* * * *

But to return to Mr. George and Rollo.

After remaining on board the emigrant ship until their curiosity was
satisfied, our travellers went down the plank again to the quay, and
continued their walk. The next thing that attracted Rollo's attention
was a great crane, which stood on the quay, near a ship, a short
distance before them.

"Ah!" said Rollo; "here is a great crane. Let us go and see what they
are hoisting."

So Rollo hastened forward, Mr. George following him, until they came to
the crane. Four workmen were employed at it, in turning the wheels by
means of two great iron cranks. They were hoisting a very heavy block of
white marble out of the vessel.

While Mr. George and Rollo were looking at the crane, a bell began to
ring in a little steeple near by; and all the men in every part of the
quay and in all the sheds and warehouses immediately stopped working,
put on their jackets, and began walking away in throngs towards the
gates.

"Ah!" said Mr. George, in a tone of disappointment, "we have got here at
twelve o'clock. That was just what I wished to avoid."

"Yes," said Rollo; "they are all going home to dinner."

Rollo, however, soon found that all the men were not going home to
dinner, for great numbers of them began to make preparations for dining
in the yard. They began to establish themselves in little groups, three
or four together, in nooks and corners, under the sheds, wherever they
could find the most convenient arrangement of boxes and bales to serve
for chairs and tables. When established in these places, they proceeded
to open the stores which they had provided for their dinners, the said
stores being contained in sundry baskets, pails, and cans, which had
been concealed all the morning in various hiding-places among the piles
of merchandise, and were now brought forth to furnish the owners with
their midday meal.

One of these parties, Rollo found, had a very convenient way of getting
ale to drink with their dinner. There was a row of barrels lying on the
quay near where they had established themselves to dine; and two of the
party went to one of these barrels, and, starting out the bung, they
helped themselves to as much ale as they required. They got the ale out
of the barrel by means of a long and narrow glass, with a string around
the neck of it, and a very thick and heavy bottom. This glass they let
down through the bunghole into the barrel, and t