the uncommercial traveller-第1章

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The　Uncommercial　Traveller



by　Charles　Dickens








CHAPTER　I　…　HIS　GENERAL　LINE　OF　BUSINESS




Allow　me　to　introduce　myself　…　first　negatively。



No　landlord　is　my　friend　and　brother；　no　chambermaid　loves　me；　no

waiter　worships　me；　no　boots　admires　and　envies　me。　　No　round　of

beef　or　tongue　or　ham　is　expressly　cooked　for　me；　no　pigeon…pie　is

especially　made　for　me；　no　hotel…advertisement　is　personally

addressed　to　me；　no　hotel…room　tapestried　with　great…coats　and

railway　wrappers　is　set　apart　for　me；　no　house　of　public

entertainment　in　the　United　Kingdom　greatly　cares　for　my　opinion　of

its　brandy　or　sherry。　　When　I　go　upon　my　journeys；　I　am　not　usually

rated　at　a　low　figure　in　the　bill；　when　I　come　home　from　my

journeys；　I　never　get　any　commission。　　I　know　nothing　about　prices；

and　should　have　no　idea；　if　I　were　put　to　it；　how　to　wheedle　a　man

into　ordering　something　he　doesn't　want。　　As　a　town　traveller；　I　am

never　to　be　seen　driving　a　vehicle　externally　like　a　young　and

volatile　pianoforte　van；　and　internally　like　an　oven　in　which　a

number　of　flat　boxes　are　baking　in　layers。　　As　a　country　traveller；

I　am　rarely　to　be　found　in　a　gig；　and　am　never　to　be　encountered　by

a　pleasure　train；　waiting　on　the　platform　of　a　branch　station；

quite　a　Druid　in　the　midst　of　a　light　Stonehenge　of　samples。



And　yet　…　proceeding　now；　to　introduce　myself　positively　…　I　am

both　a　town　traveller　and　a　country　traveller；　and　am　always　on　the

road。　　Figuratively　speaking；　I　travel　for　the　great　house　of　Human

Interest　Brothers；　and　have　rather　a　large　connection　in　the　fancy

goods　way。　　Literally　speaking；　I　am　always　wandering　here　and

there　from　my　rooms　in　Covent…garden；　London　…　now　about　the　city

streets：　　now；　about　the　country　by…roads　…　seeing　many　little

things；　and　some　great　things；　which；　because　they　interest　me；　I

think　may　interest　others。



These　are　my　chief　credentials　as　the　Uncommercial　Traveller。







CHAPTER　II　…　THE　SHIPWRECK







Never　had　I　seen　a　year　going　out；　or　going　on；　under　quieter

circumstances。　　Eighteen　hundred　and　fifty…nine　had　but　another　day

to　live；　and　truly　its　end　was　Peace　on　that　sea…shore　that

morning。



So　settled　and　orderly　was　everything　seaward；　in　the　bright　light

of　the　sun　and　under　the　transparent　shadows　of　the　clouds；　that　it

was　hard　to　imagine　the　bay　otherwise；　for　years　past　or　to　come；

than　it　was　that　very　day。　　The　Tug…steamer　lying　a　little　off　the

shore；　the　Lighter　lying　still　nearer　to　the　shore；　the　boat

alongside　the　Lighter；　the　regularly…turning　windlass　aboard　the

Lighter；　the　methodical　figures　at　work；　all　slowly　and　regularly

heaving　up　and　down　with　the　breathing　of　the　sea；　all　seemed　as

much　a　part　of　the　nature　of　the　place　as　the　tide　itself。　　The

tide　was　on　the　flow；　and　had　been　for　some　two　hours　and　a　half；

there　was　a　slight　obstruction　in　the　sea　within　a　few　yards　of　my

feet：　　as　if　the　stump　of　a　tree；　with　earth　enough　about　it　to

keep　it　from　lying　horizontally　on　the　water；　had　slipped　a　little

from　the　land　…　and　as　I　stood　upon　the　beach　and　observed　it

dimpling　the　light　swell　that　was　coming　in；　I　cast　a　stone　over

it。



So　orderly；　so　quiet；　so　regular　…　the　rising　and　falling　of　the

Tug…steamer；　the　Lighter；　and　the　boat　…　the　turning　of　the

windlass　…　the　coming　in　of　the　tide　…　that　I　myself　seemed；　to　my

own　thinking；　anything　but　new　to　the　spot。　　Yet；　I　had　never　seen

it　in　my　life；　a　minute　before；　and　had　traversed　two　hundred　miles

to　get　at　it。　　That　very　morning　I　had　come　bowling　down；　and

struggling　up；　hill…country　roads；　looking　back　at　snowy　summits；

meeting　courteous　peasants　well　to　do；　driving　fat　pigs　and　cattle

to　market：　　noting　the　neat　and　thrifty　dwellings；　with　their

unusual　quantity　of　clean　white　linen；　drying　on　the　bushes；　having

windy　weather　suggested　by　every　cotter's　little　rick；　with　its

thatch　straw…ridged　and　extra　straw…ridged　into　overlapping

compartments　like　the　back　of　a　rhinoceros。　　Had　I　not　given　a　lift

of　fourteen　miles　to　the　Coast…guardsman　（kit　and　all）；　who　was

coming　to　his　spell　of　duty　there；　and　had　we　not　just　now　parted

company？　　So　it　was；　but　the　journey　seemed　to　glide　down　into　the

placid　sea；　with　other　chafe　and　trouble；　and　for　the　moment

nothing　was　so　calmly　and　monotonously　real　under　the　sunlight　as

the　gentle　rising　and　falling　of　the　water　with　its　freight；　the

regular　turning　of　the　windlass　aboard　the　Lighter；　and　the　slight

obstruction　so　very　near　my　feet。



O　reader；　haply　turning　this　page　by　the　fireside　at　Home；　and

hearing　the　night　wind　rumble　in　the　chimney；　that　slight

obstruction　was　the　uppermost　fragment　of　the　Wreck　of　the　Royal

Charter；　Australian　trader　and　passenger　ship；　Homeward　bound；　that

struck　here　on　the　terrible　morning　of　the　twenty…sixth　of　this

October；　broke　into　three　parts；　went　down　with　her　treasure　of　at

least　five　hundred　human　lives；　and　has　never　stirred　since！



From　which　point；　or　from　which；　she　drove　ashore；　stern　foremost；

on　which　side；　or　on　which；　she　passed　the　little　Island　in　the

bay；　for　ages　henceforth　to　be　aground　certain　yards　outside　her；

these　are　rendered　bootless　questions　by　the　darkness　of　that　night

and　the　darkness　of　death。　　Here　she　went　down。



Even　as　I　stood　on　the　beach　with　the　words　'Here　she　went　down！'

in　my　ears；　a　diver　in　his　grotesque　dress；　dipped　heavily　over　the

side　of　the　boat　alongside　the　Lighter；　and　dropped　to　the　bottom。

On　the　shore　by　the　water's　edge；　was　a　rough　tent；　made　of

fragments　of　wreck；　where　other　divers　and　workmen　sheltered

themselves；　and　where　they　had　kept　Christmas…day　with　rum　and

roast　beef；　to　the　destruction　of　their　frail　chimney。　　Cast　up

among　the　stones　and　boulders　of　the　beach；　were　great　spars　of　the

lost　vessel；　and　masses　of　iron　twisted　by　the　fury　of　the　sea　into

the　strangest　forms。　　The　timber　was　already　bleached　and　iron

rusted；　and　even　these　objects　did　no　violence　to　the　prevailing

air　the　whole　scene　wore；　of　having　been　exactly　the　same　for　years

and　years。



Yet；　only　two　short　months　had　gone；　since　a　man；　living　on　the

nearest　hill…top　overlooking　the　sea；　being　blown　out　of　bed　at

about　daybreak　by　the　wind　that　had　begun　to　strip　his　roof　off；

and　getting　upon　a　ladder　with　his　nearest　neighbour　to　construct

some　temporary　device　for　keeping　his　house　over　his　head；　saw　from

the　ladder's　elevation　as　he　looked　down　by　chance　towards　the

shore；　some　dark　troubled　object　close　in　with　the　land。　　And　he

and　the　other；　descending　to　the　beach；　and　finding　the　sea

mercilessly　beating　over　a　great　broken　ship；　had　clambered　up　the

stony　ways；　like　staircases　without　stairs；　on　which　the　wild

village　hangs　in　little　clusters；　as　fruit　hangs　on　boughs；　and　had

given　the　alarm。　　And　so；　over　the　hill…slopes；　and　past　the

waterfall；　and　down　the　gullies　where　the　land　drains　off　into　the

ocean；　the　scattered　quarrymen　and　fishermen　inhabiting　that　part

of　Wales　had　come　running　to　the　dismal　sight　…　their　clergyman

among　them。　　And　as　they　stood　in　the　leaden　morning；　stricken　with

pity；　leaning　hard　against　the　wind；　their　breath　and　vision　often

failing　as　the　sleet　and　spray　rushed　at　them　from　the　ever　forming

and　dissolving　mountains　of　sea；　and　as　the　wool　which　was　a　part

of　the　vessel's　cargo　blew　in　with　the　salt　foam　and　remained　upon

the　land　when　the　foam　melted；　they　saw　the　ship's　life…boat　put

off　from　one　of　the　heaps　of　wreck；　and　first；　there　were　three　men

in　her；　and　in　a　moment　she　capsized；　and　there　were　but　two；　and

again；　she　was　struck　by　a　vast　mass　of　water；　and　there　was　but

one；　and　again；　she　was　thrown　bottom　upward；　and　that　one；　with

his　arm　struck　through　the　broken　planks　and　waving　as　if　for　the

help　that　could　never　reach　him；　went　down　into　the　deep。



It　was　the　clergyman　himself　from　whom　I　heard　this；　while　I　stood

on　the　shore；　looking　in　his　kind　wholesome　face　as　it　turned　to

the　spot　where　the　boat　had　been。　　The　divers　were　down　then；　and

busy。　　They　were　'lifting'　to…day　the　gold　found　yesterday　…　some

five…and…twenty　thousand　pounds。　　Of　three　hundred　and　fifty

thousand　pounds'　worth　of　gold；　three　hundred　thousand　pounds'

worth；　in　round　numbers；　was　at　that　time　recovered。　　The　great

bulk　of　the　remainder　was　surely　and　steadily　coming　up。　　Some　loss

of　sovereigns　there　would　be；　of　course；　indeed；　at　first

sovereigns　had　drifted　in　with　the　sand；　and　been　scattered　far　and

wide　over　the　beach；　like　sea…shells；　but　most　other　golden

treasure　would　be　found。　　As　it　was　brought　up；　it　went　aboard　the

Tug…steamer；　where　good　account　was　taken　of　it。　　So　tremendous　had

the　force　of　the　sea　been　when　it　broke　the　ship；　that　it　had

beaten　one　great　ingot　of　gold；　deep　into　a　strong　and　heavy　piece

of　her　solid　iron…work：　　in　which；　also；　several　loose　sovereigns

that　the　ingot　had　swept　in　before　it；　had　been　found；　as　firmly

embedded　as　though　the　iron　had　been　liquid　when　they　were　forced

there。　　It　had　been　remarked　of　such　bodies　come　ashore；　too；　as

had　been　seen　by　scientific　men；　that　they　had　been　stunned　to

death；　and　not　suffocated。　　Observation；　both　of　the　internal

change　that　had　been　wrought　in　them；　and　of　their　external

expression；　showed　death　to　have　been　thus　merciful　and　easy。　　The

report　was　brought；　while　I　was　holding　such　discourse　on　the

beach；　that　no　more　bodies　had　come　ashore　since　last　night。　　It

began　to　be　very　doubtful　whether　many　more　would　be　thrown　up；

until　the　north…east　winds　of　the　early　spring　set　in。　　Moreover；　a

great　number　of　the　passengers；　and　particularly　the　second…class

women…passengers；　were　known　to　have　been　in　the　middle　of　the　ship

when　she　parted；　and　thus　the　collapsing　wreck　would　have　fallen

upon　them　after　yawning　open；　and　would　keep　them　down。　　A　diver

made　known；　even　then；　that　he　had　come　upon　the　body　of　a　man；　and

had　sought　to　release　it　from　a　great　superincumbent　weight；　but

that；　finding　he　could　not　do　so　without　mutilating　the　remains；　he

had　left　it　where　it　was。



It　was　the　kind　and　wholesome　face　I　have　made　mention　of　as　being

then　beside　me；　that　I　had　purposed　to　myself　to　see；　when　I　left

home　for　Wales。　　I　had　heard　of　that　clergyman；　as　having　buried

many　scores　of　the　shipwrecked　people；　of　his　having　opened　his

house　and　heart　to　their　agonised　friends；　of　his　having　used　a

most　sweet　and　patient　diligence　for　weeks　and　weeks；　in　the

performance　of　the　forlornest　offices　that　Man　can　render　to　his

kind；　of　his　having　most　tenderly　and　thoroughly　devoted　himself　to

the　dead；　and　to　those　who　were　sorrowing　for　the　dead。　　I　had　said

to　myself；　'In　the　Christmas　season　of　the　year；　I　should　like　to

see　that　man！'　　And　he　had　swung　the　gate　of　his　little　garden　in

coming　out　to　meet　me；　not