"Very likely it was," answered Mr. Lowington, dryly. "There was a squall coming up at the time—was there not?"
"I knew there was a shower coming up."
"You declined to let him go on deck?"
"I did, sir. The recitation in Greek was not half finished," replied the professor, who deemed this a sufficient reason for declining.
"Captain Kendall did not go on deck when the first message was sent down?"
"No, sir; we continued the recitation for half an hour longer without interruption. Then the messenger came again. I told Mr. Kendall not to leave the class; but, in direct opposition to my order, he wenton deck. Not satisfied with this, though he knew that half the students were engaged in the recitations, he ordered all hands to be called. Of course the students were glad enough to get away from their lessons; and all of them stampeded from the steerage, in spite of my protest, and without even a word of apology."
"Did they?" added Mr. Lowington, with difficulty avoiding the disrespect of laughing in the face of the learned gentleman.
"They did; and it must be as clear to you as it is to me, that such conduct is utterly subversive of anything like good discipline."
"May I ask what punishment you propose as suitable for such an offence as that of Captain Kendall?"
"I am perfectly willing to leave that matter to you, sir; but I should think that simple suspension from his office would be sufficient, considering the position of Mr. Kendall."
"Mr. Hamblin, it is your misfortune, not your fault, that you were brought up on shore instead of at sea," added the principal. "You have made a very great mistake, sir."
"I, sir!" exclaimed the learned gentleman, springing up from his seat as though such an event as that indicated by Mr. Lowington had never occurred in his life.
"Captain Kendall also made a mistake," continued the principal.
"He did indeed, sir. It is always a very great mistake to disobey one's teacher."
"I do not mean that."
"May I ask what you do mean, sir?"
"His mistake was in not going on deck when the messenger sent to him by the officer of the deck reported that a squall was coming up."
"But I refused the permission," said the professor, warmly.
"Then he should have gone without your permission," added Mr. Lowington, decidedly.
"Am I to understand, sir, that you counsel disobedience among the boys on the Josephine?"
"No, sir; I counsel obedience to the laws of God and man, and to the orders of one's superior. Mr. Hamblin, is it possible that you could not understand the circumstances of that occasion?" continued the principal. "A squall was coming up, and you desired to detain the captain of your vessel in the steerage!"
"But half the crew were on deck. I am told that Mr. Terrill is a competent seaman. He knew enough to take down the sails, if necessary."
"Such a course would have been without a precedent, and in violation of one of the rules of the ship."
"Did you not tell me that all the students, including the captain,—you mentioned him especially,—were subject to the orders of the professors in school hours?"
"I certainly did; but if I had supposed that there was an instructor in either vessel so utterly wanting in discretion, I should have qualified the statement. Captain Kendall is in command of the Josephine. He is responsible for the safety of the vessel and for the lives of those on board."
"He might have sent up word to take down the sails," growled Mr. Hamblin, disgusted beyond measure at the decision of the principal.
"Did any one ever hear of a captain working his vessel while in the steerage?" retorted Mr. Lowington, impatiently, as he took a pen and wrote a few lines on a sheet of paper. "Was Captain Kendall respectful to you?"
"No, sir."
"What did he say that was disrespectful?"
"Disobedience is always disrespectful. He used no disrespectful words."
"I did not suppose he did. In a word, if Captain Kendall had gone on deck when the first messenger went to him, I should have justified and sustained him. I will go a step farther: he ought to have done so."
"Then I am to understand that I am a mere cipher on board of the Josephine," demanded Mr. Hamblin.
"You are to understand, sir, that the first duty of the captain of a ship is to his vessel and to those on board of her. Why, sir, I thought the young gentleman was insane, and I was intensely anxious, when I saw his vessel with all her light sails on while a squall, so clearly indicated as that of Saturday, was impending. I blamed him very much. The squall was as likely to come half an hour sooner as when it did come. If it had struck her with all sail set, it would have taken the masts out of her—perhaps foundered her. If several of the students had been lost, what satisfaction would it be to me or their friends to know that the disaster occurred because the professor of Greek refused to let the captain go on deck!"
"Perhaps I was wrong, sir."
"Perhapsyou were! If you do not know that youwere, you are not fit for the position to which I assigned you."
"I see that you fully sustain Mr. Kendall," groaned the professor.
"I only blame him because he did not disobey you the first time instead of the second."
"Was it necessary for him to call all hands?" demanded Mr. Hamblin, triumphantly.
"It was emphatically necessary! If he had gone on deck when the first message reached him, it might not have been necessary, though I should have sustained him in doing so; for the safest side is always the best side. May I ask you to read this order?" added the principal, as he handed the sheet upon which he had written to the learned professor.
Mr. Hamblin read the order aloud.
Captain Kendall is hereby authorized and directed to leave any class in which he may be engaged, whenever, in his own judgment, the management of his vessel requires him to do so. The instructors in the consort are requested to respect this order.R. Lowington.
Captain Kendall is hereby authorized and directed to leave any class in which he may be engaged, whenever, in his own judgment, the management of his vessel requires him to do so. The instructors in the consort are requested to respect this order.
R. Lowington.
Professor Hamblin dropped the paper, took off his spectacles, looked on the floor a moment, and seemed to feel that the nautical academy was not the paradise of schoolmasters.
"Mr. Lowington, I feel obliged to tender my resignation of the position I occupy," said the learned gentleman, haughtily.
"Very well, sir. Though the want of an instructor in your department will be a serious inconvenience to me, I shall accept your resignation if you are not willing to respect this order," replied the principal.
That ended the conference, and Paul was sustained.
Professor Hamblin went on deck, walked up and down, and made himself as miserable as possible. He was the senior instructor of the Josephine, and was the superintendent of her academic department. He had been a schoolmaster or a professor for forty years, and was fully steeped in the dogmatism of the pedagogue. He was disposed to be overbearing and tyrannical, though perhaps his profession, rather than his nature, had implanted this tendency in his character. Certainly the almost absolute sway of the schoolmaster encourages such an unfortunate development of the lower faculties of human nature.
It is necessary that the parent or the teacher should have this absolute sway. Practically, his will is law, and the child has no alternative but to rebel or obey. The limit to his authority is only placed on the line where tyranny ends and actual abuse begins. It is true that public opinion has its influence upon the teacher or parent; but there is room for much petty oppression before the limit of endurance is reached. A man may be an efficient teacher, and produce splendid intellectual results, while he is a tyrant andan oppressor; indeed, his tyranny and oppression may be the very means by which his success is accomplished.
The rights of the pupil are not recognized by such men. The scholar is regarded as a machine, rather than an immortal soul. Though Mr. Hamblin was a very pious man, in his own way, and was very careful in his observance of all the forms of law and tradition, he was a tyrant at heart. He ruled with an iron will, and willingly suffered no one in the school-room to hold an opinion different from his own. He was not popular in the Josephine; he had never been a popular teacher anywhere, though he had been a successful one, so far as intellectual results were concerned. His success seemed to justify him, and certainly it added to the strength of his tyrannical will.
The good schoolmaster recognizes and respects the rights of the scholar. While he is an unflinching disciplinarian, expecting an unquestioning obedience, he does not believe in his own infallibility. He is kind and considerate, and regards his pupil as an embryo man, "endowed with certain inalienable rights," which none may trample upon with impunity. He is both just and merciful, his heart being filled with love to God and love to man.
Such was not Mr. Hamblin. The greatest sin of a student was to have a will of his own. He had not the power or the inclination to harmonize that will with the requirements of duty, and he broke it down, not by coarse abuse, but by making the pupil so uncomfortable that a total submission was better thana reasonable independence. In mild-tempered boys, like Paul Kendall, the task was an easy one, when no principle was at stake.
The professor walked up and down the deck, brooding over his grievances. He could not afford to abandon his situation on the one hand, and it seemed impossible to acknowledge that he was wholly wrong on the other hand. When he had thoroughly cooled off, he was willing to own that it was necessary for the captain to go on deck, and that if he had comprehended the situation he should have given him permission to do so. But he knew nothing about the management of a vessel. How should a professor of Greek and Latin be expected to understand a matter which even the most ignorant could comprehend, and of which even a boy of sixteen had made himself master? Boys could play base-ball, but he did not know how; and it seemed just as much beneath his dignity to be familiar with practical navigation.
He was sorry now that he had not given Captain Kendall permission to go on deck; for it was impossible to refute the arguments of the principal; but at the same time he had not overstepped the duties of his office. He had been informed that all the students, even to the captain, were subject to his will and pleasure during school hours, and therefore he had a perfect right to detain the captain. It was not his fault that a blunder had been made; he had not made it.
The order which Mr. Lowington had shown him would remedy the difficulty in future, and prevent its repetition; but if that order was promulgated, it would assure the pupils that Captain Kendall hadbeen fully sustained, and that the professor had not been sustained. Mr. Hamblin shuddered at the thought; for justifying a student at the expense of the instructor was an enormity which he could not countenance. The captain's will would remain unbroken, and the professor would occupy a secondary position on board of the Josephine.
The learned gentleman walked the deck hour after hour, endeavoring to devise a plan by which he could return to his position without the sacrifice of any portion of his dignity. Mr. Lowington, in saying that the professor's resignation would be a serious inconvenience to him, had left the door open for him to revise his final action. The squadron was eventually to visit Greece and other classic lands, and he was very anxious to continue his travels, not only without expense to himself, but while in the receipt of a handsome salary. Such an opportunity to see Europe could never again be presented to him, and he was not willing to sacrifice it.
Professor Hamblin was becoming more reasonable; but there was the untamed will of Captain Kendall, an unconquered fortress, in his path. Perhaps Mr. Lowington, now that the excitement of the first interview had subsided, might help him out of the embarrassing dilemma, though his decided manner was not very encouraging. The professor determined to have another interview, and as soon as he saw the principal alone he opened the subject again.
"What you said about my resignation, Mr. Lowington, gives me some uneasiness. It is not my wish to subject you to any inconvenience by leaving you, ina foreign land, where much delay must necessarily ensue before you can obtain a suitable person to fill my place," said he, in a tone of embarrassment.
"It would disturb my plans very much; but I cannot endanger the vessel and the lives of those on board of her. The position of Captain Kendall is anomalous, you will perceive."
"I am quite willing now to say that if I had understood the situation, I should have permitted Mr. Kendall to leave the class."
"And I am quite willing to say that your services as an instructor are entirely satisfactory to me," added the principal, with a smile.
They were more satisfactory to him than they were to the students of the Josephine.
"Then we seem to be in full accord with each other on these points," replied the professor, hopefully. "I trust some arrangement may be made to reconcile the differences of opinion on the question of discipline. You do not sustain me, Mr. Lowington."
"I cannot, sir. If I did, I should expect the Josephine to go to the bottom with all on board, in the first gale of wind she encounters, should Captain Kendall happen to be reciting his Greek at the time."
"I think I understand the matter better now, and in a similar emergency I should permit him to leave the class."
"In matters of seamanship and navigation, I have more confidence in the judgment of Captain Kendall than in yours. He must be absolute in his position as captain of the vessel."
"Of course, sir; and in the composition of a soup doubtless you would have more confidence in the judgment of your cook than in mine," added the professor, cynically; for, intellectually, the cook and the captain appeared to be on the same level to him; and as a professor of Greek, he did not regard it as any more derogatory to his dignity not to know anything of the principles of seamanship than to be ignorant of the art of making a soup.
"The order which I have written, and which I shall transmit to Captain Kendall as soon as the squadron comes to anchor, will set the matter right," said Mr. Lowington.
"Do you insist on issuing that order?" asked Mr. Hamblin.
"I do."
"Let me say that Mr. Stoute did not indorse my course, and that in future I will give Mr. Kendall permission to leave the class whenever he desires to do so."
"That is very well, sir; but, under the circumstances, I cannot permit the captain to be embarrassed even by the necessity of asking permission. If, by any diffidence on his part, he should delay asking leave to go on deck, serious mishaps might occur."
"Then I am to be subject to the will of that boy?" said the professor, disgusted at the thought.
"Not unless you are connected with the sailing department of the vessel. You are simply prevented from exercising your will over him, to the detriment of his duties as a navigator."
"In this light the case looks different to me," added the professor, who was laboring to recede from his position as gracefully as possible. "I am willing to permit the captain to have his own will in all matters pertaining to the management of the vessel, as I am to allow the cook entire freedom in making his soup."
"Then nothing more need be said, and you can resume your position on board of the Josephine at once."
"I am not entirely satisfied about that order, Mr. Lowington," added Mr. Hamblin.
"Why not?"
"Because that sustains Mr. Kendall and condemns me in a public and formal manner."
"That is precisely what I intend to do."
"It amounts to sacrificing me, by placing me in a derogatory position. I have not transcended the power given me, and it is not right that I should be formally condemned."
"The order passes no judgment upon the past; it relates to the future only. Captain Kendall must understand that he has full liberty to go when and where he pleases, in the discharge of his duty. I am confident he will not abuse this liberty."
"But I am to stand before him in this business as a whipped puppy. Couldn't you give him the order verbally, and explain my position to him?"
"What is your position?" demanded the principal, with a smile.
"I mean simply that in detaining him I erred through a want of knowledge of seamanship."
"I can explain that; but I think it would be better for you to do so."
"For me!" gasped the professor. "Why, sir, that would be an apology!"
"It would be merely an explanation, which would come more gracefully from you than from any other person."
"I don't think so, sir. It would be lowering myself before him."
"As you please, Mr. Hamblin. I will explain the matter myself, when I give him the order."
"If you could give him the order verbally, it would be better."
"No; he must have the written order to show to any professor who disputes his authority. But Captain Kendall will never give you any trouble. He is manly and gentle, and he will not take advantage of his position."
"I think he will have abundant ground to manifest his triumph."
"He will not do anything of the kind. If any officer of the Josephine treats you with disrespect, he shall be suspended at once from office."
"That is very proper, sir," added Mr. Hamblin, heartily.
The learned gentleman let himself down as easily as possible. He had consented to remain rather than subject the principal to the great inconvenience and delay of procuring a new instructor. Captain Kendall was to be independent only in the sailing department, in which he had no disposition to interfere, any more than with the cook. He regarded it as a bitter necessity which compelled him to return to the Josephine; for he could not forego the pecuniaryadvantage and the opportunity of visiting the classic lands which the voyage presented; but, though he yielded with what grace he could command, he was dissatisfied with Mr. Lowington, and more dissatisfied with Paul.
To go back to the consort unsustained was almost like going to a dungeon for a capital crime, to which nothing but personal interest induced him to submit. If the captain did not enjoy his triumph, it would be a degree of forbearance which he could not comprehend. But he was quite certain that the captain would "put on airs," abuse his absolute liberty, and perhaps snub his teacher before the class. Mr. Hamblin expected this, and made up his mind to be on the lookout for it.
After dinner Mr. Lowington suggested that his services must be much needed on board of the Josephine, and proposed to send him to her at once. Mr. Hamblin consented, and as the consort kept astern of the ship, the latter was hove to, and the professor's barge lowered. Mr. Lowington went with the learned gentleman, and agreeably to his promise, made a full explanation to Paul, while the instructor, without a word to any one, hastened to the steerage, and called his class, just as though nothing had occurred. It was observed that he was unusually sour, crabbed, and precise, and all the students were anxious to know how the question of discipline had been settled.
"Read this order, if you please, Captain Kendall," said the principal, when he had conducted him to the cabin, where they were alone.
"I have no desire to leave my class, unless my dutyto the vessel requires it," added Paul, after he had read the order.
"I did not suppose you had; but you will keep that order in your pocket, and remember that your first duty is to your ship and crew."
"I suppose you have learned by this time, sir, the reason why we did not take in sail sooner on Saturday," continued Paul, blushing deeply.
"I have. Professor Hamblin feels very badly about this matter. At the time of it, he believed he was right, for he knows less about a vessel than even the chaplain of the ship. He acknowledges now that he was in error. Our rules did not before apply with sufficient distinctness to your particular case, as captain of the vessel, responsible for her proper navigation. Mr. Hamblin did not overstep the letter of his duty in refusing you permission to go on deck, and I only blame him for his want of judgment. By this order, which corrects the ship's rules, you are made independent in all matters relating to the management of the vessel."
"I think there can be no trouble now, sir," replied Paul, delighted to find that his conduct was approved.
"I hope not; and I do not expect any."
Mr. Lowington returned to the ship, satisfied that he had healed the wounds of both the sufferers. Paul was happy, and he determined to treat the professor with the utmost deference and kindness, and thus remove the remembrance of the difficulty. At four o'clock, after the squadron had passed Beveland, and entered the Belgian territory, Paul went down torecite his Greek, as usual. He could not help seeing that Mr. Hamblin's lip quivered, and that he was laboring under strong emotions, when he took his place at the mess table. The captain was hardly less embarrassed, but he hoped an opportunity would soon occur for him to perform some kind act for the irritated gentleman.
When the recitation was nearly finished, and both parties had recovered their self-possession, the vessel gave a sudden "bump," which nearly tipped the professor off his stool; but he righted himself, and was too much absorbed in his favorite study to think of the incident for a moment.
"Mr. Terrill directs me to report to you that the vessel is aground!" said one of the midshipmen, in breathless haste, touching his cap to the captain.
Paul blushed deeply, and was intensely annoyed at this repetition of the circumstances of Saturday; but there was no alternative but for him to go on deck.
"Will you excuse me, Mr. Hamblin?" asked Paul, rising.
The professor bowed, but made no reply in words. He wondered if the vessel had not been run aground on purpose to mortify and annoy him. He was inclined to think that such was the case, and that it had been done to enable the captain to display his absolute authority.
Paul went on deck; but the pilot assured him that the accident would not subject the vessel to half an hour's delay, for the tide was rising very rapidly. He had run her a little too near a shoal, while the Young America, by keeping in mid channel, had gone clear.There was nothing for the captain to do on deck, and he returned to his class. The Josephine came off the ground within the half hour, and by putting on more sail overhauled the ship before she reached Antwerp.
"Here is the city, Paul," said Dr. Winstock, as the Josephine rounded a bend in the river. "You can see the spire of Antwerp Cathedral."
"I see it, sir. I have heard a great deal about it. This is farther than we have been from the sea since we sailed."
"Yes, it is a long pull from the sea for a sailing vessel; but Antwerp is the only convenient port for visiting the greater part of Belgium. We are only a short distance from Brussels, Ghent, Malines, and Liége. I suppose we shall visit no other port in Belgium; indeed, there is no other convenient one, except Ostend."
"There is a whole fleet of British steamers at anchor opposite the town," said Paul, when the Josephine had gone a little farther.
"A great many merchant steamers come up the river. There are regular lines to London and Harwich. By the latter route you may leave Antwerp at four in the afternoon and be in London at nine the next morning, though the Ostend or Calais line is quicker and better."
"Those are large steamers," added Paul, as the squadron approached the fleet at anchor.
"Why, that's the Victoria and Albert!" exclaimed the doctor, pointing to the largest of the ships. "That is the yacht of the Queen of England."
"It is a pretty large yacht," replied Paul. "What are the other steamers?"
"They are the consorts of the yacht. The one that lies nearest to her is the Osborne, which was formerly the queen's state vessel. The others are merely a kind of guard of honor."
"Does it take five steamships to bring the queen over to Antwerp?" asked Paul, laughing.
"She must go in state when she goes," added the doctor. "The Victoria and Albert is a ship of twenty-four hundred tons. I hope we shall have an opportunity to go on board of her."
"I hope we shall; but that is hardly to be expected."
"They do not exhibit her when she is in English waters, but I think they do when she is abroad."
"All ready to moor ship, Mr. Terrill," said Paul, as the Young America gave the signal.
The Josephine ran up to a point near the ship, and within a couple of cables' length of the royal squadron let go her anchor. Port officers came on board, and explained the harbor regulations; among them, one whose duty it was to determine the amount due the pilot. This official "hooked" the vessel, or measured her draught. As the Josephine drew about ten feet of water, the charge was one hundred and ninety-eight francs.
Everything was made snug on board; the ropes were carefully coiled, and all the running rigging hauled taut; for, lying near the queen's yacht, Paul desired to have the vessel present her best appearance. The work of the day was ended, and the students wereat liberty to observe the strange scenes around them. There was the city of Antwerp, but it was not much different from any other city. The Scheldt formed a crescent in front of the town, and there was a multitude of vessels lying at the quays, as the space on the shore is called. The river is about fifteen hundred feet wide, and deep enough to float a ship of the line. The city is very strongly fortified, on both sides of the river.
"Here we are, for a week or two," said Pelham to the first lieutenant, after all the ship's duty had been performed.
"I suppose so," replied Terrill. "It seems to me just as though we had been sailing down hill ever since we came into the river. Hark!"
It was just six o'clock, and the chime of bells on the great Cathedral played a silver-toned melody which was almost enchanting.
"I should not object to hearing that every hour," said Pelham, when the tune was finished. "Do they play the same tune over again?"
"I'm sure I don't know," replied Terrill.
"They have a different tune for each hour of the day, and play the entire music of an opera," interposed Dr. Winstock. "They give a short strain at the quarter hour, and a longer one at the half hour."
"That will be music all day long."
"Yes, and all night long," added the surgeon, as he walked away with the captain.
"I wish he were going to stay on board instead of that solemn old lunatic, the Greek and Latin humbug" said Terrill, who had a habit of speaking his mind very plainly.
"Do you know how the row was settled between him and the captain?" asked Pelham.
"I do not; but I am confident Mr. Lowington sustained the captain," answered Terrill. "I was in hopes that we had got rid of him when he went on board of the ship yesterday, and I was mad when I saw him coming back to-day noon."
"There is not a fellow in the Josephine that didn't have the same thought," added Pelham. "I don't see why a man need try to make himself as disagreeable as he does. All the students were willing to treat him with respect, and get their lessons well; but he is as crank as an alderman."
"I wish we could get rid of him," suggested Terrill.
"Of course we can't do that," replied Pelham, who was not disposed to get into any more scrapes.
"We might make the Josephine uncomfortable for him," suggested Terrill.
"We might; but I think we had better not," added the prudent Pelham, made wise by experience, as the bell for the cabin supper rang.
Professor Hamblin looked unusually gloomy and morose, but he labored perseveringly to keep up his dignity. Paul sat at the head of the table, ordinarily with his officers on each side of him in the order of their rank; but on the present occasion, Dr. Winstock occupied the place at his right. At the opposite end of the board was Mr. Hamblin, with the fat professor on his right. Behind the captain's chair stood thehead steward, while the second steward was stationed near the instructors.
Mr. Hamblin occasionally cast a furtive glance at the young commander; but Paul seemed to be as composed as though nothing had happened to disturb the friendly relations between them. Though he did not observe it, Terrill persisted that the learned gentleman looked "ugly," and would make another row as soon as he could get a chance.
"I can see through the mainsail when there is a hole in it," said the executive officer to Pelham, when they went on deck again. "If there wasn't mischief in Mr. Hamblin's eye, there never was mischief in any man's eye."
"What do you mean?" asked Pelham.
"You know the old lunatic threatened to have the captain suspended for leaving the class. He failed in that, and if he don't try it again, I'm mistaken in the man."
"Of course he won't make any more complaints till he has something to complain of, and Paul won't give him a chance."
"I don't suppose he will voluntarily; but his conduct will be distorted. I tell you the professor is ugly, and he hates the captain as badly as a Christian can."
"He hasn't improved his popularity on board by what he has done."
"Every fellow on the Josephine is down upon him. There'll be a row on board soon, in my opinion," added Terrill, as Dr. Winstock and Paul came on deck.
A boat was lowered to send the surgeon on board the ship. Paul accompanied him; and on the way they went up to the gangway of the Victoria and Albert, and ascertained that visitors would be admitted to the ship on the following day, from ten till four.
"All hands, attend lecture on board ship, ahoy!" shouted the boatswain of the Josephine, as the signal to this effect appeared on the Young America.
Ordinarily this call was not an agreeable one; for the students had voted that it was "dull music" to listen to a stupid lecture on geography and history; but in the present instance it was not so. The information communicated in regard to England and Scotland was so familiar to them that it was robbed of its interest; but the school-books contained only very meagre allusions to Holland and Belgium. Many of them had read Mr. Motley's eloquent descriptions of the bravery and devotion to principle of the Dutch people in their civil wars and in their terrible conflict with the Spaniards, and they were desirous of knowing more about the country and its inhabitants.
Holland is in itself an exceedingly interesting country. The students had seen something of its dikes and ditches, and were anxious to see more. The region seemed to be very much like a ship; for it was necessary to keep the water out as much as possible, and to pump out that which leaked in or rained in. The boys were to go on shore, and they desired to understand something of the history of the country, in order to appreciate the various objects which commemorated mighty events in the past. The citadel of Antwerp was in sight at a bend up the river, and they were curious to know its antecedents.
On both vessels the libraries had been ransacked for information by the more enthusiastic of the pupils, and many interesting facts had been gleaned from the volumes; but those who knew the most about the country were the most anxious to know more. With only a few exceptions, therefore, the "call to lecture," on the present occasion, was a welcome one. The boats were lowered, and all hands in the Josephine, including the professors, went on board of the ship, leaving the vessel in charge of the adult forward officers.
Mr. Mapps had already made his preparations in the steerage, and on the foremast hung a large Dutch map of the Netherlands. The students filed in and took their seats. The professor looked unusually pleasant and enthusiastic, probably because he felt that his wares were in demand.
"Young gentlemen, before you is the map of the Netherlands," he began. "For our present purpose, the term must include both Holland and Belgium; for until 1830 the two were one country, the latter having had, for no long period, a separate political existence till that time.
"The Dutch name of the country isNederlanden; the French name,Pays-Bas; both of which have the same meaning—'low countries.' By this time you have realized the literal significance of the term; for nearly all the region consists of an immense low plain,intersected by rivers or arms of the sea. A reference to the physical geography of Europe shows you that the great northern plain, containing nine times the area of France, or about one half the area of Europe, extends from the Ural Mountains to the German Ocean.
"Doubtless the whole region now included in the Netherlands was once a mere swamp, a wild and useless morass, unfit for the habitation of man. Three great rivers, you perceive on the map, have their course, in whole or in part, through Holland and Belgium—the Rhine, the Maas, or Meuse, and the Scheldt.
"By a reference to your navigation charts, young gentlemen, you will often find banks and bars thrown up at the mouths of rivers. At the mouth of the Scheldt, several miles from the shore, there are Thornton's Ridge, The Rabs, Schouwen Bank, Steen Banks, and others of similar formation. At the mouth of the Mississippi, in our own country, you are aware that large vessels find great difficulty in getting over the bar. If we take a tumbler full of Mississippi water, after heavy rains in the north-west, and let it stand a few moments, a thick sediment settles at the bottom. This sediment forms the bar at the mouth of the river. The sand and mud are carried down by the current, and when the water has a chance to rest, it deposits its burden upon the bottom."
"But why in that particular place?" asked an interested student.
"Because the current of the river comes to a haltwhere it meets the inflowing tide of the gulf, or when it has spent its force. These bars are sometimes formed by currents resulting from the combined action of the sea and the flow of the river, or by winds. A heavy gale has been known to change the aspect of a coast, to shut up a harbor, or to open one where there had before been no inlet. Cape Cod presents some remarkable instances of these physical revolutions.
"The great rivers of the Netherlands, in like manner, have brought down their sands and mud, and deposited them on what now forms the shore of the country. The forces of the ocean, against which the Dutchman of to-day has to contend for the preservation of his life and property, assisted in making this country a habitable region. Certain westerly and south-westerly winds drive the waters of the Atlantic into the German Ocean. The coast of the country, you see by the map, is exposed to the longest sweep of the wind from the north-west, and the most violent tempests to which Holland is exposed come from that direction. Now, what is the effect of these storms?"
"They pile up the sand-bars," replied Captain Kendall.
"Precisely so; the dunes and ridges of sand which border the country from the straits of Dover to the Texel are caused by these violent winds from the north-west. The effect of this piling up of the sands was eventually to limit, in a measure, the boundary of the sea. The dunes and ridges formed the foundation for the dikes which the industrious and persevering Dutchman has erected upon them, and bywhich he has made his country. For the want of time, I shall defer the physical features of Holland, and a more particular description of its dikes and ditches, to a future occasion. In what country are we now?"
"In Belgium, sir," replied McLeish, who always answered when he could, though in general knowledge he was far behind his American classmates.
"What is the French name?"
"La Belgique."
"The German?"
"Belgien."
"What is the French adjective?"
"Belge."
"There is a liberal newspaper published at Brussels, the capital of Belgium, which is often quoted as political authority in the United States, called theIndépendance Belge. What does the term mean?"
"'The Belgian Independent,' or 'The Independent Belgian,'" laughed Pelham.
"But the first word is a noun."
"'The Belgian Freeman,' or something of that sort."
"Doubtless it will bear that rendering, though it means literally 'Belgian Independence.' Belgium is bounded on the north, and partly on the east, by Holland; mostly on the east by the Rhenish provinces of Prussia, forming a part of Germany; on the south-west by France; and on the north-west by the German Ocean. It has an area of eleven thousand three hundred and thirteen miles; that is, it is about the size of Maryland, or of Massachusetts and Connecticut united.
"Its population in 1863 was about five millions, equal to the aggregate of New York and Massachusetts. In New England, in 1860, there were fifty persons to the square mile; in Massachusetts, which is the most densely peopled of the United States, one hundred and seventy; but Belgium has four hundred and forty souls to the square mile, and is the most thickly-settled country in the world.
"Belgium contains nine provinces, the largest of which, in area, is Luxembourg, though it is one of the smallest in population. The largest in population is East Flanders."
"Flanders!" exclaimed Terrill; "I was hoping you would say something about Flanders, for I had an idea it was Belgium."
"It is a part of it. Flanders has belonged to France, Spain, Austria, and Holland, at times; but it was divided into two provinces by the King of Holland, and became a part of the United Kingdom of Belgium when it was established in 1830. It figures largely in history, and 'our army in Flanders' is a proverb.
"The soil of Belgium is generally sandy and poor; but, by skill and industry, the people obtain large crops from it. In a country so densely peopled there could not be many large farms, and the majority of the farmers cultivate what would not be more than a garden in America; but the system of agriculture is not surpassed by that of any country in the world. Flax-raising is the principal occupation of the farmers; but grasses and roots receive particular attention. Horses, cattle, and sheep are raised in great numbers.
"The manufactures of Belgium are very celebrated.The laces of Brussels and Mechlin (Malines) have the highest reputation. Linen goods, carpets, woollens, cottons, hosiery, are largely produced. The foreign and domestic commerce of Belgium, largely carried on through the port of Antwerp, is extensive.
"Belgium is a flat country, as we have said. There are no mountains, though in the provinces of Liége and Brabant the American traveller will find a variety of scenery similar to that in the eastern part of Massachusetts and Connecticut. This portion of Belgium is a beautiful garden.
"The government, according to the charter of 1831, is a constitutional, representative, and hereditary monarchy; that is, it has a constitution, a parliament, and the oldest son of the king is his successor. The king's person is declared to be sacred, and his ministers, instead of himself, are held responsible for the government acts. The legislative branch consists of a senate and a chamber of representatives; but the king must sign their acts before they can become laws.
"The members of both houses of the legislature are chosen by the people, and are called deputies. Only citizens who pay a certain amount of direct taxes can vote. The deputies who live out of the town in which the session is held are paid sixty-two dollars a month. They are elected for four years, half every two years. The political privileges of the people are only less than those of our own country.
"The present king is Leopold I.[A]He is seventy-four years old, and for the last fifty years has been aman of mark in Europe. He was for some time in the service of the Emperor of Russia, and went to England with the allied sovereigns, in 1814, where he became acquainted with, and afterwards married, the Princess Charlotte, daughter of George IV.; but she died within two years. In 1830 Leopold was elected King of Greece; but he finally refused the crown, because the conditions he made were not complied with. In 1831 he was elected King of the Belgians, and was crowned the same year. The next year he married Louise, the daughter of Louis Philippe, King of France. Leopold, Duke of Brabant, will succeed him. He has several other sons and daughters, among them Marie Charlotte, wife of Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, who has been elected Emperor of Mexico. Leopold is one of the richest men in Europe.