draggled　tail　and　a　few　of　its　feathers。　　There　were　only　a　thousand　soldiers　at　Cairo　when　we　were　therethat　is；　a　thousand　stationed　in　the　Cairo　sheds。　　Two　regiments　passed　through　the　place　during　the　time；　getting　out　of　one　steamer　on　to　another；　or　passing　from　the　railway　into　boats。　　One　of　these　regiments　passed　before　me　down　the　slope　of　the　river　bank；　and　the　men　as　a　body　seemed　to　be　healthy。　　Very　many　were　drunk；　and　all　were　mud…　clogged　up　to　their　shoulders　and　very　caps。　　In　other　respects　they　appeared　to　be　in　good　order。　　It　must　be　understood　that　these　soldiers；　the　volunteers；　had　never　been　made　subject　to　any　discipline　as　to　cleanliness。　　They　wore　their　hair　long。　　Their　hats　or　caps；　though　all　made　in　some　military　form　and　with　some　military　appendance；　were　various　and　ill　assorted。　　They　all　were　covered　with　loose；　thick；　blue…gray　great…coats；　which　no　doubt　were　warm　and　wholesome；　but　which　from　their　looseness　and　color　seemed　to　be　peculiarly　susceptible　of　receiving　and　showing　a　very　large　amount　of　mud。　　Their　boots　were　always　good；　but　each　man　was　shod　as　he　liked。　　Many　wore　heavy　overboots　coming　up　the　leg　boots　of　excellent　manufacture；　and　from　their　cost；　if　for　no　other　reason；　quite　out　of　the　reach　of　an　English　soldierboots　in　which　a　man　would　be　not　at　all　unfortunate　to　find　himself　hunting；　but　from　these；　or　from　their　high…lows；　shoes；　or　whatever　they　might　wear；　the　mud　had　never　been　even　scraped。　　These　men　were　all　warmly　clothed；　but　clothed　apparently　with　an　endeavor　to　contract　as　much　mud　as　might　be　possible。　The　generals　and　commodores　were　gone　up　the　Ohio　River　and　up　the　Tennessee　in　an　expedition　with　gunboats；　which　turned　out　to　be　successful；　and　of　which　we　have　all　read　in　the　daily　history　of　this　war。　　They　had　departed　the　day　before　our　arrival；　and　though　we　still　found　at　Cairo　a　squadron　of　gun…boatsif　gun…boats　go　in　squadronsthe　bulk　of　the　army　had　been　moved。　　There　were　left　there　one　regiment　and　one　colonel；　who　kindly　described　to　us　the　battles　he　had　fought；　and　gave　us　permission　to　see　everything　that　was　to　be　seen。　　Four　of　these　gun…boats　were　still　lying　in　the　Ohio；　close　under　the　terminus　of　the　railway；　with　their　flat；　ugly　noses　against　the　muddy　bank；　and　we　were　shown　over　two　of　them。　They　certainly　seemed　to　be　formidable　weapons　for　river　warfare；　and　to　have　been　〃got　up　quite　irrespective　of　expense。〃　　So　much；　indeed；　may　be　said　for　the　Americans　throughout　the　war。　　They　cannot　be　accused　of　parsimony。　　The　largest　of　these　vessels；　called　the　〃Benton；〃　had　cost　36；000l。　　These　boats　are　made　with　sides　sloping　inward　at　an　angle　of　forty…five　degrees。　　The　iron　is　two　and　a　half　inches　thick；　and　it　has　not；　I　believe；　been　calculated　that　this　will　resist　cannon…shot　of　great　weight；　should　it　be　struck　in　a　direct　line。　　But　the　angle　of　the　sides　of　the　boat　makes　it　improbable　that　any　such　shot　should　strike　them；　and　the　iron；　bedded　as　it　is　upon　oak；　is　supposed　to　be　sufficient　to　turn　a　shot　that　does　not　hit　it　in　a　direct　line。　　The　boats　are　also　roofed　in　with　iron；　and　the　pilots　who　steer　the　vessel　stand　incased；　as　it　were；　under　an　iron　cupola。　　I　imagine　that　these　boats　are　well　calculated　for　the　river　service；　for　which　they　have　been　built。　　Six　or　seven　of　them　had　gone　up　the　Tennessee　River　the　day　before　we　reached　Cairo；　and　while　we　were　there　they　succeeded　in　knocking　down　Fort　Henry；　and　in　carrying　off　the　soldiers　stationed　there　and　the　officer　in　command。　　One　of　the　boats；　however；　had　been　penetrated　by　a　shot；　which　made　its　way　into　the　boiler；　and　the　men　on　decksix；　I　think；　in　numberwere　scalded　to　death　by　the　escaping　steam。　　The　two　pilots　up　in　the　cupola　were　destroyed　in　this　terrible　manner。　　As　they　were　altogether　closed　in　by　the　iron　roof　and　sides；　there　was　no　escape　for　the　steam。　　The　boats；　however；　were　well　made　and　very　powerfully　armed；　and　will　probably　succeed　in　driving　the　secessionist　armies　away　from　the　great　river　banks。　　By　what　machinery　the　secessionist　armies　are　to　be　followed　into　the　interior　is　altogether　another　question。　But　there　was　also　another　fleet　at　Cairo；　and　we　were　informed　that　we　were　just　in　time　to　see　the　first　essay　made　at　testing　the　utility　of　this　armada。　　It　consisted　of　no　less　than　thirty…eight　mortar…boats；　each　of　which　had　cost　1700l。　　These　mortar…boats　were　broad；　flat…bottomed　rafts；　each　constructed　with　a　deck　raised　three　feet　above　the　bottom。　　They　were　protected　by　high　iron　sides　supposed　to　be　proof　against　rifle…balls；　and；　when　supplied；　had　been　furnished　each　with　a　little　boat；　a　rope；　and　four　rough　sweeps　or　oars。　　They　had　no　other　furniture　or　belongings；　and　were　to　be　moved　either　by　steam…tugs　or　by　the　use　of　the　long　oars　which　were　sent　with　them。　　It　was　intended　that　one　13…inch　mortar；　of　enormous　weight；　should　be　put　upon　each；　that　these　mortars　should　be　fired　with　twenty…three　pounds　of　powder；　and　that　the　shell　thrown　should；　at　a　distance　of　three　miles；　fall　with　absolute　precision　into　any　devoted　town　which　the　rebels　might　hold　the　river　banks。　　The　grandeur　of　the　idea　is　almost　sublime。　　So　large　an　amount　of　powder　had；　I　imagine；　never　then　been　used　for　the　single　charge　in　any　instrument　of　war；　and　when　we　were　told　that　thirty…eight　of　them　were　to　play　at　once　on　a　city；　and　that　they　could　be　used　with　absolute　precision；　it　seemed　as　though　the　fate　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrah　could　not　be　worse　than　the　fate　of　that　city。　　Could　any　city　be　safe　when　such　implements　of　war　were　about　upon　the　waters？　But　when　we　came