north america-1-第17章

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uildings；　stated　that　the　design　of　this　wing　was　capable　of　elongation；　and　had　been　expressly　prepared　with　that　object。　　If　this　be　so；　I　trust　that　the　defect　will　be　remedied。　The　great　trade　of　Canada　is　lumbering；　and　lumbering　consists　in　cutting　down　pine…trees　up　in　the　far　distant　forests；　in　hewing　or　sawing　them　into　shape　for　market；　and　getting　them　down　the　rivers　to　Quebec；　from　whence　they　are　exported　to　Europe；　and　chiefly　to　England。　　Timber　in　Canada　is　called　lumber；　those　engaged　in　the　trade　are　called　lumberers；　and　the　business　itself　is　called　lumbering。　　After　a　lapse　of　time　it　must　no　doubt　become　monotonous　to　those　engaged　in　it；　and　the　name　is　not　engaging；　but　there　is　much　about　it　that　is　very　picturesque。　　A　saw…mill　worked　by　water　power　is　almost　always　a　pretty　object；　and　stacks　of　new…cut　timber　are　pleasant　to　the　smell；　and　group　themselves　not　amiss　on　the　water's　edge。　　If　I　had　the　time；　and　were　a　year　or　two　younger；　I　should　love　well　to　go　up　lumbering　into　the　woods。　　The　men　for　this　purpose　are　hired　in　the　fall　of　the　year；　and　are　sent　up　hundreds　of　miles　away　to　the　pine　forests　in　strong　gangs。　　Everything　is　there　found　for　them。　　They　make　log　huts　for　their　shelter；　and　food　of　the　best　and　the　strongest　is　taken　up　for　their　diet。　　But　no　strong　drink　of　any　kind　is　allowed；　nor　is　any　within　reach　of　the　men。　　There　are　no　publics；　no　shebeen　houses；　no　grog…shops。　　Sobriety　is　an　enforced　virtue；　and　so　much　is　this　considered　by　the　masters；　and　understood　by　the　men；　that　very　little　contraband　work　is　done　in　the　way　of　taking　up　spirits　to　these　settlements。　　It　may　be　said　that　the　work　up　in　the　forests　is　done　with　the　assistance　of　no　stronger　drink　than　tea；　and　it　is　very　hard　work。　　There　cannot　be　much　work　that　is　harder；　and　it　is　done　amid　the　snows　and　forests　of　a　Canadian　winter。　　A　convict　in　Bermuda　cannot　get　through　his　daily　eight　hours　of　light　labor　without　an　allowance　of　rum；　but　a　Canadian　lumberer　can　manage　to　do　his　daily　task　on　tea　without　milk。　　These　men；　however；　are　by　no　means　teetotalers。　　When　they　come　back　to　the　towns　they　break　out；　and　reward　themselves　for　their　long…enforced　moderation。　　The　wages　I　found　to　be　very　various；　running　from　thirteen　or　fourteen　dollars　a　month　to　twenty…eight　or　thirty；　according　to　the　nature　of　the　work。　　The　men　who　cut　down　the　trees　receive　more　than　those　who　hew　them　when　down；　and　these　again　more　than　the　under　class　who　make　the　roads　and　clear　the　ground。　　These　money　wages；　however；　are　in　addition　to　their　diet。　　The　operation　requiring　the　most　skill　is　that　of　marking　the　trees　for　the　axe。　　The　largest　only　are　worth　cutting；　and　form　and　soundness　must　also　be　considered。　But　if　I　were　about　to　visit　a　party　of　lumberers　in　the　forest；　I　should　not　be　disposed　to　pass　a　whole　winter　with　them。　　Even　of　a　very　good　thing　one　may　have　too　much；　I　would　go　up　in　the　spring；　when　the　rafts　are　being　formed　in　the　small　tributary　streams；　and　I　would　come　down　upon　one　of　them；　shooting　the　rapids　of　the　rivers　as　soon　as　the　first　freshets　had　left　the　way　open。　　A　freshet　in　the　rivers　is　the　rush　of　waters　occasioned　by　melting　snow　and　ice。　　The　first　freshets　take　down　the　winter　waters　of　the　nearer　lakes　and　rivers。　　Then　the　streams　become　for　a　time　navigable；　and　the　rafts　go　down。　　After　that　comes　the　second　freshet；　occasioned　by　the　melting　of　far…off　snow　and　ice　up　in　the　great　northern　lakes；　which　are　little　known。　　These　rafts　are　of　immense　construction；　such　as　those　which　we　have　seen　on　the　Rhone　and　Rhine；　and　often　contain　timber　to　the　value　of　two；　three；　and　four　thousand　pounds。　　At　the　rapids　the　large　rafts　are；　as　it　were；　unyoked；　and　divided　into　small　portions；　which　go　down　separately。　　The　excitement　and　motion　of　such　transit　must；　I　should　say；　be　very　joyous。　　I　was　told　that　the　Prince　of　Wales　desired　to　go　down　a　rapid　on　a　raft；　but　that　the　men　in　charge　would　not　undertake　to　say　that　there　was　no　possible　danger；　whereupon　those　who　accompanied　the　prince　requested　his　Royal　Highness　to　forbear。　　I　fear　that；　in　these　careful　days；　crowned　heads　and　their　heirs　must　often　find　themselves　in　the　position　of　Sancho　at　the　banquet。　　The　sailor　prince；　who　came　after　his　brother；　was　allowed　to　go　down　a　rapid；　and　got；　as　I　was　told；　rather　a　rough　bump　as　he　did　so。　Ottawa　is　a　great　place　for　these　timber　rafts。　　Indeed；　it　may；　I　think；　be　called　the　headquarters　of　timber　for　the　world。　　Nearly　all　the　best　pine…wood　comes　down　the　Ottawa　and　its　tributaries。　The　other　rivers　by　which　timber　is　brought　down　to　the　St。　Lawrence　are　chiefly　the　St。　Maurice；　the　Madawaska；　and　the　Saguenay；　but　the　Ottawa　and　its　tributaries　water　75；000　square　miles；　whereas　the　other　three　rivers；　with　their　tributaries；　water　only　53；000。　　The　timber　from　the　Ottawa　and　St。　Maurice　finds　its　way　down　the　St。　Lawrence　to　Quebec；　where；　however；　it　loses　the　whole　of　its　picturesque　character。　　The　Saguenay　and　the　Madawaska　fall　into　the　St。　Lawrence　below　Quebec。　From　Ottawa　we　went　by　rail　to　Prescott；　which　is　surely　one　of　the　most　wretched　little　places　to　be　found　in　any　country。　Immediately　opposite　to　it；　on　the　other　side　of　the　St。　Lawrence；　is　the　thriving　town　of　Ogdensburg。　　But　Ogdensburg　is　in　the　United　States。　　Had　we　been　able　to　learn　at　Ottawa　any　facts　as　to　the　hours　of　the　river　steamers　and　railways；　we　might　have　saved　time　and　have　avoided　Prescott；　but　this　was　out　of　the　question。　Had　I　asked　the　exact　hour　at　which　I　might　reach　Calcutta　by　the　quickest　route；　an　accurate　reply　would　not　have　been　more　out　of　the　question。　　I　was　much　struck；　at　Prescottand；　indeed；　all　through　Canada；　though　more　in　the　upper　than　in　the　lower　provinceby　the　sturdy　roughness；　some　would　call　it　insolence；　of　those　of　the　lower　classes　of　the　people　with　whom　I　was　brought　into　contact。　　If　the　words　〃lower　classes〃　give　offense　to　any　reader；　I　beg　to　apologizeto　apologize；　and　to　assert　that　I　am　one　of　the　last　of　men　to　apply　such　a　term　in　a　sense　of　reproach　to　those　who　earn　their　bread　by　the　labor　of　their　hands。　　But　it　is　hard　to　find　terms　which　will　be　understood；　and　that　term；　whether　it　give　offense　or　no；　will　be　understood。　　Of　course　such　a　complaint　as　that　I　now　make　is　very　common　as　made　against　the　States。　　（Men　in　the　States；　with　horned　hands　and　fustian　coats；　are　very　often　most　unnecessarily　insolent　in　asserting　their　independence。　　What　I　now　mean　to　say　is　that　precisely　the　same　fault　is　to　be　found　in　Canada。　　I　know　well　what　the　men　mean　when　they　offend　in　this　manner。　　And　when　I　think　on　the　subject　with　deliberation　at　my　own　desk；　I　can　not　only　excuse；　but　almost　approve　them。　　But　when　one　personally　encounters　this　corduroy　braggadocio；　when　the　man　to　whose　services　one　is　entitled　answers　one　with　determined　insolence；　when　one　is　bidden　to　follow　〃that　young　lady；〃　meaning　the　chambermaid；　or　desired；　with　a　toss　of　the　head；　to　wait　for　the　〃gentleman　who　is　coming；〃　meaning　the　boots；　the　heart　is　sickened；　and　the　English　traveler　pines　for　the　civilityfor　the　servility；　if　my　American　friends　choose　to　call　it　soof　a　well…ordered　servant。　　But　the　whole　scene　is　easily　construed；　and　turned　into　English。　　A　man　is　asked　by　a　stranger　some　question　about　his　employment；　and　he　replies　in　a　tone　which　seems　to　imply　anger；　insolence；　and　a　dishonest　intention　to　evade　the　service　for　which　he　is　paid。　　Or；　if　there　be　no　question　of　service　or　payment；　the　man's　manner　will　be　the　same；　and　the　stranger　feels　that　he　is　slapped　in　the　face　and　insulted。　　The　translation　of　it　is　this：　The　man　questioned；　who　is　aware　that　as　regards　coat；　hat；　boots；　and　outward　cleanliness　he　is　below　him　by　whom　he　is　questioned；　unconsciously　feels　himself　called　upon　to　assert　his　political　equality。　　It　is　his　shibboleth　that　he　is　politically　equal　to　the　best；　that　he　is　independent；　and　that　his　labor；　though　it　earn　him　but　a　dollar　a　day　by　porterage；　places　him　as　a　citizen　on　an　equal　rank　with　the　most　wealthy　fellow…man　that　may　employ　or　accost　him。　　But；　being　so　inferior　in　that　coat；　hat；　and　boots　matter；　he　is　forced　to　assert　his　equality　by　some　effort。　　As　he　improves　in　externals；　he　will　diminish　the　roughness　of　his　claim。　　As　long　as　the　man　makes　his　claim　with　any　roughness；　so　long　does　he　acknowledge　within　himself　some　feeling　of　external　inferiority。　　When　that　has　gonewhen　the　American　has　polished　himself　up　by　education　and　general　well…being　to　a　feeling　of　external　equality　with　gentlemen；　he　shows；　I　think；　no　more　of　that　outward　braggadocio　of　independence　than　a　Frenchman。　But　the　blow　at　the　moment　of　the　stroke　is　very　galling。　　I　confess　that　I　have　occasionally　all　but　broken　down　beneath　it。　But　when　it　is　thought　of　afterward　it　admits　of　full　excuse。　　No　effort　that　a　man　can　make　is　better　than　a　true　effort　at　independence。　　But　this　insolence　is　a　false　effort；　it　will　be　said。　　It　should　rather　be　called　a　false　accompaniment　to　a　life…　long　true　effort。　　The　man　probably　is　not　dishonest；　does　not　desire　to　shirk　any　service　which　is　due　from　him；　is　not　even　inclined　to　insolence。　　Accept　his　first　declaration　of　equality　for　that　which　it　is　intended　to　represent；　and　the　man　afterward　will　be　found　obliging　and　communicative。　　If　occasion　offer　he　will　sit　down　in　the　room　with　you；　and　will　talk　with　you　on　any　subject　that　he　may　choose；　but　having　once　ascertained　that　you　show　no　resentment　for　this　assertion　of　equality；　he　will　do　pretty　nearly　all　that　is　asked。　　He　will　at　any　rate　do　as　much　in　that　way　as　an　Englishman。　　I　say　thus　much　on　this　subject　now　especially；　because　I　was　quite　as　much　struck　by　the　feeling　in　Canada　as　I　was　within　the　States。　From　Prescott　we　went　on　by　the　Grand　Trunk　Railway　to　Toronto；　and　stayed　there　for　a　few　days。　　Toronto　is　the　capital　of　the　province　of　Upper　Canada；　and　I　presume　will　in　some　degree　remain　so；　in　spite　of　Ottawa　and　its　pretensions。　　That　is；　the　law　courts　will　still　be　held　there。　　I　do　not　know　that　it　will　enjoy　any　other　supremacy　unless　it　be　that　of　trade　and　population。　Some　few　years　ago　Toronto　was　advancing　with　rapid　strides；　and　was　bidding　fair　to　rival　Quebec；　or　even　perhaps　Montreal。　Hamilton　also；　another　town　of　Upper　Canada；　was　going　ahead　in　the　true　American　style；　but　then　reverses　came　in　trade；　and　the　towns　were　checked　for　awhile。　　Toronto；　with　a　neighboring　suburb　which　is　a　part　of　it；　as　Southwark　is　of　London；　contains　now　over　50；000　inhabitants。　　The　streets　are　all　parallelogramical；　and　there　is　not　a　single　curvature　to　rest　the　eye。　　It　is　built　down　close　upon　Lake　Ontario；　and　as　it　is　also　on　the　Grand　Trunk　Railway；　it　has　all　the　aid　which　facility　of　traffic　can　give　it。　The　two　sights　of　Toronto　are　the　Osgoode　Hall　and　the　University。　The　Osgoode　Hall　is　to　Upper　Canada　what　the　Four　Courts　are　to　Ireland。　　The　law　courts　are　all　held　there。　　Exteriorly；　little　can　be　said　for　Osgoode　Hall；　whereas　the　exterior　of　the　Four　Courts　in　Dublin　is　very　fine；　but　as　an　interior；　the　temple　of　Themis　at　Toronto　beats　hollow　that　which　the　goddess　owns　in　Dubl