men of invention and industry-第51部分

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cross　the　currents　of　Lagan　Water。　　In　1575；　Sir　Henry　Sydney

writes　to　the　Lords　of　the　Council：　　〃I　was　offered　skirmish　by

MacNeill　Bryan　Ertaugh　at　my　passage　over　the　water　at　Belfast；

which　I　caused　to　be　answered；　and　passed　over　without　losse　of

man　or　horse；　yet　by　reason　of　the　extraordinaire　Retorne　our

horses　swamme　and　the　Footmen　in　the　passage　waded　very　deep。〃　

The　country　round　about　was　forest　land。　　It　was　so　thickly

wooded　that　it　was　a　common　saying　that　one　might　walk　to　Lurgan

〃on　the　tops　of　the　trees。〃



In　1612；　Belfast　consisted　of　about　120　houses；　built　of　mud　and

covered　with　thatch。　　The　whole　value　of　the　land　on　which　the

town　is　built；　is　said　to　have　been　worth　only　5L。　in　fee

simple。＇19＇　〃Ulster；〃　said　Sir　John　Davies；　〃is　a　very　desert　or

wilderness；　the　inhabitants　thereof　having　for　the　most　part　no

certain　habitation　in　any　towns　or　villages。〃　　In　1659；　Belfast

contained　only　600　inhabitants：　　Carrickfergus　was　more

important；　and　had　1312　inhabitants。　　But　about　1660；　the　Long

Bridge　over　the　Lagan　was　built；　and　prosperity　began　to　dawn

upon　the　little　town。　　It　was　situated　at　the　head　of　a　navigable

lough；　and　formed　an　outlet　for　the　manufacturing　products　of　the

inland　country。　　Ships　of　any　burden；　however；　could　not　come

near　the　town。　　The　cargoes；　down　even　to　a　recent　date；　had　to

be　discharged　into　lighters　at　Garmoyle。　　Streams　of　water　made

their　way　to　the　Lough　through　the　mud　banks；　and　a　rivulet　ran

through　what　is　now　known　as　the　High　Street。



The　population　gradually　increased。　　In　1788　Belfast　had　12；000

inhabitants。　　But　it　was　not　until　after　the　Union　with　Great

Britain　that　the　town　made　so　great　a　stride。　　At　the　beginning

of　the　present　century　it　had　about　20；000　inhabitants。　　At　every

successive　census；　the　progress　made　was　extraordinary；　until　now

the　population　of　Belfast　amounts　to　over　225；000。　　There　is

scarcely　an　instance　of　so　large　a　rate　of　increase　in　the

British　Islands；　save　in　the　exceptional　case　of　Middlesborough；

which　was　the　result　of　the　opening　out　of　the　Stockton　and

Darlington　Railway；　and　the　discovery　of　ironstone　in　the　hills

of　Cleveland　in　Yorkshire。　　Dundee　and　Barrow　are　supposed　to

present　the　next　most　rapid　increases　of　population。



The　increase　of　shipping　has　also　been　equally　great。　　Ships　from

other　ports　frequented　the　Lough　for　purposes　of　trade；　but　in

course　of　time　the　Belfast　merchants　supplied　themselves　with

ships　of　their　own。　　In　1791　one　William　Ritchie；　a　sturdy　North

Briton；　brought　with　him　from　Glasgow　ten　men　and　a　quantity　of

shipbuilding　materials。　　He　gradually　increased　the　number　of　his

workmen；　and　proceeded　to　build　a　few　sloops。　　He　reclaimed　some

land　from　the　sea；　and　made　a　shipyard　and　graving　dock　on　what

was　known　as　Corporation　Ground。　　In　November　1800　the　new

graving　dock；　near　the　bridge；　was　opened　for　the　reception　of

vessels。　　It　was　capable　of　receiving　three　vessels　of　200　tons

each！　　In　1807　a　vessel　of　400　tons　burthen　was　launched　from　Mr。

Ritchie's　shipyard；　when　a　great　crowd　of　people　assembled　to

witness　the　launching　of　〃so　large　a　ship〃far　more　than　now

assemble　to　see　a　3000…tonner　of　the　White　Star　Line　leave　the

slips　and　enter　the　water！



The　shipbuilding　trade　has　been　one　of　the　most　rapidly

developed；　especially　of　late　years。　　In　1805　the　number　of

vessels　frequenting　the　port　was　840；　whereas　in　1883　the　number

had　been　increased　to　7508；　with　about　a　million　and　a…half　of

tonnage；　while　the　gross　value　of　the　exports　from　Belfast

exceeded　twenty　millions　sterling　annually。　　In　1819　the　first

steamboat　of　100　tons　was　used　to　tug　the　vessels　up　the　windings

of　the　Lough；　which　it　did　at　the　rate　of　three　miles　an　hour；　to

the　astonishment　of　everybody。　　Seven　years　later；　the　steamboat

Rob　Roy　was　put　on　between　Glasgow　and　Belfast。　　But　these

vessels　had　been　built　in　Scotland。　　It　was　not　until　1826　that

the　first　steamboat；　the　chieftain；　was　built　in　Belfast；　by　the

same　William　Ritchie。　　Then；　in　1838；　the　first　iron　boat　was

built　in　the　Lagan　foundry；　by　Messrs。　Coates　and　Young；　though

it　was　but　a　mere　cockle…shell　compared　with　the　mighty　ocean

steamers　which　are　now　regularly　launched　from　Queen's　Island。　

In　the　year　1883　the　largest　shipbuilding　firm　in　the　town

launched　thirteen　vessels；　of　over　30；000　tons　gross；　while　two

other　firms　launched　twelve　ships；　of　about　10；000　tons　gross。



I　do　not　propose　to　enter　into　details　respecting　the　progress　of

the　trades　of　Belfast。　　The　most　important　is　the　spinning　of

fine　linen　yarn；　which　is　for　the　most　part　concentrated　in　that

town；　over　25；000；000　of　pounds　weight　being　exported　annually。　

Towards　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century　the　linen　manufacture

had　made　but　little　progress。　　In　1680　all　Ireland　did　not　export

more　than　6000L。　worth　annually。　　Drogheda　was　then　of　greater

importance　than　Belfast。　　But　with　the　settlement　of　the

persecuted　Hugnenots　in　Ulster；　and　especially　through　the

energetic　labours　of　Crommelin；　Goyer；　and　others；　the　growth　of

flax　was　sedulously　cultivated；　and　its　manufacture　into　linen　of

all　sorts　became　an　important　branch　of　Irish　industry。　　In　the

course　of　about　fifty　years　the　exports　of　linen　fabrics

increased　to　the　value　of　over　600；000L。　per　annum。



It　was　still；　however；　a　handicraft　manufacture；　and　done　for　the

most　part　at　home。　　Flax　was　spun　and　yarn　was　woven　by　hand。　

Eventually　machinery　was　employed；　and　the　turn…out　became

proportionately　large　and　valuable。　　It　would　not　be　possible　for

hand　labour　to　supply　the　amount　of　linen　now　turned　out　by　the

aid　of　machinery。　　It　would　require　three　times　the　entire

population　of　Ireland　to　spin　and　weave；　by　the　old

spinning…wheel　and　hand…loom　methods；　the　amount　of　linen　cloth

now　annually　manufactured　by　the　operatives　of　Belfast　alone。　

There　are　now　forty　large　spinning…mills　in　Belfast　and　the

neighbourhood；　which　furnish　employment　to　a　very　large　number　of

working　people。＇20＇



In　the　course　of　my　visit　to　Belfast；　I　inspected　the　works　of

the　York　Street　flax…spinning　mills；　founded　in　1830　by　the

Messrs。　Mulholland；　which　now　give　employment；　directly　or

indirectly；　to　many　thousand　persons。　　I　visited　also；　with　my

young　Italian　friend；　the　admirable　printing　establishment　of

Marcus　Ward　and　Co。；　the　works　of　the　Belfast　Rope…work　Company；

and　the　shipbuilding　works　of　Harland　and　Wolff。　　There　we　passed

through　the　roar　of　the　iron　forge；　the　clang　of　the　Nasmyth

hammer；　and　the　intermittent　glare　of　the　furnacesall　telling

of　the　novel　appliances　of　modern　shipbuilding；　and　the　power　of

the　modern　steam…engine。　　I　prefer　to　give　a　brief　account　of

this　latter　undertaking；　as　it　exhibits　one　of　the　newest　and

most　important　industries　of　Belfast。　　It　also　shows；　on　the　part

of　its　proprietors；　a　brave　encounter　with　difficulties；　and　sets

before　the　friends　of　Ireland　the　truest　and　surest　method　of　not

only　giving　employment　to　its　people；　but　of　building　up　on　the

surest　foundations　the　prosperity　of　the　country。



The　first　occasion　on　which　I　visited　Belfastthe　reader　will

excuse　the　introduction　of　myselfwas　in　1840；　about　forty…four

years　ago。　　I　went　thither　on　the　invitation　of　the　late　Wm。　

Sharman　Crawford；　Esq。；　M。P。；　the　first　prominent　advocate　of

tenant…right；　to　attend　a　public　meeting　of　the　Ulster

Association；　and　to　spend　a　few　days　with　him　at　his　residence　at

Crawfordsburn；　near　Bangor。　　Belfast　was　then　a　town　of

comparatively　little　importance；　though　it　had　already　made　a

fair　start　in　commerce　and　industry。　　As　our　steamer　approached

the　head　of　the　Lough；　a　large　number　of　labourers　were

observedwith　barrows；　picks；　and　spadesscooping　out　and

wheeling　up　the　slob　and　mud　of　the　estuary；　for　the　purpose　of

forming　what　is　now　known　as　Queen's　Island；　on　the　eastern　side

of　the　river　Lagan。　　The　work　was　conducted　by　William　Dargan；

the　famous　Irish　contractor；　and　its　object　was　to　make　a

straight　artificial　outletthe　Victoria　Channelby　means　of

which　vessels　drawing　twenty…three　feet　of　water　might　reach　the

port　of　Belfast。　　Before　then；　the　course　of　the　Lagan　was

tortuous　and　difficult　of　navigation；　but　by　the　straight　cut；

which　was　completed　in　l846；　and　afterwards　extended　further

seawards；　ships　of　large　burden　were　enabled　to　reach　the　quays；

which　extend　for　about　a　mile　below　Queen's　Bridge；　on　both　sides

of　the　river。



It　was　a　saying　of　honest　William　Dargan；　that　〃when　a　thing　is

put　anyway　right　at　all；　it　takes　a　vast　deal　of　mismanagement　to

make　it　go　wrong。〃　　He　had　another　curious　saying　about　〃the　calf

eating　the　cow's　belly；〃　which；　he　said；　was　not　right；　〃at　all；

at　all。〃　　Belfast　illustrated　his　proverbial　remarks。　　That　the

cutting　of　the　Victoria　Channel　was　doing　the　〃right　thing〃　for

Belfast；　was　clear；　from　the　constantly　increasing　traffic　of　the

port。　　In　course　of　time；　several　extensive　docks　and　tidal

basins　were　added；　while　provision　was　made；　in　laying　out　the

reclaimed　land　at　the　entrance　of　the　estuary；　for　their　future

extension　and　enlargement。　　The　town　of　Belfast　was　by　these

means　gradually　placed　in　immediate　connection　by　sea　with　the

principal　western　ports　of　England　and　Scotland；steamships　of

large　burden　now　leaving　it　daily　for　Liverpool；　Glasgow；

Fleetwood；　Barrow；　and　Ardrossan。　　The　ships　entering　the　port　of

Belfast　in　1883　were　7508；　of　1；526；535　tonnage；　they　had　been

more　than　doubled　in　fifteen　years。　　The　town　has　risen　from

nothing；　to　exhibit　a　Customs　revenue；　in　1883；　of　608；781L。；

infinitely　greater　than　that　of　Leith；　the　port　of　Edinburgh；　or

of　Hull；　the　chief　port　of　Yorkshire。　　The　population　has　also

largely　increased。　　When　I　visited　Belfast　in　1840；　the　town

contained　75；000　inhabitants。　　They　are　now　over　225；006；　o