Will you go and see them? I should like to go very well; but how must we do to get over? for there is no bridge here. Do not you see those great wooden boxes that swim upon the water? They are bigger than all papa's house. There are tall poles in the middle, as high as a tree. Those are masts. See! now they are spreading[Pg 21] the sails. Those white sheets are the sails. They are like wings. These wooden boxes are like houses with wings. Yes, and I will tell you what, little boy! they are made on purpose to go over the sea; and the wind blows them along faster than a horse can trot. What do they call them? They call them ships. You have seen a ship in a picture. Shall we get in? What have those men in the ship got on? They have jackets and trowsers on, and checked shirts. They are sailors. I think we will make you a sailor; and then instead of breeches you must have a pair of trowsers. Do[Pg 22] you see that sailor, how he climbs up the ropes? He runs up like a monkey. Now he is at the top of the mast. How little he looks! but we must get in. Come, make haste: they will not stay for us. What are you doing? picking up shells! We must get into a boat first, because the ship is not near enough. Now we are in.

[Pg 21]

[Pg 22]

Now we are upon the great sea. Blow, blow, wind! Sail away, ship! There are little rooms in the ship. Those little rooms are called cabins. Let us walk about, and look at the ship. Why, you cannot walk steady;[Pg 23] I am afraid you are tipsy! because the ship rolls about. But the sailors can walk steady. The sea is not like the river; it is greenish. Well, here is water enough if we should be thirsty. Yes, here is water enough; but you would not like to drink it. It is salt and bitter. You could not drink it. How fast we go! Now the fields are a great way off. Now we cannot see any green fields at all, nor any houses, nor any thing but the great deep water. It is water, all round as far as ever we can see. Yes, and sky; we can see the sky too. All sky over our heads, and all water every where[Pg 24] round us! Do not be afraid, little boy! blow, blow, wind! sail away, ship! I see some things in the sea at a great distance. Those are more ships and boats. How very small they are! they look like nut shells in a great pond. O, now we are coming to the green fields and towns on the other side of the sea! I can see them a little. Now I can see them very plain. And here is a little piece of green land, with the water running all round it. That is an island. A piece of land with water all round it, is an island. But we are not going there; we are going to the great land.

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