close to the pier, but were back far enough to
leave room for a street between them and the water. Such a street is
called a _quay_.[B] Quays are built in almost all the cities of Europe
where there are rivers or basins of water for shipping; and they are
very pleasant streets to walk in, having usually large and elegant
buildings on one side, and vessels and steamers on the other.

[B] Pronounced _kee_.

By the time that the steamer had entered the port, almost all the
passengers had come up from below, and Mr. George among the rest. Mr.
George came, expecting to find that, as they were now about to land, the
baggage would be brought out, and that the several passengers would be
called upon to select their own. But there was no movement of this kind.
The baggage had all been put down into the hold the night before, and
now the hatches were still closed, and there seemed to be no signs of
any preparation to open them.

In the mean time, the steamer gradually drew near to the pier. The
engine was stopped. Ropes were thrown out. People in queer dresses, some
of them soldiers, who were standing on the pier, caught the ropes and
fastened them. The steamer was thus brought to her place and secured
there.

There was now, however, no rush to get on shore,--such as Rollo had
always been accustomed to witness on board an American steamer on her
arrival,--but every thing was quiet and still. By and by a plank was
laid. Then the passengers were called upon to get out their tickets.
Then they began to walk over the plank, each one giving up his landing
ticket as he passed.

When Mr. George and Rollo reached the pier, they found, on looking
around them, that they were not yet at liberty. On the opposite side of
the quay was a building, with a sign over it, in French, meaning
custom-house office for packet boats; and there were two long ropes
stretched, one from the stem and the other from the stern of the
steamer, to the opposite sides of the door of this building, so as to
enclose a space on the quay, in front of the building, in such a manner
as to hem the passengers in, and make it necessary for them to pass
through the custom house. The ropes were guarded by soldiers, dressed in
what seemed to Rollo the queerest possible uniforms. They all talked
French--even those who had talked English when they came on board the
packet boat on the other side.

"I can't understand a word they say," said Rollo.

"Nor I," said Mr. Georg