the uncommercial traveller-第116部分

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and　is　about　to　fly；　when；　arguing　with　himself　that　flight　is　not

becoming　in　a　dog；　he　turns；　and　once　more　faces　the　advancing　heap

of　clothes。　　After　much　hesitation；　it　occurs　to　him　that　there　may

be　a　face　in　it　somewhere。　　Desperately　resolving　to　undertake　the

adventure；　and　pursue　the　inquiry；　he　goes　slowly　up　to　the　bundle；

goes　slowly　round　it；　and　coming　at　length　upon　the　human

countenance　down　there　where　never　human　countenance　should　be；

gives　a　yelp　of　horror；　and　flies　for　the　East　India　Docks。



Being　now　in　the　Commercial　Road　district　of　my　beat；　and

bethinking　myself　that　Stepney　Station　is　near；　I　quicken　my　pace

that　I　may　turn　out　of　the　road　at　that　point；　and　see　how　my　small

eastern　star　is　shining。



The　Children's　Hospital；　to　which　I　gave　that　name；　is　in　full

force。　　All　its　beds　are　occupied。　　There　is　a　new　face　on　the　bed

where　my　pretty　baby　lay；　and　that　sweet　little　child　is　now　at

rest　for　ever。　　Much　kind　sympathy　has　been　here　since　my　former

visit；　and　it　is　good　to　see　the　walls　profusely　garnished　with

dolls。　　I　wonder　what　Poodles　may　think　of　them；　as　they　stretch

out　their　arms　above　the　beds；　and　stare；　and　display　their

splendid　dresses。　　Poodles　has　a　greater　interest　in　the　patients。

I　find　him　making　the　round　of　the　beds；　like　a　house…surgeon；

attended　by　another　dog；　…　a　friend；　…　who　appears　to　trot　about

with　him　in　the　character　of　his　pupil　dresser。　　Poodles　is　anxious

to　make　me　known　to　a　pretty　little　girl　looking　wonderfully

healthy；　who　had　had　a　leg　taken　off　for　cancer　of　the　knee。　　A

difficult　operation；　Poodles　intimates；　wagging　his　tail　on　the

counterpane；　but　perfectly　successful；　as　you　see；　dear　sir！　　The

patient；　patting　Poodles；　adds　with　a　smile；　'The　leg　was　so　much

trouble　to　me；　that　I　am　glad　it's　gone。'　　I　never　saw　anything　in

doggery　finer　than　the　deportment　of　Poodles；　when　another　little

girl　opens　her　mouth　to　show　a　peculiar　enlargement　of　the　tongue。

Poodles　（at　that　time　on　a　table；　to　be　on　a　level　with　the

occasion）　looks　at　the　tongue　（with　his　own　sympathetically　out）　so

very　gravely　and　knowingly；　that　I　feel　inclined　to　put　my　hand　in

my　waistcoat…pocket；　and　give　him　a　guinea；　wrapped　in　paper。



On　my　beat　again；　and　close　to　Limehouse　Church；　its　termination；　I

found　myself　near　to　certain　'Lead…Mills。'　　Struck　by　the　name；

which　was　fresh　in　my　memory；　and　finding；　on　inquiry；　that　these

same　lead…mills　were　identified　with　those　same　lead…mills　of　which

I　made　mention　when　I　first　visited　the　East　London　Children's

Hospital　and　its　neighbourhood　as　Uncommercial　Traveller；　I

resolved　to　have　a　look　at　them。



Received　by　two　very　intelligent　gentlemen；　brothers；　and　partners

with　their　father　in　the　concern；　and　who　testified　every　desire　to

show　their　works　to　me　freely；　I　went　over　the　lead…mills。　　The

purport　of　such　works　is　the　conversion　of　pig…lead　into　white…

lead。　　This　conversion　is　brought　about　by　the　slow　and　gradual

effecting　of　certain　successive　chemical　changes　in　the　lead

itself。　　The　processes　are　picturesque　and　interesting；　…　the　most

so；　being　the　burying　of　the　lead；　at　a　certain　stage　of

preparation；　in　pots；　each　pot　containing　a　certain　quantity　of

acid　besides；　and　all　the　pots　being　buried　in　vast　numbers；　in

layers；　under　tan；　for　some　ten　weeks。



Hopping　up　ladders；　and　across　planks；　and　on　elevated　perches；

until　I　was　uncertain　whether　to　liken　myself　to　a　bird　or　a　brick…

layer；　I　became　conscious　of　standing　on　nothing　particular；

looking　down　into　one　of　a　series　of　large　cocklofts；　with　the

outer　day　peeping　in　through　the　chinks　in　the　tiled　roof　above。　　A

number　of　women　were　ascending　to；　and　descending　from；　this

cockloft；　each　carrying　on　the　upward　journey　a　pot　of　prepared

lead　and　acid；　for　deposition　under　the　smoking　tan。　　When　one

layer　of　pots　was　completely　filled；　it　was　carefully　covered　in

with　planks；　and　those　were　carefully　covered　with　tan　again；　and

then　another　layer　of　pots　was　begun　above；　sufficient　means　of

ventilation　being　preserved　through　wooden　tubes。　　Going　down　into

the　cockloft　then　filling；　I　found　the　heat　of　the　tan　to　be

surprisingly　great；　and　also　the　odour　of　the　lead　and　acid　to　be

not　absolutely　exquisite；　though　I　believe　not　noxious　at　that

stage。　　In　other　cocklofts；　where　the　pots　were　being　exhumed；　the

heat　of　the　steaming　tan　was　much　greater；　and　the　smell　was

penetrating　and　peculiar。　　There　were　cocklofts　in　all　stages；　full

and　empty；　half　filled　and　half　emptied；　strong；　active　women　were

clambering　about　them　busily；　and　the　whole　thing　had　rather　the

air　of　the　upper　part　of　the　house　of　some　immensely　rich　old　Turk；

whose　faithful　seraglio　were　hiding　his　money　because　the　sultan　or

the　pasha　was　coming。



As　is　the　case　with　most　pulps　or　pigments；　so　in　the　instance　of

this　white…lead；　processes　of　stirring；　separating；　washing；

grinding；　rolling；　and　pressing　succeed。　　Some　of　these　are

unquestionably　inimical　to　health；　the　danger　arising　from

inhalation　of　particles　of　lead；　or　from　contact　between　the　lead

and　the　touch；　or　both。　　Against　these　dangers；　I　found　good

respirators　provided　（simply　made　of　flannel　and　muslin；　so　as　to

be　inexpensively　renewed；　and　in　some　instances　washed　with　scented

soap）；　and　gauntlet　gloves；　and　loose　gowns。　　Everywhere；　there　was

as　much　fresh　air　as　windows；　well　placed　and　opened；　could

possibly　admit。　　And　it　was　explained　that　the　precaution　of

frequently　changing　the　women　employed　in　the　worst　parts　of　the

work　（a　precaution　originating　in　their　own　experience　or

apprehension　of　its　ill　effects）　was　found　salutary。　　They　had　a

mysterious　and　singular　appearance；　with　the　mouth　and　nose

covered；　and　the　loose　gown　on；　and　yet　bore　out　the　simile　of　the

old　Turk　and　the　seraglio　all　the　better　for　the　disguise。



At　last　this　vexed　white…lead；　having　been　buried　and　resuscitated；

and　heated　and　cooled　and　stirred；　and　separated　and　washed　and

ground；　and　rolled　and　pressed；　is　subjected　to　the　action　of

intense　fiery　heat。　　A　row　of　women；　dressed　as　above　described；

stood；　let　us　say；　in　a　large　stone　bakehouse；　passing　on　the

baking…dishes　as　they　were　given　out　by　the　cooks；　from　hand　to

hand；　into　the　ovens。　　The　oven；　or　stove；　cold　as　yet；　looked　as

high　as　an　ordinary　house；　and　was　full　of　men　and　women　on

temporary　footholds；　briskly　passing　up　and　stowing　away　the

dishes。　　The　door　of　another　oven；　or　stove；　about　to　be　cooled　and

emptied；　was　opened　from　above；　for　the　uncommercial　countenance　to

peer　down　into。　　The　uncommercial　countenance　withdrew　itself；　with

expedition　and　a　sense　of　suffocation；　from　the　dull…glowing　heat

and　the　overpowering　smell。　　On　the　whole；　perhaps　the　going　into

these　stoves　to　work；　when　they　are　freshly　opened；　may　be　the

worst　part　of　the　occupation。



But　I　made　it　out　to　be　indubitable　that　the　owners　of　thes