records of a family of engineers(一个工程师的家庭)-第8章
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to be with you； and that through the goodness of God we shall meet all
well。'
'There are two vessels lying here with emigrants for America； each
with eighty people on board； at all ages； from a few days to upwards of
sixty！ Their prospects must be very forlorn to go with a slender purse for
distant and unknown countries。'
‘LIGHTHOUSE YACHT； OFF GREENOCK； AUG。 18TH。
‘It was after CHURCH…TIME before we got here； but we had prayers
upon deck on the way up the Clyde。 This has； upon the whole； been a
very good voyage； and Captain Wemyss； who enjoys it much； has been an
excellent companion； we met with pleasure； and shall part with regret。'
Strange that； after his long experience； my grandfather should have
learned so little of the attitude and even the dialect of the spiritually…
minded； that after forty…four years in a most religious circle； he could drop
without sense of incongruity from a period of accepted phrases to ‘trust his
wife was GETTING UP HER SPIRITS；' or think to reassure her as to the
character of Captain Wemyss by mentioning that he had read prayers on
the deck of his frigate ‘AGREEABLY TO THE ARTICLES OF WAR'！
Yet there is no doubt … and it is one of the most agreeable features of the
kindly series … that he was doing his best to please； and there is little doubt
that he succeeded。 Almost all my grandfather's private letters have been
destroyed。 This correspondence has not only been preserved entire； but
stitched up in the same covers with the works of the godly women； the
Reverend John Campbell； and the painful Mrs。 Ogle。 I did not think to
mention the good dame； but she comes in usefully as an example。
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RECORDS OF A FAMILY OF ENGINEERS
Amongst the treasures of the ladies of my family； her letters have been
honoured with a volume to themselves。 I read about a half of them
myself； then handed over the task to one of stauncher resolution； with
orders to communicate any fact that should be found to illuminate these
pages。 Not one was found； it was her only art to communicate by post
second…rate sermons at second…hand； and such； I take it； was the
correspondence in which my grandmother delighted。 If I am right； that
of Robert Stevenson； with his quaint smack of the contemporary
‘Sandford and Merton；' his interest in the whole page of experience； his
perpetual quest； and fine scent of all that seems romantic to a boy； his
needless pomp of language； his excellent good sense； his unfeigned；
unstained； unwearied human kindliness； would seem to her； in a
comparison； dry and trivial and worldly。 And if these letters were by an
exception cherished and preserved； it would be for one or both of two
reasons … because they dealt with and were bitter…sweet reminders of a
time of sorrow； or because she was pleased； perhaps touched； by the
writer's guileless efforts to seem spiritually…minded。
After this date there were two more births and two more deaths； so that
the number of the family remained unchanged； in all five children
survived to reach maturity and to outlive their parents。
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RECORDS OF A FAMILY OF ENGINEERS
CHAPTER II THE SERVICE OF
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
I
IT were hard to imagine a contrast more sharply defined than that
between the lives of the men and women of this family： the one so
chambered； so centred in the affections and the sensibilities； the other so
active； healthy； and expeditious。 From May to November； Thomas Smith
and Robert Stevenson were on the mail； in the saddle； or at sea； and my
grandfather； in particular； seems to have been possessed with a demon of
activity in travel。 In 1802； by direction of the Northern Lighthouse
Board； he had visited the coast of England from St。 Bees； in Cumberland；
and round by the Scilly Islands to some place undecipherable by me； in all
a distance of 2500 miles。 In 1806 I find him starting ‘on a tour round the
south coast of England； from the Humber to the Severn。' Peace was not
long declared ere he found means to visit Holland； where he was in time to
see； in the navy…yard at Helvoetsluys； ‘about twenty of Bonaparte's
ENGLISH FLOTILLA lying in a state of decay； the object of curiosity to
Englishmen。' By 1834 he seems to have been acquainted with the coast
of France from Dieppe to Bordeaux； and a main part of his duty as
Engineer to the Board of Northern Lights was one round of dangerous and
laborious travel。
In 1786； when Thomas Smith first received the appointment； the
extended and formidable coast of Scotland was lighted at a single point …
the Isle of May； in the jaws of the Firth of Forth； where； on a tower already
a hundred and fifty years old； an open coal…fire blazed in an iron chauffer。
The whole archipelago； thus nightly plunged in darkness； was shunned by
sea…going vessels； and the favourite courses were north about Shetland and
west about St。 Kilda。 When the Board met； four new lights formed the
extent of their intentions … Kinnaird Head； in Aberdeenshire； at the eastern
elbow of the coast； North Ronaldsay； in Orkney； to keep the north and
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RECORDS OF A FAMILY OF ENGINEERS
guide ships passing to the south'ard of Shetland； Island Glass； on Harris； to
mark the inner shore of the Hebrides and illuminate the navigation of the
Minch； and the Mull of Kintyre。 These works were to be attempted
against obstacles； material and financial； that might have staggered the
most bold。 Smith had no ship at his command till 1791； the roads in
those outlandish quarters where his business lay were scarce passable
when they existed； and the tower on the Mull of Kintyre stood eleven
months unlighted while the apparatus toiled and foundered by the way
among rocks and mosses。 Not only had towers to be built and apparatus
transplanted； the supply of oil must be maintained； and the men fed； in the
same inaccessible and distant scenes； a whole service； with its routine and
hierarchy； had to be called out of nothing； and a new trade （that of
lightkeeper） to be taught； recruited； and organised。 The funds of the
Board were at the first laughably inadequate。 They embarked on their
career on a loan of twelve hundred pounds； and their income in 1789； after
relief by a fresh Act of Parliament； amounted to less than three hundred。 It
must be supposed that the thoughts of Thomas Smith； in these early years；
were sometimes coloured with despair； and since he built and lighted one
tower after another； and created and bequeathed to his successors the
elements of an excellent administration； it may be conceded that he was
not after all an unfortunate choice for a first engineer。
War added fresh complications。 In 1794 Smith came ‘very near to be
taken' by a French squadron。 In 1813 Robert Stevenson was cruising
about the neighbourhood of Cape Wrath in the immediate fear of
Commodore Rogers。 The men； and especially the sailors； of the
lighthouse service must be protected by a medal and ticket from the brutal
activity of the press…gang。 And the zeal of volunteer patriots was at times
embarrassing。
‘I set off on foot；' writes my grandfather； ‘for Marazion； a town at the
head of Mount's Bay； where I was in hopes of getting a boat to freight。 I
had just got that length； and was making the necessary inquiry； when a
young man； accompanied by several idle…looking fellows； came up to me；
and in a hasty tone said； 〃Sir； in the king's name I seize your person and
papers。〃 To which I replied that I should be glad to see his authority； and
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RECORDS OF A FAMILY OF ENGINEERS
know the reason of an address so abrupt。 He told me the want of time
prevented his taking regular steps； but that it would be necessary for me to
return to Penzance； as I was suspected of being a French spy。 I proposed
to submit my papers to the nearest Justice of Peace； who was immediately
applied to； and came to the inn where I was。 He seemed to be greatly
agitated； and quite at a loss how to proceed。 The complaint preferred
against me was 〃that I had examined the Longships Lighthouse with the
most minute attention； and was no less particular in my inquiries at the
keepers of the lighthouse regarding the sunk rocks lying off the Land's
End； with the sets of the currents and tides along the coast： that I seemed
particularly to regret the situation of the rocks called the Seven Stones；
and the loss of a beacon which the Trinity Board had caused to be fixed on
the Wolf Rock； that I had taken notes of the bearings of several sunk rocks；
and a drawing of the lighthouse； and of Cape Cornwall。 Further； that I had
refused the honour of Lord Edgecombe's invitation to dinner； offering as
an apology that I had some particular business on hand。〃 '
My grandfather produced in answer his credentials and letter of credit；
but the justice； after perusing them； ‘very gravely observed that they were
〃musty bits of paper；〃 ' and proposed to maintain the arrest。 Some more
enlightened magistrates at Penzance relieved him of suspicion and left him
at liberty to pursue his journey； … ‘which I did with so much eagerness；' he
adds； ‘that I gave th
