the uncommercial traveller-第49章

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the　Uncommercial　for　evermore。）



After　a　noontide　pause　for　dinner；　during　which　my　Emigrants　were

nearly　all　between…decks；　and　the　Amazon　looked　deserted；　a　general

muster　took　place。　　The　muster　was　for　the　ceremony　of　passing　the

Government　Inspector　and　the　Doctor。　　Those　authorities　held　their

temporary　state　amidships；　by　a　cask　or　two；　and；　knowing　that　the

whole　Eight　hundred　emigrants　must　come　face　to　face　with　them；　I

took　my　station　behind　the　two。　　They　knew　nothing　whatever　of　me；

I　believe；　and　my　testimony　to　the　unpretending　gentleness　and　good

nature　with　which　they　discharged　their　duty；　may　be　of　the　greater

worth。　　There　was　not　the　slightest　flavour　of　the　Circumlocution

Office　about　their　proceedings。



The　emigrants　were　now　all　on　deck。　　They　were　densely　crowded　aft；

and　swarmed　upon　the　poop…deck　like　bees。　　Two　or　three　Mormon

agents　stood　ready　to　hand　them　on　to　the　Inspector；　and　to　hand

them　forward　when　they　had　passed。　　By　what　successful　means；　a

special　aptitude　for　organisation　had　been　infused　into　these

people；　I　am；　of　course；　unable　to　report。　　But　I　know　that；　even

now；　there　was　no　disorder；　hurry；　or　difficulty。



All　being　ready；　the　first　group　are　handed　on。　　That　member　of　the

party　who　is　entrusted　with　the　passenger…ticket　for　the　whole；　has

been　warned　by　one　of　the　agents　to　have　it　ready；　and　here　it　is

in　his　hand。　　In　every　instance　through　the　whole　eight　hundred；

without　an　exception；　this　paper　is　always　ready。



INSPECTOR　（reading　the　ticket）。　　Jessie　Jobson；　Sophronia　Jobson；

Jessie　Jobson　again；　Matilda　Jobson；　William　Jobson；　Jane　Jobson；

Matilda　Jobson　again；　Brigham　Jobson；　Leonardo　Jobson；　and　Orson

Jobson。　　Are　you　all　here？　（glancing　at　the　party；　over　his

spectacles）。



JESSIE　JOBSON　NUMBER　TWO。　　All　here；　sir。



This　group　is　composed　of　an　old　grandfather　and　grandmother；　their

married　son　and　his　wife；　and　THEIR　family　of　children。　　Orson

Jobson　is　a　little　child　asleep　in　his　mother's　arms。　　The　Doctor；

with　a　kind　word　or　so；　lifts　up　the　corner　of　the　mother's　shawl；

looks　at　the　child's　face；　and　touches　the　little　clenched　hand。

If　we　were　all　as　well　as　Orson　Jobson；　doctoring　would　be　a　poor

profession。



INSPECTOR。　　Quite　right；　Jessie　Jobson。　　Take　your　ticket；　Jessie；

and　pass　on。



And　away　they　go。　　Mormon　agent；　skilful　and　quiet；　hands　them　on。

Mormon　agent；　skilful　and　quiet；　hands　next　party　up。



INSPECTOR　（reading　ticket　again）。　　Susannah　Cleverly　and　William

Cleverly。　　Brother　and　sister；　eh？



SISTER　（young　woman　of　business；　hustling　slow　brother）。　　Yes；　sir。



INSPECTOR。　　Very　good；　Susannah　Cleverly。　　Take　your　ticket；

Susannah；　and　take　care　of　it。



And　away　they　go。



INSPECTOR　（taking　ticket　again）。　　Sampson　Dibble　and　Dorothy　Dibble

（surveying　a　very　old　couple　over　his　spectacles；　with　some

surprise）。　　Your　husband　quite　blind；　Mrs。　Dibble？



MRS。　DIBBLE。　　Yes；　sir；　he　be　stone…blind。



MR。　DIBBLE　（addressing　the　mast）。　　Yes；　sir；　I　be　stone…blind。



INSPECTOR。　　That's　a　bad　job。　　Take　your　ticket；　Mrs。　Dibble；　and

don't　lose　it；　and　pass　on。



Doctor　taps　Mr。　Dibble　on　the　eyebrow　with　his　forefinger；　and　away

they　go。



INSPECTOR　（taking　ticket　again）。　　Anastatia　Weedle。



ANASTATIA　（a　pretty　girl；　in　a　bright　Garibaldi；　this　morning

elected　by　universal　suffrage　the　Beauty　of　the　Ship）。　　That　is　me；

sir。



INSPECTOR。　　Going　alone；　Anastatia？



ANASTATIA　（shaking　her　curls）。　　I　am　with　Mrs。　Jobson；　sir；　but

I've　got　separated　for　the　moment。



INSPECTOR。　　Oh！　　You　are　with　the　Jobsons？　　Quite　right。　　That'll

do；　Miss　Weedle。　　Don't　lose　your　ticket。



Away　she　goes；　and　joins　the　Jobsons　who　are　waiting　for　her；　and

stoops　and　kisses　Brigham　Jobson　…　who　appears　to　be　considered　too

young　for　the　purpose；　by　several　Mormons　rising　twenty；　who　are

looking　on。　　Before　her　extensive　skirts　have　departed　from　the

casks；　a　decent　widow　stands　there　with　four　children；　and　so　the

roll　goes。



The　faces　of　some　of　the　Welsh　people；　among　whom　there　were　many

old　persons；　were　certainly　the　least　intelligent。　　Some　of　these

emigrants　would　have　bungled　sorely；　but　for　the　directing　hand

that　was　always　ready。　　The　intelligence　here　was　unquestionably　of

a　low　order；　and　the　heads　were　of　a　poor　type。　　Generally　the　case

was　the　reverse。　　There　were　many　worn　faces　bearing　traces　of

patient　poverty　and　hard　work；　and　there　was　great　steadiness　of

purpose　and　much　undemonstrative　self…respect　among　this　class。　　A

few　young　men　were　going　singly。　　Several　girls　were　going；　two　or

three　together。　　These　latter　I　found　it　very　difficult　to　refer

back；　in　my　mind；　to　their　relinquished　homes　and　pursuits。

Perhaps　they　were　more　like　country　milliners；　and　pupil　teachers

rather　tawdrily　dressed；　than　any　other　classes　of　young　women。　　I

noticed；　among　many　little　ornaments　worn；　more　than　one

photograph…brooch　of　the　Princess　of　Wales；　and　also　of　the　late

Prince　Consort。　　Some　single　women　of　from　thirty　to　forty；　whom

one　might　suppose　to　be　embroiderers；　or　straw…bonnet…makers；　were

obviously　going　out　in　quest　of　husbands；　as　finer　ladies　go　to

India。　　That　they　had　any　distinct　notions　of　a　plurality　of

husbands　or　wives；　I　do　not　believe。　　To　suppose　the　family　groups

of　whom　the　majority　of　emigrants　were　composed；　polygamically

possessed；　would　be　to　suppose　an　absurdity；　manifest　to　any　one

who　saw　the　fathers　and　mothers。



I　should　say　（I　had　no　means　of　ascertaining　the　fact）　that　most

familiar　kinds　of　handicraft　trades　were　represented　here。　　Farm…

labourers；　shepherds；　and　the　like；　had　their　full　share　of

representation；　but　I　doubt　if　they　preponderated。　　It　was

interesting　to　see　how　the　leading　spirit　in　the　family　circle

never　failed　to　show　itself；　even　in　the　simple　process　of

answering　to　the　names　as　they　were　called；　and　checking　off　the

owners　of　the　names。　　Sometimes　it　was　the　father；　much　oftener　the

mother；　sometimes　a　quick　little　girl　second　or　third　in　order　of

seniority。　　It　seemed　to　occur　for　the　first　time　to　some　heavy

fathers；　what　large　families　they　had；　and　their　eyes　rolled　about；

during　the　calling　of　the　list；　as　if　they　half　misdoubted　some

other　family　to　have　been　smuggled　into　their　own。　　Among　all　the

fine　handsome　children；　I　observed　but　two　with　marks　upon　their

necks　that　were　probably　scrofulous。　　Out　of　the　whole　number　of

emigrants；　but　one　old　woman　was　temporarily　set　aside　by　the

doctor；　on　suspicion　of　fever；　but　even　she　afterwards　obtained　a

clean　bill　of　health。



When　all　had　'passed；'　and　the　afternoon　began　to　wear　on；　a　black

box　became　visible　on　deck；　which　box　was　in　charge　of　certain

personages　also　in　black；　of　whom　only　one　had　the　conventional　air

of　an　itinerant　preacher。　　This　box　contained　a　supply　of　hymn…

books；　neatly　printed　and　got　up；　published　at　Liverpool；　and　also

in　London　at　the　'Latter…Day　Saints'　Book　Depot；　30；　Florence…

street。'　　Some　copies　were　handsomely　bound；　the　plainer　were　the

more　in　request；　and　many　were　bought。　　The　title　ran：　　'Sacred

Hymns　and　Spiritual　Songs　for　the　Church　of　Jesus　Church　of　Latter…

Day　Saints。'　　The　Preface；　dated　Manchester；　1840；　ran　thus：…　'The

Saints　in　this　country　have　been　very　desirous　for　a　Hymn　Book

adapted　to　their　faith　and　worship；　that　they　might　sing　the　truth

with　an　understanding　heart；　and　express　their　praise；　joy；　and

gratitude　in　songs　adapted　to　the　New　and　Everlasting　Covenant。　　In

accordance　with　their　wishes；　we　have　selected　the　following

volume；　which　we　hope　will　prove　acceptable　until　a　greater　variety

can　be　added。　　With　sentiments　of　high　consideration　and　esteem；　we

subscribe　ourselves　your　brethren　in　the　New　and　Everlasting

Covenant；　BRIGHAM　YOUNG；　PARLEY　P。　PRATT；　JOHN　TAYLOR。'　　From　this

book　…　by　no　means　explanatory　to　myself　of　the　New　and　Everlasting

Covenant；　and　not　at　all　making　my　heart　an　understanding　one　on

the　subject　of　that　mystery　…　a　hymn　was　sung；　which　did　not

attract　any　great　amount　of　attention；　and　was　supported　by　a

rather　select　circle。　　But　the　choir　in　the　boat　was　very　popular

and　pleasant；　and　there　was　to　have　been　a　Band；　only　the　Cornet

was　late　in　coming　on　board。　　In　the　course　of　the　afternoon；　a

mother　appeared　from　shore；　in　search　of　her　daughter；　'who　had　run

away　with　the　Mormons。'　　She　received　every　assistance　from　the

Inspector；　but　her　daughter　was　not　found　to　be　on　board。　　The

saints　did　not　seem　to　me；　particularly　interested　in　finding　her。



Towards　five　o'clock；　the　galley　became　full　of　tea…kettles；　and　an

agreeable　fragrance　of　tea　pervaded　the　ship。　　There　was　no

scrambling　or　jostling　for　the　hot　water；　no　ill　humour；　no

quarrelling。　　As　the　Amazon　was　to　sail　with　the　next　tide；　and　as

it　would　not　be　high　water　before　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　I

left　her　with　her　tea　in　full　action；　and　her　idle　Steam　Tug　lying

by；　deputing　steam　and　smoke　for　the　time　being　to　the　Tea…kettles。



I　afterwards　learned　that　a　Despatch　was　sent　home　by　the　captain

before　he　struck　out　into　the　wide　Atlantic；　highly　extolling　the

behaviour　of　these　Emigrants；　and　the　perfect　order　and　propriety

of　all　their　social　arrangements。　　What　is　in　store　for　the　poor

people　on　the　shores　of　the　Great　Salt　Lake；　what　happy　delusions

they　are　labouring　under　now；　on　what　miserable　blindness　their

eyes　may　be　opened　then；　I　do　not　pretend　to　say。　　But　I　went　on

board　their　ship　to　bear　testimony　against　them　if　they　deserved

it；　as　I　fully　believed　they　would；　to　my　great　astonishment　they

did　not　deserve　it；　and　my　predispositions　and　tendencies　must　not

affect　me　as　an　honest　witness。　　I　went　over　the　Amazon's　side；

feeling　it　impossible　to　deny　that；　so　far；　some　remarkable

influence　had　produced　a　remarkable　result；　which　better　known

influences　have　often　missed。　*



*　After　this　Uncommercial　Journey　was　printed；　I　happened　to

mention　the　experience　it　describes　to　Lord　Houghton。　　That

gentleman　then　showed　me　an　article　of　his　writing；　in　THE

EDINBURGH　REVIEW　for　January；　1862；　which　is　highly　remarkable　for

its　philosophical　and　literary　research　concerning　these　Latter…Day

Saints。　　I　find　in　it　the　following　sentences：…　'The　Select

Committee　of　the　House　of　Commons　on　emigrant　ships　for　1854

summoned　the　Mormon　agent　and　passenger…broker　before　it；　and　came

to　the　conclusion　that　no　ships　under　the　provisions　of　the

〃Passengers　Act〃　could　be　depended　upon　for　comfort　and　security　in

the　same　degree　as　those　under　his　administration。　The　Mormon　ship

is　a　Family　under　strong　and　accepted　discipline；　with　every

provision　for　comfort；　decorum　and　internal　peace。'







CHAPTER　XXIII　…　THE　CITY　OF　THE　ABSENT







When　I　think　I　deserve　particularly　well　of　myself；　and　have　earned