Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
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— 182 —<br />
CHAPTER XVIII.<br />
Locks. — George and I are photographed. — Wall<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gford. — Dorchester.<br />
— Ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gd<strong>on</strong>. — A family man. — A good spot for drown<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. —<br />
A difficult bit of water. — Demoraliz<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g effect of river air.<br />
WE left Streatley early <strong>the</strong> next morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, and pulled up to Culham,<br />
and slept under <strong>the</strong> canvas, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> backwater <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
The river is not extraord<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>arily <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g between Streatley<br />
and Wall<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gford. From Cleve you get a stretch of six and a<br />
half miles without a lock. I believe this is <strong>the</strong> l<strong>on</strong>gest un<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terrupted<br />
stretch anywhere above Tedd<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gt<strong>on</strong>, and <strong>the</strong> Oxford<br />
Club make use of it for <strong>the</strong>ir trial eights.<br />
But however satisfactory this absence of locks may be to<br />
row<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g-men, it is to be regretted by <strong>the</strong> mere pleasure-seeker.<br />
For myself, I am f<strong>on</strong>d of locks. They pleasantly break <strong>the</strong><br />
m<strong>on</strong>ot<strong>on</strong>y of <strong>the</strong> pull. I like sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> boat and slowly ris<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
out of <strong>the</strong> cool depths up <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to new reaches and fresh views; or<br />
s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g down, as it were, out of <strong>the</strong> world, and <strong>the</strong>n wait<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />
while <strong>the</strong> gloomy gates creak, and <strong>the</strong> narrow strip of day-light<br />
between <strong>the</strong>m widens till <strong>the</strong> fair smil<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g river lies full before<br />
you, and you push your little boat out from its brief pris<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong><br />
to <strong>the</strong> welcom<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g waters <strong>on</strong>ce aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
They are picturesque little spots, <strong>the</strong>se locks. The stout<br />
old lock-keeper, or his cheerful-look<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g wife, or bright-eyed<br />
daughter, are pleasant folk to have a pass<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g chat with.* You<br />
meet o<strong>the</strong>r boats <strong>the</strong>re, and river gossip is exchanged. The<br />
Thames would not be <strong>the</strong> fairyland it is without its flowerdecked<br />
locks.<br />
Talk<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of locks rem<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ds me of an accident George and I<br />
very nearly had <strong>on</strong>e summer’s morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g at Hampt<strong>on</strong> Court.<br />
It was a glorious day, and <strong>the</strong> lock was crowded; and, as is a<br />
* Or ra<strong>the</strong>r were. The C<strong>on</strong>servancy of late seems to have c<strong>on</strong>stituted<br />
itself <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to a society for <strong>the</strong> employment of idiots. A good many of <strong>the</strong><br />
new lock-keepers, especially <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> more crowded porti<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> river,<br />
are excitable, nervous old men, quite unfitted for <strong>the</strong>ir post.