seen, and the clangor of ponderous machinery was heard, giving dignity,
as it were, to the bustle.

"So, then, these are the famous London Docks," said Mr. George.

"What a place!" said Rollo.

"I had no idea of the vast extent and magnitude of the works," said Mr.
George.

"How many different kinds of flags there are at the masts of the
vessels, uncle George!" said Rollo. "Look!"

"What a monstrous work it must have been," said Mr. George, "the digging
out by hand of all these immense basins!"

"What did they do with the mud?" asked Rollo.

"They loaded it into scows," said Mr. George, "and floated it off, up or
down the river, wherever there were any low places that required to be
filled up.

"When, at length, the excavations were finished," continued Mr. George,
"they began at the bottom, and laid foundations deep and strong, and
then built up very thick and solid walls all along the sides of the
basins, up to the level of the top of the ground, and then made streets
and quays along the margin, and built the sheds and warehouses, and the
work was done."

"But then, how could they get the ships in?" asked Rollo.

"Ah, yes," said Mr. George; "I forgot about that. It was necessary to
have passage ways leading in from the river, with walls and gates, and
with drawbridges over them."

"What do they want the drawbridges for?" asked Rollo.

"So that the people that are at work there can go across," said Mr.
George. "The people who live along the bank of the river, between the
basin and the bank, would of course have occasion to pass to and fro,
and they must have a bridge across the outlet of the docks. But then,
this bridge, if it were permanent, would be in the way of the ships in
passing in and out; and so it must be made a drawbridge.

"Then, besides," continued Mr. George, "they need drawbridges across the
passage ways within the docks; for the workmen have to go back and forth
continually, in prosecuting the work of loading and unloading the ships
and in warping them in and out."

"Yes," said Rollo. "There is a vessel that they are warping in now."

Rollo understood very well what was meant by _warping_; but as many of
the readers of this book may live far from the sea, or may, from other
causes, have not had opportunities to learn much about the manoeuvring
of ships, I ought to explain that this term denotes a mode of moving
vessels for short distances by means of a line, either rope or cable,
wh