MARK TWAIN
"How do you steer the vessel?"
"We don t."
"You must provide a rudder, and properly equip it. How many anchors have you?"
"None."
"You must provide six. One is not permitted to sail a vessel like this without that protection. How many life-boats have you?"
"None, sir."
Provide twenty-five. How many life-preservers ?
"None."
"You will provide two thousand. How long are you expecting your voyage to last?"
"Eleven or twelve months."
"Eleven or twelve months. Pretty slow but you will be in time for the Exposition. What is your ship sheathed with copper ?
"Her hull is bare not sheathed at all."
"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?"
"Shecargo? What is Shecargo? I am not going to Shecargo."
"Indeed? Then may I ask what the animals are for?"
"Just to breed others from."
Others ? Is it possible that you haven t enough ?"
"For the present needs of civilization, yes; but the
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