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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— 83 —<br />
of five m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes, I thought we ought to be pretty near <strong>the</strong> weir,<br />
and I looked up. We were under <strong>the</strong> bridge, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> exactly <strong>the</strong><br />
same spot that we were when I began, and <strong>the</strong>re were those<br />
two idiots, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>jur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong>mselves by violent laugh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. I had been<br />
gr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g away like mad to keep that boat stuck still under that<br />
bridge. I let o<strong>the</strong>r people pull up backwaters aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st str<strong>on</strong>g<br />
streams now.<br />
We sculled up to Walt<strong>on</strong>, a ra<strong>the</strong>r large place for a riverside<br />
town. As with all riverside places, <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>the</strong> t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>iest corner of it<br />
comes down to <strong>the</strong> water, so that from <strong>the</strong> boat you might fancy<br />
it was a village of some half-dozen houses, all told. W<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dsor<br />
and Ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gd<strong>on</strong> are <strong>the</strong> <strong>on</strong>ly towns between L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong> and Oxford<br />
that you can really see anyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of from <strong>the</strong> stream. All <strong>the</strong><br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs hide round corners, and merely peep at <strong>the</strong> river down<br />
<strong>on</strong>e street: my thanks to <strong>the</strong>m for be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g so c<strong>on</strong>siderate, and<br />
leav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> river-banks to woods and fields and water-works.<br />
Even Read<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, though it does its best to spoil and sully and<br />
make hideous as much of <strong>the</strong> river as it can reach, is good-natured<br />
enough to keep its ugly face a good deal out of sight.<br />
Cæsar, of course, had a little place at Walt<strong>on</strong> — a camp,<br />
or an entrenchment, or someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of that sort. Cæsar was a<br />
regular up-river man. Also Queen Elizabeth, she was <strong>the</strong>re,<br />
too. You can never get away from that woman, go where you<br />
will. Cromwell and Bradshaw (not <strong>the</strong> guide man, but <strong>the</strong> K<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
Charles’s head man) likewise sojourned here. They must have<br />
been quite a pleasant little party, altoge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
There is an ir<strong>on</strong> “scold’s bridle” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Walt<strong>on</strong> Church. They<br />
used <strong>the</strong>se th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> ancient days for curb<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g women’s t<strong>on</strong>gues.<br />
They have given up <strong>the</strong> attempt now. I suppose ir<strong>on</strong> was gett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
scarce, and noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g else would be str<strong>on</strong>g enough.<br />
There are also tombs of note <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> church, and I was afraid<br />
I should never get Harris past <strong>the</strong>m; but he didn’t seem to<br />
th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k of <strong>the</strong>m, and we went <strong>on</strong>. Above <strong>the</strong> bridge <strong>the</strong> river<br />
w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ds tremendously. This makes it look picturesque; but it irritates<br />
you from a tow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g or scull<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t of view, and causes