"TWO BOAT-LOADS OF REDCOATS BOARDED US AND TOOK US PRISONERS" 245 A VANISHING TYPE ON THE LAKES 249 "THE WHALEBACK" 253 FLATBOATS MANNED WITH RIFLEMEN _facing_ 266 "THE EVENING WOULD PASS IN RUDE AND HARMLESS JOLLITY" 271 THE MISSISSIPPI PILOT 286 A DECK LOAD OF COTTON 290 FEEDING THE FURNACE 293 ON THE BANKS 314 "THE BOYS MARKED THEIR FISH BY CUTTING OFF THEIR TAILS" 322 FISHING FROM THE RAIL 328 TRAWLING FROM A DORY 333 STRIKES A SCHOONER AND SHEARS THROUGH HER LIKE A KNIFE _facing_ 334 MINOT'S LEDGE LIGHT 345 WHISTLING BUOY 354 REVENUE CUTTER 360 LAUNCHING A LIFEBOAT THROUGH THE SURF 364 THE EXCITING MOMENT IN THE PILOT'S TRADE _facing_ 366 **Transcriber's notes: Illustrations: Most quirks were left as written, only changes made listed below. List reads: "THE LOUD LAUGH OFTEN ROSE AT MY EXPENSE" Tag reads: "THE LOUD LAUGH ROSE AT MY EXPENSE" Added missing illustration to list: AFTER A BRITISH LIEUTENANT HAD PICKED THE BEST OF HER CREW 18 Changed MOULDERING to MOLDERING to match illustration and text Page 227: Changed Illustration tag "AN ESQUIMAUX" to "AN ESQUIMAU" to fit text. Contents PAGE CHAPTER I. 1 THE AMERICAN SHIP AND THE AMERICAN SAILOR--NEW ENGLAND'S LEAD ON THE OCEAN--THE EARLIEST AMERICAN SHIP-BUILDING--HOW THE SHIPYARDS MULTIPLIED--LAWLESS TIMES ON THE HIGH SEAS--SHIP-BUILDING IN THE FORESTS AND ON THE FARM--SOME EARLY TYPES--THE COURSE OF MARITIME TRADE--THE FIRST SCHOONER AND THE FIRST FULL-RIGGED SHIP--JEALOUSY AND ANTAGONISM OF ENGLAND--THE PEST OF PRIVATEERING--ENCOURAGEMENT FROM CONGRESS--THE GOLDEN DAYS OF OUR MERCHANT MARINE--FIGHTING CAPTAINS AND TRADING CAPTAINS--GROUND BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND--CHECKED BY THE WARS--SEALING AND WHALING--INTO THE PACIFIC--HOW YANKEE BOYS MOUNTED THE QUARTER-DECK--SOME STORIES OF EARLY SEAMEN--THE PACKETS AND THEIR EXPLOITS CHAPTER II. 53