industrial biography-第3部分

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Americans；　so　that　he　who　first　made　known　the　use　of　that

contemptible　mineral　may　be　truly　styled　the　father　of　Arts　and　the

author　of　Plenty。〃JOHN　LOCKE。





When　Captain　Cook　and　the　early　navigators　first　sailed　into　the

South　Seas　on　their　voyages　of　discovery；　one　of　the　things　that

struck　them　with　most　surprise　was　the　avidity　which　the　natives

displayed　for　iron。　　〃Nothing　would　go　down　with　our　visitors；〃　says

Cook；　〃but　metal；　and　iron　was　their　beloved　article。〃　　A　nail　would

buy　a　good…sized　pig；　and　on　one　occasion　the　navigator　bought　some

four　hundred　pounds　weight　of　fish　for　a　few　wretched　knives

improvised　out　of　an　old　hoop。



〃For　iron　tools；〃　says　Captain　Carteret；　〃we　might　have　purchased

everything　upon　the　Freewill　Islands　that　we　could　have　brought　away。

A　few　pieces　of　old　iron　hoop　presented　to　one　of　the　natives　threw

him　into　an　ecstasy　little　short　of　distraction。〃　　At　Otaheite　the

people　were　found　generally　well…behaved　and　honest；　but　they　were

not　proof　against　the　fascinations　of　iron。　　Captain　Cook　says　that

one　of　them；　after　resisting　all　other　temptations；　〃was　at　length

ensnared　by　the　charms　of　basket　of　nails。〃　　Another　lurked　about　for

several　days；　watching　the　opportunity　to　steal　a　coal…rake。



The　navigators　found　they　could　pay　their　way　from　island　to　island

merely　with　scraps　of　iron；　which　were　as　useful　for　the　purpose　as

gold　coins　would　have　been　in　Europe。　　The　drain；　however；　being

continuous；　Captain　Cook　became　alarmed　at　finding　his　currency

almost　exhausted；　and　he　relates　his　joy　on　recovering　an　old　anchor

which　the　French　Captain　Bougainville　had　lost　at　Bolabola；　on　which

he　felt　as　an　English　banker　would　do　after　a　severe　run　upon　him　for

gold；　when　suddenly　placed　in　possession　of　a　fresh　store　of　bullion。



The　avidity　for　iron　displayed　by　these　poor　islanders　will　not　be

wondered　at　when　we　consider　that　whoever　among　them　was　so　fortunate

as　to　obtain　possession　of　an　old　nail；　immediately　became　a　man　of

greater　power　than　his　fellows；　and　assumed　the　rank　of　a　capitalist。

〃An　Otaheitan　chief；〃　says　Cook；　〃who　had　got　two　nails　in　his

possession；　received　no　small　emolument　by　letting　out　the　use　of

them　to　his　neighbours　for　the　purpose　of　boring　holes　when　their　own

methods　failed；　or　were　thought　too　tedious。〃



The　native　methods　referred　to　by　Cook　were　of　a　very　clumsy　sort；

the　principal　tools　of　the　Otaheitans　being　of　wood；　stone；　and

flint。　　Their　adzes　and　axes　were　of　stone。　　The　gouge　most　commonly

used　by　them　was　made　out　of　the　bone　of　the　human　forearm。　　Their

substitute　for　a　knife　was　a　shell；　or　a　bit　of　flint　or　jasper。

A　shark's　tooth；　fixed　to　a　piece　of　wood；　served　for　an　auger；

a　piece　of　coral　for　a　file；　and　the　skin　of　a　sting…ray　for　a

polisher。　　Their　saw　was　made　of　jagged　fishes'　teeth　fixed　on　the

convex　edge　of　a　piece　of　hard　wood。　　Their　weapons　were　of　a

similarly　rude　description；　their　clubs　and　axes　were　headed　with

stone；　and　their　lances　and　arrows　were　tipped　with　flint。　　Fire　was

another　agency　employed　by　them；　usually　in　boat…building。　　Thus；　the

New　Zealanders；　whose　tools　were　also　of　stone；　wood；　or　bone；　made

their　boats　of　the　trunks　of　trees　hollowed　out　by　fire。



The　stone　implements　were　fashioned；　Captain　Cook　says；　by　rubbing

one　stone　upon　another　until　brought　to　the　required　shape；　but；

after　all；　they　were　found　very　inefficient　for　their　purpose。　　They

soon　became　blunted　and　useless；　and　the　laborious　process　of　making

new　tools　had　to　be　begun　again。　　The　delight　of　the　islanders　at

being　put　in　possession　of　a　material　which　was　capable　of　taking　a

comparatively　sharp　edge　and　keeping　it；　may　therefore　readily　be

imagined；　and　hence　the　remarkable　incidents　to　which　we　have

referred　in　the　experience　of　the　early　voyagers。　　In　the　minds　of　the

natives；　iron　became　the　representative　of　power；　efficiency；　and

wealth；　and　they　were　ready　almost　to　fall　down　and　worship　their　new

tools；　esteeming　the　axe　as　a　deity；　offering　sacrifices　to　the　saw；

and　holding　the　knife　in　especial　veneration。



In　the　infancy　of　all　nations　the　same　difficulties　must　have　been

experienced　for　want　of　tools；　before　the　arts　of　smelting　and

working　in　metals　had　become　known；　and　it　is　not　improbable　that　the

Phoenician　navigators　who　first　frequented　our　coasts　found　the　same

avidity　for　bronze　and　iron　existing　among　the　poor　woad…stained

Britons　who　flocked　down　to　the　shore　to　see　their　ships　and　exchange

food　and　skins　with　them；　that　Captain　Cook　discovered　more　than　two

thousand　years　later　among　the　natives　of　Otaheite　and　New　Zealand。

For；　the　tools　and　weapons　found　in　ancient　burying…places　in　all

parts　of　Britain　clearly　show　that　these　islands　also　have　passed

through　the　epoch　of　stone　and　flint。



There　was　recently　exhibited　at　the　Crystal　Palace　a　collection　of

ancient　European　weapons　and　implements　placed　alongside　a　similar

collection　of　articles　brought　from　the　South　Seas；　and　they　were　in

most　respects　so　much　alike　that　it　was　difficult　to　believe　that

they　did　not　belong　to　the　same　race　and　period；　instead　of　being　the

implements　of　races　sundered　by　half　the　globe；　and　living　at　periods

more　than　two　thousand　years　apart。　　Nearly　every　weapon　in　the　one

collection　had　its　counterpart　in　the　other；the　mauls　or　celts　of

stone；　the　spearheads　of　flint　or　jasper；　the　arrowheads　of　flint　or

bone；　and　the　saws　of　jagged　stone；　showing　how　human　ingenuity；

under　like　circumstances；　had　resorted　to　like　expedients。　　It　would

also　appear　that　the　ancient　tribes　in　these　islands；　like　the　New

Zealanders；　used　fire　to　hollow　out　their　larger　boats；　several

specimens　of　this　kind　of　vessel　having　recently　been　dug　up　in　the

valleys　of　the　Witham　and　the　Clyde；　some　of　the　latter　from　under

the　very　streets　of　modern　Glasgow。*

　＇footnote。。。

〃Mr。John　Buchanan；　a　zealous　antiquary；　writing　in　1855；　informs　us

that　in　the　course　of　the　eight　years　preceding　that　date；　no　less

than　seventeen　canoes　had　been　dug　out　of　this　estuarine　silt　＇of　the

valley　of　the　Clyde＇；　and　that　he　had　personally　inspected　a　large

number　of　them　before　they　were　exhumed。　　Five　of　them　lay　buried　in

silt　under　the　streets　of　Glasgow；　one　in　a　vertical　position　with

the　prow　uppermost；　as　if　it　had　sunk　in　a　storm。。。。　　Almost　every　one

of　these　ancient　boats　was　formed　out　of　a　single　oak…stem；　hollowed

out　by　blunt　tools；　probably　stone　axes；　aided　by　the　action　of　fire；

a　few　were　cut　beautifully　smooth；　evidently　with　metallic　tools。

Hence　a　gradation　could　be　traced　from　a　pattern　of　extreme　rudeness

to　one　showing　great　mechanical　ingenuity。。。。　　In　one　of　the　canoes　a

beautifully　polished　celt　or　axe　of　greenstone　was　found；　in　the

bottom　of　another　a　plug　of　cork；　which；　as　Mr。　Geikie　remarks；

'could　only　have　come　from　the　latitudes　of　Spain；　Southern　France；

or　Italy。'〃　Sir　C。　LYELL；　Antiquity　of　Man；　48…9。

　。。。＇

Their　smaller　boats；　or　coracles；　were　made　of　osiers　interwoven；

covered　with　hides；　and　rigged　with　leathern　sails　and　thong　tackle。



It　will　readily　be　imagined　that　anything　like　civilization；　as　at

present　understood；　must　have　been　next　to　impossible　under　such

circumstances。　　〃Miserable　indeed；〃　says　Carlyle；　〃was　the　condition

of　the　aboriginal　savage；　glaring　fiercely　from　under　his　fleece　of

hair；　which　with　the　beard　reached　down　to　his　loins；　and　hung　round

them　like　a　matted　cloak；　the　rest　of　his　body　sheeted　in　its　thick

natural　fell。　　He　loitered　in　the　sunny　glades　of　the　forest；　living

on　wild　fruits；　or；　as　the　ancient　Caledonians；　squatted　himself　in

morasses；　lurking　for　his　bestial　or　human　prey；　without　implements；

without　arms；　save　the　ball　of　heavy　flint；　to　which；　that　his　sole

possession　and　defence　might　not　be　lost；　he　had　attached　a　long　cord

of　plaited　thongs；　thereby　recovering　as　well　as　hurling　it　with

deadly；　unerring　skill。〃



The　injunction　given　to　man　to　〃replenish　the　earth　and　subdue　it〃

could　not　possibly　be　fulfilled　with　implements　of　stone。　　To　fell　a

tree　with　a　flint　hatchet　would　occupy　the　labour　of　a　month；　and　to

clear　a　small　patch　of　ground　for　purposes　of　culture　would　require

the　combined　efforts　of　a　tribe。　　For　the　same　reason；　dwellings　could

not　be　erected；　and　without　dwellings　domestic　tranquillity；

security；　culture；　and　refinement；　especially　in　a　rude　climate；　were

all　but　impossible。　　Mr。　Emerson　well　observes；　that　〃the　effect　of　a

house　is　immense　on　human　tranquillity；　power；　and　refinement。　　A　man

in　a　cave　or　a　campa　nomaddies　with　no　more　estate　than　the　wolf

or　the　horse　leaves。　　But　so　simple　a　labour　as　a　house　being

achieved；　his　　chief　enemies　are　kept　at　bay。　　He　is　safe　from　the

teeth　of　wild　animals；　from　frost；　sunstroke；　and　weather；　and　fine

faculties　begin　to　yield　their　fine　harvest。　　Inventions　and　arts　are

born；　manners；　and　social　beauty　and　delight。〃　　But　to　build　a　house

which　should　serve　for　shelter；　for　safety；　and　for　comfortin　a

word；　as　a　home　for　the　family；　which　is　the　nucleus　of

societybetter　tools　than　those　of　stone　were　absolutely

indispensable。



Hence　most　of　the　early　European　tribes　were　nomadic：　　first　hunters；

wandering　about　from　place　to　place　like　the　American　Indians；　after

the　game；　then　shepherds；　following　the　herds　of　animals　which　they

had　learnt　to　tame；　from　one　grazing…ground　to　another；　living　upon

their　milk　and　flesh；　and　clothing　themselves　in　their　skins　held

together　by　leathern　thongs。　　It　was　only　when　implements　of　metal　had

been　invented　that　it　was　possible　to　practise　the　art　of　agriculture

with　any　considerable　success。　　Then　tribes　would　cease　from　their

wanderings；　and　begin　to　form　settlements；　homesteads；　villages；　and

towns。　　An　old　Scandinavian　legend　thus　curiously　illustrates　this

last　period：　　　There　was　a　g