the boy went hand in hand to the yard where ships were
built. Davy had never been there before, and great was his surprise
when he saw a huge thing standing on dry land, with great pieces of wood
of all shapes sticking round it, like the skeleton of a whale; but
greater still was his surprise when the fisherman said, "There, lad,
that's the ship."

"Well," exclaimed Davy, opening his large eyes to their widest, "it
don't look like one just now!"

The fisherman laughed. "That's true, lad; but come--I'll explain;" and
taking Davy by the hand, he led him nearer to the "skeleton" of the
ship, and began to explain the names and uses of the different parts.

"You see that long thick timber," he said, "that runs from this end,
which is the `stern,' to that end, which is the `bow'--well, that is the
`keel.' This post or beam that rises out of it here is the
`stern-post,' and that one that rises up at the far end yonder is the
`stem' or `cutwater.' These are the principal timbers of the vessel,
and upon their strength the safety of a ship chiefly depends. The
sticks that you see branching out from the keel like deers' horns are
called `ribs;' they are very strong, and the timbers that fasten them
together at the top are called `beams.' Of course these pieces of wood
are some of them far larger than any trees that you have ever seen; but
if you examine them you will find that each timber and rib is made up of
two or three separate pieces of wood, fastened very strongly together.
When all the beams are fixed they will begin to nail the planks on to
the ribs; iron bolts are used for this purpose, but by far the greater
number of the nails are made of wood. After this is done the seams
between the planks will be filled with oakum and the whole ship covered
over with pitch and tar, just in the same way as your father does to his
boat when she lets in water. Then the bottom of the ship will be
entirely covered with sheets of copper, to prevent the wood worms from
destroying it. These little rascals would eat through a ship's bottom
and very soon sink it, but for the copper. Next, the deck is laid down,
and the ship will be ready for `launching.' A ship's masts and rigging
are always put in after she is launched. Now, lad, what d'ye think of
it?" said the fisherman as he walked home again with Davy. "The ship's
to be a `three-master' full-rigged, and is to go by the name o' the
_Fair Nancy_."

As he said this he smile