horoughly by some one who is all the time
upon the spot. The men who do this are called pilots. The pilots of each
port form a company, and have established rules and regulations for
governing all their proceedings. They go out to the mouth of the harbor
in small vessels called pilot boats, where they wait, both in sunshine
and storm, for ships to come in. When a ship approaches the coast and
sees one of these pilot boats, it makes a signal for a pilot to come on
board. The pilot boat then sails toward the ship, and when they get near
enough they let down a small boat, and row one of the pilots on board
the vessel, and he guides the ship in. In the same manner, in going out
of port, the pilot guides the ship until they get out into deep water,
and then a pilot boat comes up and takes him off the ship. The ship then
proceeds to sea, while the pilot boat continues to sail to and fro about
the mouth of the harbor, till another ship appears.

"And will this pilot get into a pilot boat and go back to New York?"
asked Rollo.

"Yes," replied the gentleman, "and the passengers can send letters back
by him, if they wish. They often do."

"And can I?" asked Rollo.

"Yes," replied the gentleman. "Write your letter, and I will give it to
him."

Rollo had a small inkstand in his pocket, and also a pocket book with
note papers folded up and envelopes in it. This was an apparatus that he
always carried with him when he travelled. He took out one of his sheets
of note paper, and wrote upon it the following letter:--

DEAR UNCLE GEORGE:

This is to inform you that we have found a good seat, and are
getting along very well.

Your affectionate nephew,
R. HOLIDAY.

Rollo made his letter shorter than he otherwise would have done, on
account of having been informed by the gentleman, when he had just
written the first line, that the pilot boat was coming in sight. So he
finished his writing, and then folded his note and put it in its
envelope. He sealed the envelope with a wafer, which he took out of a
compartment of his pocket book. He then addressed it to his uncle George
in a proper manner, and it was all ready. The gentleman then took it
and carried it to the pilot, who was just then coming down from the
paddle box and putting on his coat.

By this time the pilot boat had come pretty near to the ship, and was
lying there upon the water at rest, with her sails fl