screams of laughter scrambled on board. Frank was at once astonished
and amused at the noise and confusion.

"What on earth do they all want?" he asked Mr. Goodenough.

"The great proportion of them don't want anything at all," Mr.
Goodenough answered, "but have merely come off for amusement. Some
of them come to be hired, some to carry luggage, others to tout
for the boatmen below. Look at those respectable negresses coming
up the gangway now. They are washerwomen, and will take our clothes
ashore and bring them on board again this afternoon before we
start."

"It seems running rather a risk," Frank said.

"No, you will see they all have testimonials, and I believe it is
perfectly safe to intrust things to them."

Mr. Goodenough and Frank now prepared to go on shore, but this was
not easily accomplished, for there was a battle royal among the
boatmen whose craft thronged at the foot of the ladder. Each boat
had about four hands, three of whom remained on board her, while
the fourth stood upon the ladder and hauled at the painter to keep
the boat to which he belonged alongside. As out of the twenty boats
lying there not more than two could be at the foot of the ladder
together, the conflict was a desperate one. All the boatmen shouted,
"Here, sar. This good boat, sar. You come wid me, sar," at the
top of their voices, while at the same time they were hard at work
pulling each other's boats back and pushing their own forward. So
great was the struggle as Frank and Mr. Goodenough approached the