you see, know all the ropes and rigging of
the ship, and every thing seen at sea, just as familiarly as boys who
live in the country do sheep, and cows, and wagons, and other such
objects seen about the farm; and the total ignorance in regard to them
which landsmen betray, whenever they begin to ask questions on board,
seems to the sailors extremely ridiculous and absurd. So they often make
fun of the passengers who ask them, and put all sorts of jokes upon
them. For instance, a passenger on board a packet ship once asked a
sailor what time they would heave the log. 'The log,' said the sailor,
'they always heave the log at nine bells. When you hear nine bells
strike, go aft, and you'll see them.' So the passenger watched and
counted the bells every time they struck, all the morning, in the hopes
to hear _nine_ bells; whereas they never strike more than eight bells.
It was as if a man had said, on land, that such or such a thing would
happen at thirteen o'clock."

Rollo and Jennie laughed.

"So you must be careful," continued the surgeon, "what questions you ask
of the officers and seamen about the ship; and you must be careful, too,
what you believe in respect to the things they tell you. Perhaps it will
be the truth they will tell you, and perhaps they will be only making
fun of you. You may ask _me_, however, any thing you like. I will answer
you honestly. I am at leisure, and can tell you as well as not. Besides,
I like to talk with young persons like you. I have a boy at home myself
of just about your rating."

"Where is your home?" asked Rollo.

"It is up on the North River," said the surgeon, "about one hundred
miles from New York. And now I must go away, for it is almost eight
bells, and that is dinner time. I shall see you again by and by. There's
one thing more, though, that I must tell you before I go; and that is,
that you had better not go to any strange places about the ship where
you do not see the other passengers go. For instance, you must not go up
upon the paddle boxes."

"No," said Rollo. "I saw a sign painted, saying that passengers were not
allowed to go up on the paddle boxes."

"And you must not go forward among the sailors, or climb up upon the
rigging," continued the surgeon.

"Why not?" asked Rollo.

"Because those parts of the ship are for the seamen alone, and for
others like them, who have duties to perform on shipboard. What should
you think," continued the surgeon, "if some one