north america-2-第39章

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vets　were　already　gone。　　The　small　boats　had　been　stolen　from　some　of　them；　and　the　ropes　and　oars　from　others。　　There　they　lay；　thirty…eight　in　number；　up　against　the　mud　banks　of　the　Ohio；　under　the　boughs　of　the　half…clad；　melancholy　forest　trees；　as　sad　a　spectacle　of　reckless　prodigality　as　the　eye　ever　beheld。　　But　the　contractor　who　made　them　no　doubt　was　a　smart　man。　This　armada　was　moored　on　the　Ohio；　against　the　low；　reedy　bank；　a　mile　above　the　levee；　where　the　old；　unchanged　forest　of　nature　came　down　to　the　very　edge　of　the　river；　and　mixed　itself　with　the　shallow；　overflowing　waters。　　I　am　wrong　in　saying　that　it　lay　under　the　boughs　of　the　trees；　for　such　trees　do　not　spread　themselves　out　with　broad　branches。　　They　stand　thickly　together；　broken；　stunted；　spongy　with　rot；　straight；　and　ugly；　with　ragged　tops　and　shattered　arms；　seemingly　decayed；　but　still　ever　renewing　themselves　with　the　rapid；　moist　life　of　luxuriant　forest　vegetation。　　Nothing　to　my　eyes　is　sadder　than　the　monotonous　desolation　of　such　scenery。　　We　in　England；　when　we　read　and　speak　of　the　primeval　forests　of　America；　are　apt　to　form　pictures　in　our　minds　of　woodland　glades；　with　spreading　oaks；　and　green；　mossy　turf　beneathof　scenes　than　which　nothing　that　God　has　given　us　is　more　charming。　　But　these　forests　are　not　after　that　fashion；　they　offer　no　allurement　to　the　lover；　no　solace　to　the　melancholy　man　of　thought。　　The　ground　is　deep　with　mud　or　overflown　with　water。　　The　soil　and　the　river　have　no　defined　margins。　　Each　tree；　though　full　of　the　forms　of　life；　has　all　the　appearance　of　death。　　Even　to　the　outward　eye　they　seem　to　be　laden　with　ague；　fever；　sudden　chills；　and　pestilential　malaria。　When　we　first　visited　the　spot　we　were　alone；　and　we　walked　across　from　the　railway　line　to　the　place　at　which　the　boats　were　moored。　They　lay　in　treble　rank　along　the　shore；　and　immediately　above　them　an　old　steamboat　was　fastened　against　the　bank。　　Her　back　was　broken；　and　she　was　given　up　to　ruinplaced　there　that　she　might　rot　quietly　into　her　watery　grave。　　It　was　midwinter；　and　every　tree　was　covered　with　frozen　sleet　and　small　particles　of　snow　which　had　drizzled　through　the　air；　for　the　snow　had　not　fallen　in　hearty；　honest　flakes。　　The　ground　beneath　our　feet　was　crisp　with　frost；　but　traitorous　in　its　crispness；　not　frozen　manfully　so　as　to　bear　a　man's　weight；　but　ready　at　every　point　to　let　him　through　into　the　fat；　glutinous　mud　below。　　I　never　saw　a　sadder　picture；　or　one　which　did　more　to　awaken　pity　for　those　whose　fate　had　fixed　their　abodes　in　such　a　locality。　　And　yet　there　was　a　beauty　about　it　too　a　melancholy；　death…like　beauty。　　The　disordered　ruin　and　confused　decay　of　the　forest　was　all　gemmed　with　particles　of　ice。　　The　eye　reaching　through　the　thin　underwood　could　form　for　itself　picturesque　shapes　and　solitary　bowers　of　broken　wood；　which　were　bright　with　the　opaque　brightness　of　the　hoar…frost。　　The　great　river　ran　noiselessly　along；　rapid　but　still　with　an　apparent　lethargy　in　its　waters。　　The　ground　beneath　our　feet　was　fertile　beyond　compare；　but　as　yet　fertile　to　death　rather　than　to　life。　Where　we　then　trod　man　had　not　yet　come　with　his　axe　and　his　plow；　but　the　railroad　was　close　to　us；　and　within　a　mile　of　the　spot　thousands　of　dollars　had　been　spent　in　raising　a　city　which　was　to　have　been　rich　with　the　united　wealth　of　the　rivers　and　the　land。　Hitherto　fever　and　ague；　mud　and　malaria；　had　been　too　strong　for　man；　and　the　dollars　had　been　spent　in　vain。　　The　day；　however；　will　come　when　this　promontory　between　the　two　great　rivers　will　be　a　fit　abode　for　industry。　　Men　will　settle　there；　wandering　down　from　the　North　and　East；　and　toil　sadly；　and　leave　their　bones　among　the　mud。　Thin；　pale…faced；　joyless　mothers　will　come　there；　and　grow　old　before　their　time；　and　sickly　children　will　be　born；　struggling　up　with　wan　faces　to　their　sad　life's　labor。　　But　the　work　will　go　on；　for　it　is　God's　work；　and　the　earth　will　be　prepared　for　the　people　and　the　fat　rottenness　of　the　still　living　forest　will　be　made　to　give　forth　its　riches。　We　found　that　two　days　at　Cairo　were　quite　enough　for　us。　　We　had　seen　the　gun…boats　and　the　mortar…boats；　and　gone　through　the　sheds　of　the　soldiers。　　The　latter　were　bad；　comfortless；　damp；　and　cold；　and　certain　quarters　of　the　officers；　into　which　we　were　hospitably　taken；　were　wretched　abodes　enough；　but　the　sheds　of　Cairo　did　not　stink　like　those　of　Benton　Barracks　at　St。　Louis；　nor　had　illness　been　prevalent　there　to　the　same　degree。　　I　do　not　know　why　this　should　have　been　so；　but　such　was　the　result　of　my　observation。　　The　locality　of　Benton　Barracks　must；　from　its　nature；　have　been　the　more　healthy；　but　it　had　become　by　art　the　foulest　place　I　ever　visited。　　Throughout　the　army　it　seemed　to　be　the　fact；　that　the　men　under　canvas　were　more　comfortable；　in　better　spirits；　and　also　in　better　health；　than　those　who　were　lodged　in　sheds。　　We　had　inspected　the　Cairo　army　and　the　Cairo　navy；　and　had　also　seen　all　that　Cairo　had　to　show　us　of　its　own。　　We　were　thoroughly　disgusted　with　the　hotel；　and　retired　on　the　second　night　to　bed；　giving　positive　orders　that　we　might　be　called　at　half…past　two；　with　reference　to　that　terrible　start　to　be　made　at　half…past　three。　　As　a　matter　of　course　we　kept　dozing　and　waking　till　past　one；　in　our　fear　lest　neglect　on　the　part　of　the　watcher　should　entail　on　us　another　day　at　this　place；　of　course　we　went　fast　asleep　about　the　time　at　which　we　should　have　roused　ourselves；　and　of　course　we　were　called　just　fifteen　minutes　before　the　train　started。　　Everybody　knows　how　these　things　always　go。　　And　then　the　pair　of　us　jumping　out　of　bed　in　that　wretched　chamber；　went　through　the　mockery　of　washing　and　packing　which　always　takes　place　on　such　occasions；　a　mockery　indeed　of　washing；　for　there　was　but　one　basin　between　us！　And　a　mockery　also　of　packing；　for　I　left　my　hair…brushes　behind　me！　Cairo　was　avenged　in　that　I　had　declined　to　avail　myself　of　the　privileges　of　free　citizenship　which　had　been　offered　to　me　in　that　barber's　shop。　　And　then；　while　we　were　in　our　agony；　pulling　at　the　straps　of　our　portmanteaus　and　swearing　at　the　faithlessness　of　the　boots；　up　came　the　clerk　of　the　hotelthe　great　man　from　behind　the　barand　scolded　us　prodigiously　for　our　delay。　　〃Called！　　We　had　been　called　an　hour　ago！〃　　Which　statement；　however；　was　decidedly　untrue；　as　we　remarked；　not　with　extreme　patience。　　〃We　should　certainly　be　late；〃　he　said；　〃it　would　take　us　five　minutes　to　reach　the　train；　and　the　cars　would　be　off　in　four。〃　　Nobody　who　has　not　experienced　them　can　understand　the　agonies　of　such　momentsof　such　moments　as　regards　traveling　in　general；　but　none　who　have　not　been　at　Cairo　can　understand　the　extreme　agony　produced　by　the　threat　of　a　prolonged　sojourn　in　that　city。　　At　last　we　were　out　of　the　house；　rushing　through　the　mud；　slush；　and　half…melted　snow；　along　the　wooden　track　to　the　railway；　laden　with　bags　and　coats；　and　deafened　by　that　melancholy；　wailing　sound；　as　though　of　a　huge　polar　she…　bear　in　the　pangs　of　travail　upon　an　iceberg；　which　proceeds　from　an　American　railway…engine　before　it　commences　its　work。　　How　we　slipped　and　stumble