f hour, and by putting on
more sail overhauled the ship before she reached Antwerp.

"Here is the city, Paul," said Dr. Winstock, as the Josephine rounded a
bend in the river. "You can see the spire of Antwerp Cathedral."

"I see it, sir. I have heard a great deal about it. This is farther than
we have been from the sea since we sailed."

"Yes, it is a long pull from the sea for a sailing vessel; but Antwerp
is the only convenient port for visiting the greater part of Belgium. We
are only a short distance from Brussels, Ghent, Malines, and Liege. I
suppose we shall visit no other port in Belgium; indeed, there is no
other convenient one, except Ostend."

"There is a whole fleet of British steamers at anchor opposite the
town," said Paul, when the Josephine had gone a little farther.

"A great many merchant steamers come up the river. There are regular
lines to London and Harwich. By the latter route you may leave Antwerp
at four in the afternoon and be in London at nine the next morning,
though the Ostend or Calais line is quicker and better."

"Those are large steamers," added Paul, as the squadron approached the
fleet at anchor.

"Why, that's the Victoria and Albert!" exclaimed the doctor, pointing to
the largest of the ships. "That is the yacht of the Queen of England."

"It is a pretty large yacht," replied Paul. "What are the other
steamers?"

"They are the consorts of the yacht. The one that lies nearest to her is
the Osborne, which was formerly the queen's state vessel. The others are
merely a kind of guard of honor."

"Does it take five steamships to bring the queen over to Antwerp?" asked
Paul, laughing.

"She must go in state when she goes," added the doctor. "The Victoria
and Albert is a ship of twenty-four hundred tons. I hope we shall have
an opportunity to go on board of her."

"I hope we shall; but that is hardly to be expected."

"They do not exhibit her when she is in English waters, but I think they
do when she is abroad."

"All ready to moor ship, Mr. Terrill," said Paul, as the Young America
gave the signal.

The Josephine ran up to a point near the ship, and within a couple of
cables' length of the royal squadron let go her anchor. Port officers
came on board, and explained the harbor regulations; among them, one
whose duty it was to determine the amount due the pilot. This official
"hooked" the vessel, or measured her draught. As the Josephine drew
about ten feet of water, the ch