? Could we not on this excursion just see a
part of it, and then, if we like our expedition, we can conclude it on
another occasion."

"But how are we to see the world unless we go round it?" exclaimed the
Baron, with some asperity in his tone. "That is what I thought we set
out to do."

"Ah, yes, my dear Baron, but, to tell you the truth, I do not feel quite
comfortable at the thoughts of going so far," said the Count, in a
hesitating tone. "Could not we just see one country first, then
another, and another, and so on? We shall know far more about them than
if we ran round the globe as fast as the lightning flashes, or bullet or
arrow flies, or a fish swims; or you may choose any other simile you
like to denote speed," observed the Count. "In that case we should only
see things on our right hand, and on our left, and I do not think we
should know much about the countries towards either of the Poles."

"Your remark exhibits a sagacity for which I always gave you credit,"
observed the Baron, making a bow to his friend. "But I tell you what,
if we stop talking here we shall never make any progress on our journey.
Let us go down to the quay and ascertain what vessels are about to
sail, and we can accordingly take a passage on board one of them."

"We could not well take a passage on board two," observed the Count.

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Baron; "very good, very good; but come along,
my dear fellow; stir your stumps, as the English vulgarly express it;
let us be moving; _Allons donc_, as a Frenchman would say." And arm in
arm the two travellers proceeded to the quay. On reaching it they
observed an individual of rotund proportions, with a big apron fastened
up to his chin, seated on the end of a wall smoking a long clay pipe,
and surrounded by chests, bales, casks, and packages of all
descriptions. He looked as if he was lord of all he surveyed: indeed
there was no other individual in sight except a person coming up some
steps from the river and bringing several buckets suspended from a stick
over his shoulders, but he was evidently a hewer of wood and a drawer of
water, and therefore of no account in the eyes of the burly gentleman.

"Friend," said the Baron, making a bow to the latter individual, "can
you inform me where we shall find a vessel about to sail round the
world, and when she is likely to proceed on her voyage?"

The latter individual took a sidelong glance at the Baron, and then at
the Count