We were among the ships at last! Vessels very different from Mr.
Rowe's barge, or even the three-penny steamboat, Lofty and vast, with
shining decks of marvellous cleanliness, and giant figure-heads like
dismembered Jins out of some Arabian tale. Streamers of many colours
high up in the forest of masts, and seamen of many nations on the
decks and wharves below, moved idly in the breeze, which was redolent
of many kinds of cargo. Indeed, if the choice of our ship had not been
our chief care, the docks and warehouses would have fascinated us
little less than the shipping. Here were huge bales of cotton packed
as thickly as bricks in a brick-field. There were wine-casks
innumerable, and in another place the air was aromatic with so large a
cargo of coffee that it seemed as if no more could be required in this
country for some generations.
It was very entertaining, and Fred was always calling to me to look at
something new, but my mind was with the shipping. There was a good
deal of anxiety on it too. The sooner we chose our ship and "stowed
away" the better. I hesitated between sailing-vessels and steamers. I
did not believe that one of the captain's adventures happened on
board any ship that could move faster than it could sail.
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