"But you have not seen one-half of India," replied Louis.
"I read a story in an old schoolbook Uncle Moses had used when he didn't weigh as much as I do now, which was called 'The Half is Better than the Whole;' and it proved the proposition with which it started out. That is just what is the matter now."
"But you have been seeing new things all the time, and learning something," added Louis.
"That's very true; but we have seen all the big mosques1 and things, and enough is as good as a feast," suggested Scott. "I suppose if we stayed here a couple of years more we should not see the whole of the country. We have got a specimen2 brick of the principal cities; and a dozen specimens3 of the same thing don't amount to much."
"But you haven't seen Calcutta yet, and that is the biggest toad4 in the puddle," said Felix. "The ship will be there, and if you are homesick you can go on board of her."
But the call for attention from Captain Ringgold interrupted the conversation, and Sir Modava had seated himself in front of the company to give one of his "talks."
"Our route will be along the Ganges till we come to Luckieserai Junction5, where the loop-line falls into the main line," the Hindu gentleman began.
"Is it much of a fall, sir?" asked Felix.
"I don't understand you, Mr. McGavonty," replied the speaker blankly.
"The expression 'falls into the main line' is somewhat different from what we use at home; but the young man ought to have understood you," interposed the commander.
"What would you have said, Captain?"
"The loop-line we call a branch, and we say connects with instead of falls into," replied the captain. "But your meaning was plain enough, and our boys must fall into the methods of expression used here."
"Though you have seen the Ganges several times, not much has been said about it; and I will tell you a little more concerning it before we leave, not to see it again. It rises in Gahrwal, one of the Hill states, north-east of Delhi. It has its source in an ice-cave nearly fourteen thousand feet above the level of the sea. It is not called the Ganges till it has received the flow of two other rivers, a hundred and fifty miles or more from its lofty source. Just below Allahabad it takes in the Jumna, itself a mighty6 stream.
"As you have learned, it is the holy river of the Hindus; and it deserves their homage7, for, aside from the religious character they give to it, three hundred thousand square miles are drained and fertilized8 by the Ganges and its tributaries9. Of its sanctity, that it washes away sin, and that death in its waters or on its shores is the passport to eternal bliss10, you have learned. But it renders a more immediate11 and practical service to the people; for it is navigable for small craft from the point where it enters the lowlands, seventy or eighty miles north of Delhi.
"The river is 1,509 miles long. Though it rises and falls at different seasons, it never fails, even in the hottest summer; and its inundations render, to some extent, the benefit which the Nile does to the soil of Egypt. Like the Mississippi, in your country, it has sometimes changed its course, as proved by the ruins of cities that were once on its banks.
"Now you have a view of the Ganges for quite a distance, and can see the kinds of boats that navigate12 it. It is one of the most frequented waterways in the world, though the building of railways and canals has somewhat diminished the amount of freight borne on its tide. About £6,000,000 is needed to complete the Ganges canal, which will reach all the cities through which you have passed. There is a very complicated mythology13 connected with the river, which it would take me all day to relate, and therefore I will not meddle14 with it."
For a couple of hours the passengers watched the boats and steamers on the river, and the scenes on the other side. While they were thus employed, Lord Tremlyn gave to each person a map of Calcutta, intimating that he should soon tell them something about the city; and they all began to study it, so as to form some idea of the place they were next to visit. Of course they could make out but little from the vast maze15 of streets, but some of them obtained a very good idea of the situation of the city and many of its important buildings.
"People coming from England or America generally arrive at Calcutta or Bombay, the larger portion at the former. From the sea the metropolis16 of India is reached by the Hoogly River, the most western outlet17 of the Ganges," his lordship began. "It is sometimes spelled Hugli. Under this name, the stream is known sixty-four miles above Calcutta and seventeen below. Vessels18 drawing twenty-six feet of water come up to the city; though the stream, like the Mississippi, is liable to be silted20 up."
"I see that some of you look at me as though I had used a strange word. Silt21 is the deposit of mud, sand, or earth of any kind carried up and down streams by the tide or other current. But the river engineers here are constantly removing it; the course is kept open, and the Hoogly pilots are very skilful22. The river has also a bore, though not a great bore, like some people I know.
"We know the book-agent better than this one," said Scott.
"Some of our rivers in England have bores, though not book-agents; so have the Seine, the Amazon, and others with broad estuaries23. High tides drive a vast body of water into the wide mouth; and, as the stream is not large enough to take it in, it piles it up into a ridge24, which rolls up the river. It forms a wall of water in the Hoogly seven feet high, which is sometimes dangerous to small craft. Enough of the Hoogly.
"Calcutta, by the last census25, 1891, had a population of 861,764; but it is not so large as New York, Philadelphia, or Chicago; and London is the only larger city in the United Kingdom. It became a town in 1686. After it had attained26 considerable importance, in 1756, it was attacked by the Nawab of Bengal, the king or rajah; and after a siege of two days the place yielded. The tragedy of the 'Black Hole' followed."
"I have heard of that, but I don't know what it means," said Mrs. Belgrave.
"You observe the large open enclosure at the right of your map of the city, the esplanade. Within it is Fort William, which has existed nearly two hundred years. It had a military prison, which has since been called the 'Black Hole.' The nawab caused one hundred and forty-six prisoners, all he had taken, to be shut up in a room only eighteen feet square, with only two small windows, both of them obstructed27 by a veranda28. This was but a little more than two square feet on the floor for each person, so that they could not stand up without crowding each other. They spent the night there, pressing together, the heat terrible, enduring the pangs29 of suffocation30. In the morning all were dead but twenty-three.
"The nawab held the fort for seven months, when it was recaptured by Lord Clive. Calcutta extends about five miles on the bank of the river, being about two in breadth. I shall not follow out its history, for you will hear enough of that as you visit the various localities."
"I used to think Calicut and Calcutta were the same city," said Louis.
"Not at all, though the names of the two may have been derived31 from the same source. The name of the great city is from Kali, a Hindu goddess of whom you heard in Bombay, and cuttah, a temple; and doubtless there was such a building here. Calicut is on the south-west coast of India, and was a very rich and populous32 city when it was visited by Vasco da Gama, who was the first to double the Cape33 of Good Hope, in 1498. The cotton cloth, calico, generally called print, gets its name from this city."
Dinner was brought into the carriages; and the tourists slept in the afternoon, arriving at Calcutta in the evening. The Great Eastern, one of the two largest hotels in the city, was prepared to receive them. Here, as in Bombay and elsewhere, every guest is attended by his own servant. Half a dozen of them had been retained, but when the omnibuses set them down at the hotel a hundred more could have been readily procured34.
The business of sight-seeing began early the next morning with a visit to the esplanade, which may be called a park, though it contains a variety of buildings besides Fort William, which is half a mile in diameter. The enclosure is a mile and three-quarters in length by about one mile in depth from the river. The Government House occupies a position next to it, and they passed it as they entered.
"Whose statue is that--the Duke of Wellington?" asked Louis, as he walked on one side of Sir Modava, with his mother on the other side.
"Not at all; most of our streets and buildings are named after persons noted35 in the history of India," replied the Indian gentleman, laughing. "That is the statue of Lord William Cavendish Bentinck, the first governor-general of India; and many important events dated from his time, for he suppressed the suttee and thugging."
"Thugging?" repeated the lady interrogatively.
"You have not been told about it; but I will give you its history when we have time, for here are the Eden Gardens," replied Sir Modava.
"Not the Garden of Eden?" suggested Mrs. Belgrave.
"Only named for it; but it is a very beautiful garden in English style, though the trees and plants are, of course, different. It has water enough for variety; and there is no difficulty at all in getting it, for the city is hardly above the river at high tide. All there is of the fort you can see from here."
"But what are those things over the other side of the park?"
"They are all tanks; and, of course, they are to hold water. Each of them has its name, generally Indian. Now we will walk across to the Chowringhee Road, where the finest private residences of the city are situated36. On our left is the Government House, which we passed when we came in. It is a fine building, and it has a large garden of its own."
"But what is it for?" asked the lady.
"It is the residence of the governor-general, generally called the viceroy; and he has his offices there. Now, if you look beyond Fort William, you will see the race-course."
"I don't care for that," replied Mrs. Belgrave, whose memories of the sport were anything but pleasant.
"Near it is the presidency37 jail, and there are two hospitals farther along."
The party walked along the road to view the residences of the nabobs, and returned to the hotel, where they seated themselves on the large veranda overlooking the street. The first thing Louis did was to look at a thermometer he discovered on a post.
"How hot is it, Louis?" asked his mother.
"It isn't hot at all; it is only 70°."
"The glass varies here from 52° to 100°; but we don't get the latter figure except in summer," added Sir Modava.
"But you have awful cyclones38 here, an English lady told me last night," said Mrs. Belgrave.
"We do; but we never have them at this season of the year; they come in May, September, and October, and sometimes in November the belated ones. In 1867 we had one in the latter month which destroyed thirty thousand native houses; but you know they are built of bamboos and such stuff, and it does not take much of a breeze to demolish39 them. Another in June, 1870, did nearly as much damage."
"I should think the bore would make mischief40 here," suggested Louis.
"The monsoons41 here begin in July, and during their time the bore is the most mischievous42. The big wave comes up the river at the rate of twenty miles an hour. All boats run for the middle of the river, where the billow does not break against the shore. Ships often part their cables, and knock themselves to pieces against the walls. Sometimes the bore is twelve feet high, though not much more than half that generally."
"What are the prices at a hotel like this one, Lord Tremlyn?" asked Dr. Hawkes.
"Here is the list of prices," replied his lordship, handing him a card taken from the wall.
"Coffee at six in the morning, breakfast à la fourchette at nine, tiffin at one, and dinner at seven. Price, Rs. six per day," the doctor read. "I suppose Rs. means rupees; and that makes it about twelve English shillings, or three dollars a day, which is not high."
"There are no extras except for wines, liquors, and beer, which none of your people use," added the viscount. "But you have to pay for your own attendance; and your servant's pay is from eight to ten rupees a month, or about a pound."
"Cheap enough!" exclaimed the surgeon. "I have to pay my waiter at home six pounds a month."
"Now, what is there to be seen in Calcutta?" asked the commander after breakfast.
"If you wish to see mosques, temples, pagodas"--the viscount began.
"We do not," interposed the captain. "At first those were very interesting; but we have seen enough of them."
"I supposed so," added Lord Tremlyn. "I have ordered carriages, and to-day we will take a general view of the city."
This plan was agreeable to the party, and it was carried out. From the hotel they proceeded to the river. There was a crowd of shipping43 at anchor, and at the landing-stages and jetties. Among them Louis was the first to discover the Guardian-Mother. She was in the middle of the river, off Fort William. Half a mile below her they saw the Blanche. At the request of the commander, the carriages went down to the fort, where the passengers all alighted, and gathered together on the shore. The gentlemen cheered, and the ladies waved their handkerchiefs.
"I see that Mr. Boulong has painted the ship, and she looks as taut44 and snug45 as a man-of-war," said the commander, who was evidently glad to see his vessel19.
"They are lowering the boats," added Louis; and in a few minutes the barge46 and first cutter came up to the shore.
There was a general handshaking with the first officer, in command, and the boys extended this courtesy to all the crews of the boats, going on board of them for a few minutes. It was a happy meeting; but it could not be long continued, and the carriages drove off again.
As he was about to take his place in the landau, Mr. Boulong informed the commander that he had received a visit from Captain Mazagan. He wanted to see Captain Ringgold, but did not state his business. The first officer could not tell whether the visitor knew the Blanche was in the river, for he had not mentioned her. With the statement that the party would go on board in two or three days, they parted, and the boats returned to the ship. The commander had something to think of now; but he came to the conclusion that the reprobate47 was not aware of the presence of the Blanche or her owner.
The carriages followed the shore road till they came to the upper end of the city, and then turned into the first of the long streets with several names in different parts, which extends entirely48 through the town. Near the esplanade they found the finest shops, and the ladies went into some of them to see the goods. Then they struck the Circular Road, and drove entirely around the city.
"This reminds me of Moscow, in some parts, where palaces and shanties49 are side by side in the same street," said Captain Ringgold. "There does not seem to be any aristocratic section, unless that by the esplanade is such."
They saw plenty of mosques, temples, and churches, some of the latter very fine. They believed they had taken in the whole city. After dinner Lord Tremlyn invited them to an excursion on board of a steam-yacht the next day, the use of which was tendered to him by a high official.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
mosques
|
|
| 清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
specimen
|
|
| n.样本，标本 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
specimens
|
|
| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
toad
|
|
| n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
junction
|
|
| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
homage
|
|
| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
Fertilized
|
|
| v.施肥( fertilize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
tributaries
|
|
| n. 支流 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
bliss
|
|
| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
navigate
|
|
| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
mythology
|
|
| n.神话，神话学，神话集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
meddle
|
|
| v.干预，干涉，插手 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
maze
|
|
| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
metropolis
|
|
| n.首府；大城市 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
outlet
|
|
| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
vessels
|
|
| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
silted
|
|
| v.（河流等）为淤泥淤塞( silt的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）淤塞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
silt
|
|
| n.淤泥，淤沙，粉砂层，泥沙层；vt.使淤塞；vi.被淤塞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
skilful
|
|
| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
estuaries
|
|
| （江河入海的）河口，河口湾( estuary的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
ridge
|
|
| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
census
|
|
| n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
attained
|
|
| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
obstructed
|
|
| 阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
veranda
|
|
| n.走廊；阳台 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
pangs
|
|
| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
suffocation
|
|
| n.窒息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
derived
|
|
| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
populous
|
|
| adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
cape
|
|
| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
procured
|
|
| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
situated
|
|
| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
presidency
|
|
| n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
cyclones
|
|
| n.气旋( cyclone的名词复数 )；旋风；飓风；暴风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
demolish
|
|
| v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
mischief
|
|
| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
monsoons
|
|
| n.（南亚、尤指印度洋的）季风( monsoon的名词复数 )；（与季风相伴的）雨季；（南亚地区的）雨季 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
mischievous
|
|
| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
shipping
|
|
| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
taut
|
|
| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
snug
|
|
| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
barge
|
|
| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
reprobate
|
|
| n.无赖汉；堕落的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
shanties
|
|
| n.简陋的小木屋( shanty的名词复数 )；铁皮棚屋；船工号子；船歌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |