north america-2-第25章

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ty。　　Could　any　city　be　safe　when　such　implements　of　war　were　about　upon　the　waters？　But　when　we　came　to　inspect　the　mortar…boats；　our　misgivings　as　to　any　future　destination　for　this　fleet　were　relieved；　and　our　admiration　was　given　to　the　smartness　of　the　contractor　who　had　secured　to　himself　the　job　of　building　them。　　In　the　first　place；　they　had　all　leaked　till　the　spaces　between　the　bottoms　and　the　decks　were　filled　with　water。　　This　space　had　been　intended　for　ammunition；　but　now　seemed　hardly　to　be　fitted　for　that　purpose。　The　officer　who　was　about　to　test　them；　by　putting　a　mortar　into　one　and　by　firing　it　off　with　twenty…three　pounds　of　powder；　had　the　water　pumped　out　of　a　selected　raft；　and　we　were　towed　by　a　steam…　tug；　from　their　moorings　a　mile　up　the　river；　down　to　the　spot　where　the　mortar　lay　ready　to　be　lifted　in　by　a　derrick。　　But　as　we　turned　on　the　river；　the　tug…boat　which　had　brought　us　down　was　unable　to　hold　us　up　against　the　force　of　the　stream。　　A　second　tug…boat　was　at　hand；　and；　with　one　on　each　side；　we　were　just　able　in　half　an　hour　to　recover　the　hundred　yards　which　we　had　lost　down　the　river。　The　pressure　against　the　stream　was　so　great；　owing　partly　to　the　weight　of　the　raft　and　partly　to　the　fact　that　its　flat　head　buried　itself　in　the　water；　that　it　was　almost　immovable　against　the　stream；　although　the　mortar　was　not　yet　on　it。　It　soon　became　manifest　that　no　trial　could　be　made　on　that　day；　and　so　we　were　obliged　to　leave　Cairo　without　having　witnessed　the　firing　of　the　great　gun。　　My　belief　is　that　very　little　evil　to　the　enemy　will　result　from　those　mortar…boats；　and　that　they　cannot　be　used　with　much　effect。　　Since　that　time　they　have　been　used　on　the　Mississippi；　but　as　yet　we　do　not　know　with　what　results。　　Island　No。　10　has　been　taken；　but　I　do　not　know　that　the　mortar…boats　contributed　much　to　that　success。　　But　the　enormous　cost　of　moving　them　against　the　stream　of　the　river　is　in　itself　a　barrier　to　their　use。　　When　we　saw　themand　then　they　were　quite　newmany　of　the　rivets　were　already　gone。　　The　small　boats　had　been　stolen　from　some　of　them；　and　the　ropes　and　oars　from　others。　　There　they　lay；　thirty…eight　in　number；　up　against　the　mud　banks　of　the　Ohio；　under　the　boughs　of　the　half…clad；　melancholy　forest　trees；　as　sad　a　spectacle　of　reckless　prodigality　as　the　eye　ever　beheld。　　But　the　contractor　who　made　them　no　doubt　was　a　smart　man。　This　armada　was　moored　on　the　Ohio；　against　the　low；　reedy　bank；　a　mile　above　the　levee；　where　the　old；　unchanged　forest　of　nature　came　down　to　the　very　edge　of　the　river；　and　mixed　itself　with　the　shallow；　overflowing　waters。　　I　am　wrong　in　saying　that　it　lay　under　the　boughs　of　the　trees；　for　such　trees　do　not　spread　themselves　out　with　broad　branches。　　They　stand　thickly　together；　broken；　stunted；　spongy　with　rot；　straight；　and　ugly；　with　ragged　tops　and　shattered　arms；　seemingly　decayed；　but　still　ever　renewing　themselves　with　the　rapid；　moist　life　of　luxuriant　forest　vegetation。　　Nothing　to　my　eyes　is　sadder　than　the　monotonous　desolation　of　such　scenery。　　We　in　England；　when　we　read　and　speak　of　the　primeval　forests　of　America；　are　apt　to　form　pictures　in　our　minds　of　woodland　glades；　with　spreading　oaks；　and　green；　mossy　turf　beneathof　scenes　than　which　nothing　that　God　has　given　us　is　more　charming。　　But　these　forests　are　not　after　that　fashion；　they　offer　no　allurement　to　the　lover；　no　solace　to　the　melancholy　man　of　thought。　　The　ground　is　deep　with　mud　or　overflown　with　water。　　The　soil　and　the　river　have　no　defined　margins。　　Each　tree；　though　full　of　the　forms　of　life；　has　all　the　appearance　of　death。　　Even　to　the　outward　eye　they　seem　to　be　laden　with　ague；　fever；　sudden　chills；　and　pestilential　malaria。　When　we　first　visited　the　spot　we　were　alone；　and　we　walked　across　from　the　railway　line　to　the　place　at　which　the　boats　were　moored。　They　lay　in　treble　rank　along　the　shore；　and　immediately　above　them　an　old　steamboat　was　fastened　against　the　bank。　　Her　back　was　broken；　and　she　was　given　up　to　ruinplaced　there　that　she　might　rot　quietly　into　her　watery　grave。　　It　was　midwinter；　and　every　tree　was　covered　with　frozen　sleet　and　small　particles　of　snow　which　had　drizzled　through　the　air；　for　the　snow　had　not　fallen　in　hearty；　honest　flakes。　　The　ground　beneath　our　feet　was　crisp　with　frost；　but　traitorous　in　its　crispness；　not　frozen　manfully　so　as　to　bear　a　man's　weight；　but　ready　at　every　point　to　let　him　through　into　the　fat；　glutinous　mud　below。　　I　never　saw　a　sadder　picture；　or　one　which　did　more　to　awaken　pity　for　those　whose　fate　had　fixed　their　abodes　in　such　a　locality。　　And　yet　there　was　a　beauty　about　it　too　a　melancholy；　death…like　beauty。　　The　disordered　ruin　and　confused　decay　of　the　forest　was　all　gemmed　with　particles　of　ice。　　The　eye　reaching　through　the　thin　underwood　could　form　for　itself　picturesque　shapes　and　solitary　bowers　of　broken　wood；　which　were　bright　with　the　opaque　brightness　of　the　hoar…frost。　　The　great　river　ran　noiselessly　along；　rapid　but　still　with　an　apparent　lethargy　in　its　waters。　　The　ground　beneath　our　feet　was　fertile　beyond　compare；　but　as　yet　fertile　to　death　rather　than　to　life。　Where　we　then　trod　man　had　not　yet　come　with　his　axe　and　his　plow；　but　the　railroad　was　close　to　us；　and　within　a　mile　of　the　spot　thousands　of　dollars　had　been　spent　in　raising　a　city　which　was　to　have　been　rich　with　the　united　wealth　of　the　rivers　and　the　land。　Hitherto　fever　and　ague；　mud　and　malaria；　had　been　too　strong　for　man；　and　the　dollars　had　been　spent　in　vain。　　The　day；　however；　will　come　when　this　promontory　between　the　two　great　rivers　will　be　a　fit　abode　for　industry。　　Men　will　settle　there；　wandering　down　from　the　North　and　East；　and　toil　sadly；　and　leave　their　bones　among　the　mud。　Thin；　pale…faced；　joyless　mothers　will　come　there；　and　grow　old　before　their　time；　and　sickly　children　will　be　born；　struggling　up　with　wan　faces　to　their　sad　life's　labor。　　But　the　work　will　go　on；　for　it　is　God's　work；　and　the　earth　will　be　prepared　for　the　people　and　the　fat　rottenness　of　the　still　living　forest　will　be　made　to　give　forth　its　riches。　We　found　that　two　days　at　Cairo　were　quite　enough　for　us。　　We　had　seen　the　gun…boats　and　the　mortar…boats；　and　gone　through　the　sheds　of　the　soldiers。　　The　latter　were　bad；　comfortless；　damp；　and　cold；　and　certain　quarters　of　the　officers；　into　which　we　were　hospitably　taken；　were　wretched　abodes　enough；　but　the　sheds　of　Cairo　did　not　stink　like　those　of　Benton　Barracks　at　St。　Louis；　nor　had　illness　been　prevalent　there　to　the　same　degree。　　I　do　not　know　why　this　should　have　been　so；　but　such　was　the　result　of　my　observation。　　The　locality　of　Benton　Barracks　must；　from　its　nature；　have　been　the　more　healthy；　but　it　had　become　by　art　the　foulest　place　I　ever　visited。　　Throughout　the　army　it　seemed　to　be　the　fact；　that　the　men　under　canvas　were　more　comfortable；　in　better　spirits；　and　also　in　better　health；　than　those　who　were　lodged　in　sheds。　　We　had　inspected　the　Cairo　army　and　the　Cairo　navy；　and　had　also　seen　all　that　Cairo　had　to　show　us　of　its　own。　　We　were　thoroughly　disgusted　with　the　hotel；　and　retired　on　the　second　night　to　bed；　giving　positive　orders　that　we　might　be　called　at　half…past　two；　with　reference　to　that　terrible　start　to　be　made　at　half…past　three。　　As　a　matter　of　course　we　kept　dozing　and　waking　till　past　one；　in　our　fear　lest　neglect　on　the　part　of　the　watcher　should　entail　on　us　another　day　at　this　place；　of　course　we　went　fast　asleep　about　the　time　at　which　we　should　have　roused　ourselves；　and　of　course　we　were　called　just　fifteen　minutes　before　the　train　started。　　Everybody　knows　how　these　things　always　go。　　And　then　the　pair　of　us　jumping　out　of　bed　in　that　wretched　chamber；　went　through　the　mockery　of　washing　and　packing　which　always　takes　place　on　such　occasions；　a　mockery　indeed　of　washing；　for　there　was　but　one　basin　between　us！　And　a　mockery　also　of　packing；　for　I　left　my　hair…brushes　behind　me！　Cairo　was　avenged　in　that　I　had　declined　to　avail　myself　of　the　privileges　of　free　citizenship　which　had　been　offered　to　me　in　that　barber's　shop。　　And　then；　while　we　were　in　our　agony；　pulling　at　the　straps　of　our　portmanteaus　and　swearing　at　the　faithlessness　of　the　boots；　up　came　the　clerk　of　the　hotelthe　great　man　from　behind　the　barand　scolded　us　prodigiously　for　our　delay。　　〃Called！　　We　had　been　called　an　hour　ago！〃　　Which　statement；　however；　was　decidedly　untrue；　as　we　remarked；　not　with　extreme　patience。　　〃We　should　certainly　be　late；〃　he　said；　〃it　would　take　us　five　minutes　to　reach　the　train；　and　the　cars　would　be　off　in　four。〃　　Nobody　who　has　not　experienced　them　can　understand　the　agonies　of　such　momentsof　such　moments　as　regards　traveling　in　general；　but　none　who　have　not　been　at　Cairo　can　understand　the　extreme　agony　produced　by　the　threat　of　a　prolonged　sojourn　in　that　city。　　At　last　we　were　out　of　the　house；　rushing　through　the　mud；　slush；　and　half…melted　snow；　along　the　wooden　track　to　the　railway；　laden　with　bags　and　coats；　and　deafened　by　that　melancholy；　wailing　sound；　as　though　of　a　huge　polar　she…　bear　in　the　pangs　of　travail　upon　an　iceberg；　which　proceeds　from　an　American　railway…engine　before　it　commences　its　work。　　How　we　slipped　and　stumbled；　and　splashed　and　swore；　rushing　along　in　the　dark　night；　with　buttons　loose；　and　our　clothes　half　on！　　And　how　pitilessly　we　were　treated！　　We　gained　our　cars；　and　even　succeeded　in　bringing　with　us　our　luggage；　but　we　did　not　do　so　with　the　sympathy；　but　amid　the　derision　of　the　by…standers。　　And　then　the　seats　were　all　full；　and　we　found　that　there　was　a　lower　depth　even　in　the　terrible　deep　of　a　railway　train　in　a　Western　State。　　There　was　a　second…class　carriage；　prepared；　I　presume；　for　those　who　esteemed　themselves　too　dirty　for　association　with　the　aristocracy　of　Cairo；　and　into　this　we　flung　ourselves。　　Even　this　was　a　joy　to　us；　for　we　were　being　carried　away　from　Eden。　　We　had　acknowledged　ourselves　to　be　no　fitting　colleagues　for　Mark　Tapley；　and　would　have　been　glad　to　escape　from　Cairo　even　had　we　worked　our　way　out　of　the　place　as　assistant　stokers　to　the　engine…driver。　　Poor　Cairo！　unfortunate　Cairo！　　〃It　is　about　played　out！〃　said　its　citizen　to　me。　　But　in　truth　the　play　was　commenced　a　little　too　soon。　　Those　players　have　played　out；　but　another　set　will　yet　have　their　innings；　and　make　a　score　that　shall　perhaps　be　talked　of　far　and　wide　in　the　Western　World。　We　were　still　bent　upon　army　inspection；　and　with　this　purpose　went　back　from　Cairo　to　Louisville；　in　Kentucky。　　I　had　passed　through　Louisville　before；　as　told　in　my　last　chapter；　but　had　not　gone　south　from　Louisville　toward　the　Green　River；　and　had　seen　nothing　of　General　Buell's　soldiers。　　I　should　have　mentioned　before　that　when　we　were　at　St。　Louis；　we　asked　General　Halleck；　the　officer　in　command　of　the　Northern　army　of　Missouri；　whether　he　could　allow　us　to　pass　through　his　lines　to　the　South。　　This　he　assured　us　he　was　forbidden　to　do；　at　the　same　time　offering　us　every　facility　in　his　power　for　such　an　expedition　if　we　could　obtain　the　consent　of　Mr。　Seward；　who　at　that　time　had　apparently　succeeded　in　engrossing　into　his　own　hands；　for　the　moment；　supreme　authority　in　all　matters　of　government。　　Before　leaving　Washington　we　h