men of invention and industry-第54章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　before　high　water　we　had　the　great　satisfaction　of　getting

the　body　of　the　vessel　under　weigh；　and　towing　her　about　a

cable's　length　from　her　old　bed。　　At　each　tide's　work　she　was

lifted　higher　and　higher；　and　towed　into　shallower　water　towards

Belfast；　until　at　length　we　had　her；　after　eight　days；　safely　in

the　harbour；　ready　to　enter　the　graving　dock；not　more　ready；

however；　than　we　all　were　for　our　beds；　for　we　had　neither

undressed　nor　shaved　during　that　anxious　time。　　Indeed；　our

friends　scarcely　recognised　us　on　our　return　home。



The　result　of　the　enterprise　was　this。　　The　clean　cut　made　into

the　bow　of　the　ship　by　the　collision　was　soon　repaired。　　The　crop

of　oysters　with　which　she　was　incrusted　gave　place　to　the　scraper

and　the　paintbrush。　　The　Wolf　came　out　of　the　dock　to　the

satisfaction　both　of　the　owners　and　underwriters；　and　she　was

soon　〃ready　for　the　road；〃　nothing　the　worse　for　her　ten　months'

immersion。＇2＇



Meanwhile　the　building　of　new　iron　ships　went　on　in　the　Queen's

Island。　　We　were　employed　by　another　Liverpool　Companythe

British　Shipowners'　Company；　Limitedto　supply　some　large

steamers。　　The　British　Empire；　of　3361　gross　tonnage；　was　the

same　class　of　vessel　as　those　of　the　White　Star　line；　but　fuller；

being　intended　for　cargo。　　Though　originally　intended　for　the

Eastern　trade；　this　vessel　was　eventually　placed　on　the　Liverpool

and　Philadelphia　line；　and　her　working　proved　so　satisfactory

that　five　more　vessels　were　ordered　like　her；　which　were

chartered　to　the　American　Company。



The　Liverpool　agents；　Messrs。　Richardson；　Spence；　and　Co。；　having

purchased　the　Cunard　steamer　Russia；　sent　her　over　to　us　to　be

lengthened　70　feet；　and　entirely　refittedanother　proof　of　the

rapid　change　which　owners　of　merchant　ships　now　found　it

necessary　to　adopt　in　view　of　the　requirements　of　modern　traffic。



Another　Liverpool　firm；　the　Messrs。　T。　and　J。　Brocklebank；　of

world…wide　repute　for　their　fine　East　Indiamen；　having　given　up

building　for　themselves　at　their　yard　at　Whitehaven；　commissioned

us　to　build　for　them　the　Alexandria；　and　Baroda；　which　were

shortly　followed　by　the　Candahar　and　Tenasserim。　　And　continuing

to　have　a　faith　in　the　future　of　big　iron　sailing　ships；　they

further　employed　us　to　build　for　them　two　of　yet　greater　tonnage；

the　Belfast　and　the　Majestic。



Indeed；　there　is　a　future　for　sailing　ships；　notwithstanding　the

recent　development　of　steam　power。　　Sailing　ships　can　still　hold

their　own；　especially　in　the　transport　of　heavy　merchandise　for

great　distances。　　They　can　be　built　more　cheaply　than　steamers；

they　can　be　worked　more　economically；　because　they　require　no

expenditure　on　coal；　nor　on　wages　of　engineers；　besides；　the

space　occupied　in　steamers　by　machinery　is　entirely　occupied　by

merchandise；　all　of　which　pays　its　quota　of　freight。　　Another

thing　may　be　mentioned：　the　telegraph　enables　the　fact　of　the

sailing　of　a　vessel；　with　its　cargo　on　board；　to　be　communicated

from　Calcutta　or　San　Francisco　to　Liverpool；　and　from　that　moment

the　cargo　becomes　as　marketable　as　if　it　were　on　the　spot。　　There

are　cases；　indeed；　where　the　freight　by　sailing　ship　is　even

greater　than　by　steamer；　as　the　charge　for　warehousing　at　home　is

saved；　and　in　the　meantime　the　cargo　while　at　sea　is　negotiable。



We　have　accordingly；　during　the　last　few　years；　built　some　of　the

largest　iron　and　steel　sailing　ships　that　have　ever　gone　to　sea。　

The　aim　has　been　to　give　them　great　carrying　capacity　and　fair

speed；　with　economy　of　working；　and　the　use　of　steel；　both　in　the

hull　and　the　rigging；　facilitates　the　attainment　of　these

objects。　　In　1882　and　1883；　we　built　and　launched　four　of　these

steel　and　iron　sailing　shipsthe　Waiter　H。　Wilson；　the　W。　J。

Pirrie；　the　Fingal；　and　the　Lord　Wolseleyeach　of　nearly　3000

tons　register；　with　four　masts；the　owners　being　Mr。　Lawther；　of

Belfast；　Mr。　Martin；　of　Dublin；　and　the　Irish　Shipowners　Company。



Besides　these　and　other　sailing　ships；　we　have　built　for　Messrs。

Ismay；　Imrie　and　Co。　the　Garfield；　of　2347　registered　tonnage；

for　Messrs。　Thomas　Dixon　and　Son；　the　Lord　Downshire　（2322）；　and

for　Messrs。　Bullock's　Bay　Line；　the　Bay　of　Panama　（2365）。



In　1880　we　took　in　another　piece　of　the　land　reclaimed　by　the

Belfast　Harbour　Trust；　and　there；　in　close　proximity　to　the

ship…yard；　we　manufacture　all　the　machinery　required　for　the

service　of　the　steamers　constructed　by　our　firm。　　In　this　way　we

are　able　to　do　everything　〃within　ourselves〃；　and　the　whole　land

now　occupied　by　the　works　comprises　about　forty　acres；　with　ten

building　slips　suitable　for　the　largest　vessels。



It　remains　for　me　to　mention　a　Belfast　firm；　which　has　done　so

much　for　the　town。　　I　mean　the　Messrs。　J。P。　Corry　and　Co。；　who

have　always　been　amongst　our　best　friends。　　We　built　for　them

their　first　iron　sailing　vessel；　the　Jane　Porter；　in　1860；　and

since　then　they　have　never　failed　us。　　They　successfully

established　their　〃Star〃　line　of　sailing　clippers　from　London　to

Calcutta；　all　of　which　were　built　here。　　They　subsequently　gave

us　orders　for　yet　larger　vessels；　in　the　Star　of　France　and　the

Star　of　Italy。　　In　all；　we　have　built　for　that　firm　eleven　of

their　well…known　〃Star〃　ships。



We　have　built　five　ships　for　the　Asiatic　Steam　Navigation

Company；　Limited；　each　of　from　1650　to　2059　tons　gross；　and　we

are　now　building　for　them　two　ships；　each　of　about　3000　tons

gross。　　In　1883　we　launched　thirteen　iron　and　steel　vessels；　of　a

registered　tonnage　of　over　30；000　tons。　　Out　of　eleven　ships　now

building；　seven　are　of　steel。



Such　is　a　brief　and　summary　account　of　the　means　by　which　we　have

been　enabled　to　establish　a　new　branch　of　industry　in　Belfast。　

It　has　been　accomplished　simply　by　energy　and　hard　work。　　We　have

been　well…supported　by　the　skilled　labour　of　our　artisans；　we

have　been　backed　by　the　capital　and　the　enterprise　of　England；

and　we　believe　that　if　all　true　patriots　would　go　and　do

likewise；　there　would　be　nothing　to　fear　for　the　prosperity　and

success　of　Ireland。







Footnotes　for　Chapter　XI。



＇1＇　Although　Mr。　Harland　took　no　further　steps　with　his　lifeboat；

the　project　seems　well　worthy　of　a　fair　trial。　　We　had　lately　the

pleasure　of　seeing　the　model　launched　and　tried　on　the　lake

behind　Mr。　Harland's　residence　at　Ormiston；　near　Belfast。　　The

cylindrical　lifeboat　kept　perfectly　water…tight；　and　though

thrown　into　the　water　in　many　different　positionssometimes

tumbled　in　on　its　prow；　at　other　times　on　its　back　（the　deck

being　undermost）；　it　invariably　righted　itself。　　The　screws　fore

and　aft　worked　well；　and　were　capable　of　being　turned　by　human

labour　or　by　steam　power。　　Now　that　such　large　freights　of

passengers　are　carried　by　ocean…going　ships；　it　would　seem

necessary　that　some　such　method　should　be　adopted　of　preserving

life　at　sea；　for　ordinary　lifeboats；　which　are　so　subject　to

destructive　damage；　are　often　of　little　use　in　fires　or

shipwrecks；　or　other　accidents　on　the　ocean。



＇2＇　A　full　account　is　given　in　the　Illustrated　London　News　of　the

21st　of　October；　1868；　with　illustrations；　of　the　raising　of　the

Wolf；　and　another；　more　scientific；　is　given　in　the　Engineer　of

the　16th　of　October；　of　the　same　year。





CHAPTER　XII。



ASTRONOMERS　AND　STUDENTS　IN　HUMBLE　LIFE：



A　NEW　CHAPTER　IN　THE　'PURSUIT　OF　KNOWLEDGE　UNDER　DIFFICULTIES。'



〃I　first　learnt　to　read　when　the　masons　were　at　work　in　your

house。　　I　approached　them　one　day；　and　observed　that　the

architect　used　a　rule　and　compass；　and　that　he　made　calculations。



I　inquired　what　might　be　the　meaning　and　use　of　these　things；　and

I　was　informed　that　there　was　a　science　called　Arithmetic。　　I

purchased　a　book　of　arithmetic；　and　I　learned　it。　　I　was　told

there　was　another　science　called　Geometry；　I　bought　the　necessary

books；　and　I　learned　Geometry。　　By　reading；　I　found　there　were

good　books　in　these　two　sciences　in　Latin；　I　bought　a　dictionary；

and　I　learned　Latin。　　I　understood；　also；　that　there　were　good

books　of　the　same　kind　in　French；　I　bought　a　dictionary；　and　I

learned　French。　　It　seems　to　me　that　one　does　not　need　to　know

anything　more　than　the　twenty…four　letters　to　learn　everything

else　that　one　wishes。〃Edmund　Stone　to　the　Duke　of　Argyll。　

（'Pursuit　of　Knowledge　under　Difficulties。'）



〃The　British　Census　proper　reckons　twenty…seven　and　a　half

million　in　the　home　countries。　　What　makes　this　census　important

is　the　quality　of　the　units　that　compose　it。　　They　are　free

forcible　men；　in　a　country　where　life　is　safe；　and　has　reached

the　greatest　value。　　They　give　the　bias　to　the　current　age；　and

that　not　by　chance　or　by　mass；　but　by　their　character；　and　by　the

number　of　individuals　among　them　of　personal　ability。〃Emerson：

English　Traits。



From　Belfast　to　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　is　an　easy　route　by

steamers　and　railways。　　While　at　Birnam；　near　Dunkeld；　I　was

reminded　of　some　remarkable　characters　in　the　neighbourhood。　

After　the　publication　of　the　'Scotch　Naturalist'　and　'Robert

Dick；'　I　received　numerous　letters　informing　me　of　many

self…taught　botanists　and　students　of　nature；　quite　as

interesting　as　the　subjects　of　my　memoirs。　　Among　others；　there

was　John　Duncan；　the　botanist　weaver　of　Aberdeen；　whose

interesting　life　has　since　been　done　justice　to　by　Mr。　Jolly；　and

John　Sim　of　Perth；　first　a　shepherd　boy；　then　a　soldier；　and

towards　the　close　of　his　life　a　poet　and　a　botanist；　whose　life；

I　was　told；　was　〃as　interesting　as　a　romance。〃



There　was　also　Alexander　Croall；　Custodian　of　the　Smith　Institute

at　Stirling；　an　admirable　naturalist　and　botanist。　　He　was

originally　a　hard…working　parish　schoolmaster；　near　Montrose。　

During　his　holiday　wanderings　he　collected　plants　for　his

extensive　herbarium。　　His　accomplishments　having　come　under　the

notice　of　the　late　Sir　William　Hooker；　he　was　selected　by　that

gentleman　to　prepare　sets　of　the　Plants　of　Braemar　for　the　Queen

and　Prince　Albert；　which　he　did　to　their　entire　satisfaction。　　He

gave　up　his　school…mastership　for　an　ill…paid　but　more　congenial

occupation；　that　of　Librarian　to　the　Derby　Museum　and　Herbarium。　

Some　years　ago；　he　was　appointed　to　his　present　position　of

Custodian　to　the　Smith　Instituteperhaps　the　best　provincial

museum　and　art　gallery　in　Scotland。



I　could　not；　however；　enter　into　the　history　of　these　remarkable

persons；　though　I　understand　there　is　a　probability　of　Mr。　Croall

giving　his　scientific　recollections　to　the　world。　　He　has　already

brought　out　a　beautiful　work；　in　four　volumes；　'British　Seaweeds；

Nature…printed；'　and　anything　connected　with　his　biography　will

be　looked　forward　to　with　interest。



Among　the　other　persons　brought　to　my　notice；　years　ago；　were

Astronomers　in　humble　life。　　For　instance；　I　received　a　letter

from　John　Grierson；　keeper　of　the　Girdleness　Lighthouse；　near

Aberdeen