SPREADING CANVAS FOR AUSTRALIA. 243

“Oh, I fetched up here and anchored all right. You ask your
uncle, the captain.”

Uncle Nat was jubilantly walking about the deck, exclaiming:
“There, this is something like! I like to feel something solid under

2

me;” and he stamped with his foot. “I would give more for two
feet of ship’s plank—just enough to stand on—than for all the
Jim-Ricker-Shayses between here and Cape Cod. This is my style
of carriage ; my favorite jinrikisha. What did you say, Ralph? You
want to know how I got your two friends here? That was a secret
and surprise for you two boys I have been keeping all the way
from Yokohama. I told Siah and Jack when we left them there
that I expected to turn up eventually in Kobe, and my ship would
be there; and if they wanted a job, that I would give them one.”
_ “And here we are,” replied Jack, “turning up all right, like a
new ship with masts in, and sails bent, and jest about ready for
sea.”

“Oh, ain’t this splendid!” said Ralph to Rick; “Siah here, Jack
Bobstay, the doctor and Uncle Nat.”

“We will go soon,” said Uncle Nat; “I want my mail.” That
came from Yokohama.

“Japan has a postal service,” explained the doctor, “and summer
before last it was reported that over forty-seven millions of letters
and other pieces of postal matter, including almost ten millions of
newspapers, had been sent through the post the year before. The
post office savings banks did number about three hundred, and there
are more now probably.” |

Two days from that time, the Antelope that had for the past
fortnight been loading under the supervision of Uncle Nat's first
officer, was ready for sea; and receiving Rogers brothers and friends,
she weighed anchor. Leaving behind her the men-of-war, the merchant