such a
great thing into the water by main force. In order to make her slip
more easily, the "ways," down which she slides, are covered with grease.

Very soon the crowds of people stood in silence, expecting the great
event of the day; and, as the moment drew nigh, the band, which had been
playing all morning, suddenly stopped. Davy became very anxious,
because he was so little that he could not see in the crowd; but,
observing a post near at hand, he struggled towards it and climbed to
the top of it. Here he saw famously. The workmen had begun to knock
away the props; there was just one remaining. At this moment a lady
stepped forward with a bottle of wine in her hand to christen the ship.
This she did by breaking the bottle against the cutwater; just at that
instant she began to move. Another second and the _Fair Nancy_ rushed
down the incline, plunged heavily into the water like some awful
sea-monster, and floated out upon her ocean home amid the deafening
cheers of the people, especially of little Davy, who sat on the top of
the post waving his red cap and shouting with delight.

After the launch Davy and all the people returned home, and the _Fair
Nancy_ was towed to the "shear-hulk" to have her masts put in. The
shear-hulk is a large ship in which is placed machinery for lifting
masts into other ships. Every one who has looked at the thick masts of
a large vessel, must see at a glance that they could never be put there
by any number of men. Machinery is used to do it, and the shear-hulk
contains that machinery; so that when a ship has to get her masts put up
she is dragged alongside of this vessel. In the meantime Davy renewed
his prayer to his father to let him go to sea, and at last the old man
consented. His mother cried a good deal at first, and hoped that Davy
would not think of it; but his father said that it would do him good,
and if he became tired of it after the first voyage he could give it up.
Davy was overjoyed at this, and went immediately to his friend the
fisherman, Ben Block, who was very much delighted too, and took him to a
shop to buy clothes and a sea-chest for the voyage.

"You see, lad," said Ben, "the ship is bound for Quebec with a mixed
cargo, and is to come back loaded with timber; and as the season is
coming on, you'll need to get ready quick."

"That I shall," replied Davy, as they entered a shop. "Ho! shopman,
give me a straw hat, and a blue jacket, and a pair o' duck