records of a family of engineers-第6章

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ll　its　stages；　and　perhaps　you　may　there　find　Portsoy　marble！　　The　use　I　wish　to　make　of　this　is　to　tell　you　that；　without　education；　a　man　is　just　like　a　block　of　rough；　unpolished　marble。　　Notice；　in　proof　of　this；　how　much　Mr。　Neill　and　Mr。　M'Gregor　＇the　tutor＇　know；　and　observe　how　little　a　man　knows　who　is　not　a　good　scholar。　　On　my　way　to　Fochabers　I　passed　through　many　thousand　acres　of　Fir　timber；　and　saw　many　deer　running　in　these　woods。'

＇TO　MRS。　STEVENSON。＇

‘INVERNESS；　JULY　21ST。

‘I　propose　going　to　church　in　the　afternoon；　and　as　I　have　breakfasted　late；　I　shall　afterwards　take　a　walk；　and　dine　about　six　o'clock。　　I　do　not　know　who　is　the　clergyman　here；　but　I　shall　think　of　you　all。　　I　travelled　in　the　mail…　coach　＇from　Banff＇　almost　alone。　　While　it　was　daylight　I　kept　the　top；　and　the　passing　along　a　country　I　had　never　before　seen　was　a　considerable　amusement。　　But；　my　dear；　you　are　all　much　in　my　thoughts；　and　many　are　the　objects　which　recall　the　recollection　of　our　tender　and　engaging　children　we　have　so　recently　lost。　　We　must　not；　however；　repine。　　I　could　not　for　a　moment　wish　any　change　of　circumstances　in　their　case；　and　in　every　comparative　view　of　their　state；　I　see　the　Lord's　goodness　in　removing　them　from　an　evil　world　to　an　abode　of　bliss；　and　I　must　earnestly　hope　that　you　may　be　enabled　to　take　such　a　view　of　this　affliction　as　to　live　in　the　happy　prospect　of　our　all　meeting　again　to　part　no　more　…　and　that　under　such　considerations　you　are　getting　up　your　spirits。　　I　wish　you　would　walk　about；　and　by　all　means　go　to　town；　and　do　not　sit　much　at　home。'

‘INVERNESS；　JULY　23RD。

‘I　am　duly　favoured　with　your　much…valued　letter；　and　I　am　happy　to　find　that　you　are　so　much　with　my　mother；　because　that　sort　of　variety　has　a　tendency　to　occupy　the　mind；　and　to　keep　it　from　brooding　too　much　upon　one　subject。　　Sensibility　and　tenderness　are　certainly　two　of　the　most　interesting　and　pleasing　qualities　of　the　mind。　　These　qualities　are　also　none　of　the　least　of　the　many　endearingments　of　the　female　character。　　But　if　that　kind　of　sympathy　and　pleasing　melancholy；　which　is　familiar　to　us　under　distress；　be　much　indulged；　it　becomes　habitual；　and　takes　such　a　hold　of　the　mind　as　to　absorb　all　the　other　affections；　and　unfit　us　for　the　duties　and　proper　enjoyments　of　life。　　Resignation　sinks　into　a　kind　of　peevish　discontent。　　I　am　far；　however；　from　thinking　there　is　the　least　danger　of　this　in　your　case；　my　dear；　for　you　have　been　on　all　occasions　enabled　to　look　upon　the　fortunes　of　this　life　as　under　the　direction　of　a　higher　power；　and　have　always　preserved　that　propriety　and　consistency　of　conduct　in　all　circumstances　which　endears　your　example　to　your　family　in　particular；　and　to　your　friends。　　I　am　therefore；　my　dear；　for　you　to　go　out　much；　and　to　go　to　the　house　up…stairs　＇he　means　to　go　up…stairs　in　the　house；　to　visit　the　place　of　the　dead　children＇；　and　to　put　yourself　in　the　way　of　the　visits　of　your　friends。　　I　wish　you　would　call　on　the　Miss　Grays；　and　it　would　be　a　good　thing　upon　a　Saturday　to　dine　with　my　mother；　and　take　Meggy　and　all　the　family　with　you；　and　let　them　have　their　strawberries　in　town。　The　tickets　of　one　of　the　OLD…FASHIONED　COACHES　would　take　you　all　up；　and　if　the　evening　were　good；　they　could　all　walk　down；　excepting　Meggy　and　little　David。'

‘INVERNESS；　JULY　25TH；　11　P。M。

‘Captain　Wemyss；　of　Wemyss；　has　come　to　Inverness　to　go　the　voyage　with　me；　and　as　we　are　sleeping　in　a　double…bedded　room；　I　must　no　longer　transgress。　　You　must　remember　me　the　best　way　you　can　to　the　children。'

‘ON　BOARD　OF　THE　LIGHTHOUSE　YACHT；　JULY　29TH。

‘I　got　to　Cromarty　yesterday　about　mid…day；　and　went　to　church。　　It　happened　to　be　the　sacrament　there；　and　I　heard　a　Mr。　Smith　at　that　place　conclude　the　service　with　a　very　suitable　exhortation。　　There　seemed　a　great　concourse　of　people；　but　they　had　rather　an　unfortunate　day　for　them　at　the　tent；　as　it　rained　a　good　deal。　　After　drinking　tea　at　the　inn；　Captain　Wemyss　accompanied　me　on　board；　and　we　sailed　about　eight　last　night。　　The　wind　at　present　being　rather　a　beating　one；　I　think　I　shall　have　an　opportunity　of　standing　into　the　bay　of　Wick；　and　leaving　this　letter　to　let　you　know　my　progress　and　that　I　am　well。'

‘LIGHTHOUSE　YACHT；　STORNOWAY；　AUGUST　4TH。

‘To…day　we　had　prayers　on　deck　as　usual　when　at　sea。　　I　read　the　14th　chapter；　I　think；　of　Job。　　Captain　Wemyss　has　been　in　the　habit　of　doing　this　on　board　his　own　ship；　agreeably　to　the　Articles　of　War。　　Our　passage　round　the　Cape　＇Cape　Wrath＇　was　rather　a　cross　one；　and　as　the　wind　was　northerly；　we　had　a　pretty　heavy　sea；　but　upon　the　whole　have　made　a　good　passage；　leaving　many　vessels　behind　us　in　Orkney。　I　am　quite　well；　my　dear；　and　Captain　Wemyss；　who　has　much　spirit；　and　who　is　much　given　to　observation；　and　a　perfect　enthusiast　in　his　profession；　enlivens　the　voyage　greatly。　Let　me　entreat　you　to　move　about　much；　and　take　a　walk　with　the　boys　to　Leith。　　I　think　they　have　still　many　places　to　see　there；　and　I　wish　you　would　indulge　them　in　this　respect。　　Mr。　Scales　is　the　best　person　I　know　for　showing　them　the　sailcloth…weaving；　etc。；　and　he　would　have　great　pleasure　in　undertaking　this。　　My　dear；　I　trust　soon　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。　　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。


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　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　Parl