records of a family of engineers-第9章

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nd　very　readily；　upon　one　convention　or　another；　a　tolerable　corporate　life。　　The　danger　is　to　those　from　without；　who　have　not　grown　up　from　childhood　in　the　islands；　but　appear　suddenly　in　that　narrow　horizon；　life…sized　apparitions。　　For　these　no　bond　of　humanity　exists；　no　feeling　of　kinship　is　awakened　by　their　peril；　they　will　assist　at　a　shipwreck；　like　the　fisher…folk　of　Lunga；　as　spectators；　and　when　the　fatal　scene　is　over；　and　the　beach　strewn　with　dead　bodies；　they　will　fence　their　fields　with　mahogany；　and；　after　a　decent　grace；　sup　claret　to　their　porridge。　　It　is　not　wickedness：　it　is　scarce　evil；　it　is　only；　in　its　highest　power；　the　sense　of　isolation　and　the　wise　disinterestedness　of　feeble　and　poor　races。　　Think　how　many　viking　ships　had　sailed　by　these　islands　in　the　past；　how　many　vikings　had　landed；　and　raised　turmoil；　and　broken　up　the　barrows　of　the　dead；　and　carried　off　the　wines　of　the　living；　and　blame　them；　if　you　are　able；　for　that　belief　（which　may　be　called　one　of　the　parables　of　the　devil's　gospel）　that　a　man　rescued　from　the　sea　will　prove　the　bane　of　his　deliverer。　　It　might　be　thought　that　my　grandfather；　coming　there　unknown；　and　upon　an　employment　so　hateful　to　the　inhabitants；　must　have　run　the　hazard　of　his　life。　　But　this　were　to　misunderstand。　　He　came　franked　by　the　laird　and　the　clergyman；　he　was　the　King's　officer；　the　work　was　‘opened　with　prayer　by　the　Rev。　Walter　Trail；　minister　of　the　parish'；　God　and　the　King　had　decided　it；　and　the　people　of　these　pious　islands　bowed　their　heads。　There　landed；　indeed；　in　North　Ronaldsay；　during　the　last　decade　of　the　eighteenth　century；　a　traveller　whose　life　seems　really　to　have　been　imperilled。　　A　very　little　man　of　a　swarthy　complexion；　he　came　ashore；　exhausted　and　unshaved；　from　a　long　boat　passage；　and　lay　down　to　sleep　in　the　home　of　the　parish　schoolmaster。　　But　he　had　been　seen　landing。　　The　inhabitants　had　identified　him　for　a　Pict；　as；　by　some　singular　confusion　of　name；　they　called　the　dark　and　dwarfish　aboriginal　people　of　the　land。　　Immediately　the　obscure　ferment　of　a　race…hatred；　grown　into　a　superstition；　began　to　work　in　their　bosoms；　and　they　crowded　about　the　house　and　the　room…door　with　fearful　whisperings。　　For　some　time　the　schoolmaster　held　them　at　bay；　and　at　last　despatched　a　messenger　to　call　my　grand…father。　　He　came：　he　found　the　islanders　beside　themselves　at　this　unwelcome　resurrection　of　the　dead　and　the　detested；　he　was　shown；　as　adminicular　of　testimony；　the　traveller's　uncouth　and　thick…soled　boots；　he　argued；　and　finding　argument　unavailing；　consented　to　enter　the　room　and　examine　with　his　own　eyes　the　sleeping　Pict。　　One　glance　was　sufficient：　the　man　was　now　a　missionary；　but　he　had　been　before　that　an　Edinburgh　shopkeeper　with　whom　my　grandfather　had　dealt。　　He　came　forth　again　with　this　report；　and　the　folk　of　the　island；　wholly　relieved；　dispersed　to　their　own　houses。　　They　were　timid　as　sheep　and　ignorant　as　limpets；　that　was　all。　　But　the　Lord　deliver　us　from　the　tender　mercies　of　a　frightened　flock！

I　will　give　two　more　instances　of　their　superstition。　When　Sir　Walter　Scott　visited　the　Stones　of　Stennis；　my　grandfather　put　in　his　pocket　a　hundred…foot　line；　which　he　unfortunately　lost。

‘Some　years　afterwards；'　he　writes；　‘one　of　my　assistants　on　a　visit　to　the　Stones　of　Stennis　took　shelter　from　a　storm　in　a　cottage　close　by　the　lake；　and　seeing　a　box…measuring…　line　in　the　bole　or　sole　of　the　cottage　window；　he　asked　the　woman　where　she　got　this　well…known　professional　appendage。　She　said：　〃O　sir；　ane　of　the　bairns　fand　it　lang　syne　at　the　Stanes；　and　when　drawing　it　out　we　took　fright；　and　thinking　it　had　belanged　to　the　fairies；　we　threw　it　into　the　bole；　and　it　has　layen　there　ever　since。〃　'

This　is　for　the　one；　the　last　shall　be　a　sketch　by　the　master　hand　of　Scott　himself：

‘At　the　village　of　Stromness；　on　the　Orkney　main　island；　called　Pomona；　lived；　in　1814；　an　aged　dame　called　Bessie　Millie；　who　helped　out　her　subsistence　by　selling　favourable　winds　to　mariners。　　He　was　a　venturous　master　of　a　vessel　who　left　the　roadstead　of　Stromness　without　paying　his　offering　to　propitiate　Bessie　Millie！　　Her　fee　was　extremely　moderate；　being　exactly　sixpence；　for　which　she　boiled　her　kettle　and　gave　the　bark　the　advantage　of　her　prayers；　for　she　disclaimed　all　unlawful　acts。　　The　wind　thus　petitioned　for　was　sure；　she　said；　to　arrive；　though　occasionally　the　mariners　had　to　wait　some　time　for　it。　　The　woman's　dwelling　and　appearance　were　not　unbecoming　her　pretensions。　　Her　house；　which　was　on　the　brow　of　the　steep　hill　on　which　Stromness　is　founded；　was　only　accessible　by　a　series　of　dirty　and　precipitous　lanes；　and　for　exposure　might　have　been　the　abode　of　Eolus　himself；　in　whose　commodities　the　inhabitant　dealt。　　She　herself　was；　as　she　told　us；　nearly　one　hundred　years　old；　withered　and　dried　up　like　a　mummy。　　A　clay…coloured　kerchief；　folded　round　her　neck；　corresponded　in　colour　to　her　corpse…like　complexion。　Two　light　blue　eyes　that　gleamed　with　a　lustre　like　that　of　insanity；　an　utterance　of　astonishing　rapidity；　a　nose　and　chin　that　almost　met　together；　and　a　ghastly　expression　of　cunning；　gave　her　the　effect　of　Hecate。　　Such　was　Bessie　Millie；　to　whom　the　mariners　paid　a　sort　of　tribute　with　a　feeling　between　jest　and　earnest。'


II


From　about　the　beginning　of　the　century　up　to　1807　Robert　Stevenson　was　in　partnership　with　Thomas　Smith。　　In　the　last…　named　year　the　partnership　was　dissolved；　Thomas　Smith　returning　to　his　business；　and　my　grandfather　becoming　sole　engineer　to　the　Board　of　Northern　Lights。

I　must　try；　by　excerpts　from　his　diary　and　correspondence；　to　convey　to　the　reader　some　idea　of　the　ardency　and　thoroughness　with　which　he　threw　himself　into　the　largest　and　least　of　his　multifarious　engagements　in　this　service。　　But　first　I　must　say　a　word　or　two　upon　the　life　of　lightkeepers；　and　the　temptations　to　which　they　are　more　particularly　exposed。　　The　lightkeeper　occupies　a　position　apart　among　men。　　In　sea…towers　the　complement　has　always　been　three　since　the　deplorable　business　in　the　Eddystone；　when　one　keeper　died；　and　the　survivor；　signalling　in　vain　for　relief；　was　compelled　to　live　for　days　with　the　dead　body。　　These　usually　pass　their　time　by　the　pleasant　human　expedient　of　quarrelling；　and　sometimes；　I　am　assured；　not　one　of　the　three　is　on　speaking　terms　with　any　other。　　On　shore　stations；　which　on　the　Scottish　coast　are　sometimes　hardly　less　isolated；　the　usual　number　is　two；　a　principal　and　an　assistant。　　The　principal　is　dissatisfied　with　the　assistant；　or　perhaps　the　assistant　keeps　pigeons；　and　the　principal　wants　the　water　from　the　roof。　　Their　wives　and　families　are　with　them；　living　cheek　by　jowl。　　The　children　quarrel；　Jockie　hits　Jimsie　in　the　eye；　and　the　mothers　make　haste　to　mingle　in　the　dissension。　　Perhaps　there　is　trouble　about　a　broken　dish；　perhaps　Mrs。　Assistant　is　more　highly　born　than　Mrs。　Principal　and　gives　herself　airs；　and　the　men　are　drawn　in　and　the　servants　presently　follow。　　‘Church　privileges　have　been　denied　the　keeper's　and　the　assistant's　servants；'　I　read　in　one　case；　and　the　eminently　Scots　periphrasis　means　neither　more　nor　less　than　excommunication；　‘on　account　of　the　discordant　and　quarrelsome　state　of　the　families。　　The　cause；　when　inquired　into；　proves　to　be　TITTLE…TATTLE　on　both　sides。'　The　tender　comes　round；　the　foremen　and　artificers　go　from　station　to　station；　the　gossip　flies　through　the　whole　system　of　the　service；　and　the　stories；　disfigured　and　exaggerated；　return　to　their　own　birthplace　with　the　returning　tender。　　The　English　Board　was　apparently　shocked　by　the　picture　of　these　dissensions。　　‘When　the　Trinity　House　can；'　I　find　my　grandfather　writing　at　Beachy　Head；　in　1834；　‘they　do　not　appoint　two　keepers；　they　disagree　so　ill。　　A　man　who　has　a　family　is　assisted　by　his　family；　and　in　this　way；　to　my　experience　and　present　observation；　the　business　is　very　much　neglected。　　One　keeper　is；　in　my　view；　a　bad　system。　　This　day's　visit　to　an　English　lighthouse　convinces　me　of　this；　as　the　lightkeeper　was　walking　on　a　staff　with　the　gout；　and　the　business　performed　by　one　of　his　daughters；　a　girl　of　thirteen　or　fourteen　years　of　age。'　　This　man　received　a　hundred　a　year！　　It　shows　a　different　reading　of　human　nature；　perhaps　typical　of　Scotland　and　England；　that　I　find　in　my　grandfather's　diary　the　following　pregnant　entry：　‘THE　LIGHTKEEPERS；　AGREEING　ILL；　KEEP　ONE　ANOTHER　TO　THEIR　DUTY。'　But　the　Scottish　system　was　not　alone　founded　on　this　cynical　opinion。　　The　dignity　and　the　comfort　of　the　northern　lightkeeper　were　both　attended　to。　　He　had　a　uniform　to　‘raise　him　in　his　own　estimation；　and　in　that　of　his　neighbour；　which　is　of　consequence　to　a　person　of　trust。　　The　keepers；'　my　grandfather　goes　on；　in　another　place；　‘are　attended　to　in　all　the　detail　of　accommodation　in　the　best　style　as　shipmasters；　and　this　is　believed　to　have　a　sensible　effect　upon　their　conduct；　and　to　regulate　their　general　habits　as　members　of　society。'　　He　notes；　with　the　same　dip　of　ink；　that　‘the　brasses　were　not　clean；　and　the　persons　of　the　keepers　not　TRIG'；　and　thus　we　find　him　writing　to　a　culprit：　‘I　have　to　complain　that　you　are　not　cleanly　in　your　person；　and　that　your　manner　of　speech　is　ungentle；　and　rather　inclines　to　rudeness。　　You　must　therefore　take　a　different　view　of　your　duties　as　a　lightkeeper。'　　A　high　ideal　for　the　service　appears　in　these　expressions；　and　will　be　more　amply　illustrated　further　on。　　But　even　the　Scottish　lightkeeper　was　frail。　　During　the　unbroken　solitude　of　the　winter　months；　when　inspection　is　scarce　possible；　it　must　seem　a　vain　toil　to　polish　the　brass　hand…rail　of　the　stair；　or　to　keep　an　unrewarded　vigil　in　the　light…room；　and　the　keepers　are　habitually　tempted　to　the　beginnings　of　sloth；　and　must　unremittingly　resist。　　He　who　temporises　with　his　conscience　is　already　lost。　　I　must　tell　here　an　anecdote　that　illustrates　the　difficulties　of　inspection。　　In　the　days　of　my　uncle　David　and　my　father　there　was　a　station　which　they　regarded　with　jealousy。　　The　two　engineers　compared　notes　and　were　agreed。　　The　tower　was　always　clean；　but　seemed　always　to　bear　traces　of　a　hasty　cleansing；　as　though　the　keepers　had　been　suddenly　forewarned。　　On　inquiry；　it　proved　that　such　was　the　case；　and　that　a　wandering　fiddler　was　the　unfailing　harbinger　of　the　engineer。　　At　last　my　father　was　storm…stayed　one　Sunday　in　a　port　at　the　other　side　of　the　island。　　The　visit　was　quite　overdue；　and　as　he　walked　across　upon　the　Monday　morning　he　promised　himself　that　he　should　at　last　take　the　keepers　unprepared。　　They　were　both　waiting　for　him　in　uniform　at　the　gate；　the　fiddler　had　been　there　on　Saturday！

My　grandfather；　as　will　appear　from　the　following　extracts；　was　much　a　martinet；　and　had　a　habit　of　expressing　himself　on　paper　with　an　almost　startling　emphasis。　Personally；　with　his　powerful　voice；　sanguine　countenance；　and　eccentric　and　original　locutions；　he　was　well　qualified　to　inspire　a　salutary　terror　in　the　service。

‘I　find　that　the　keepers　have；　by　some　means　or　another；　got　into　the　way　of　cleaning　too　much　with　rotten…stone　and　oil。　　I　take　the　principal　keeper　to　TASK　on　this　subject；　and　make　him　bring　a