Page:In defense of Harriet Shelley, and other essays.djvu/316

 MARK TWAIN

&quot;How do you steer the vessel?&quot;

&quot;We don t.&quot;

&quot;You must provide a rudder, and properly equip it. How many anchors have you?&quot;

&quot;None.&quot;

&quot;You must provide six. One is not permitted to sail a vessel like this without that protection. How many life-boats have you?&quot;

&quot;None, sir.&quot;

Provide twenty-five. How many life-preservers ?

&quot;None.&quot;

&quot;You will provide two thousand. How long are you expecting your voyage to last?&quot;

&quot;Eleven or twelve months.&quot;

&quot;Eleven or twelve months. Pretty slow but you will be in time for the Exposition. What is your ship sheathed with copper ?

&quot;Her hull is bare not sheathed at all.&quot;

&quot;Dear man, the wood-boring creatures of the sea would riddle her like a sieve and send her to the bottom in three months. She cannot be allowed to go away in this condition; she must be sheathed. Just a word more: Have you reflected that Chicago is an inland city and not reachable with a vessel like this?&quot;

&quot;Shecargo? What is Shecargo? I am not going to Shecargo.&quot;

&quot;Indeed? Then may I ask what the animals are for?&quot;

&quot;Just to breed others from.&quot;

Others ? Is it possible that you haven t enough ?&quot;

&quot;For the present needs of civilization, yes; but the

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