At the south end of the Prince's dock was the George's basin, a tidal basin through which ships going into the Prince's or George's dock entered. I remember seeing one of Brocklebank's Calcutta ships, the "Martaban," enter this basin under sail; it was done very smartly, and the way in which the canvas was taken in and the sails clewed up and furled, was a lesson in seamanship. The George's dock was dedicated to schooners, mostly fruiterers from Lisbon or the Azores, and during the herring season fishing boats used to discharge in one corner, the fish girls going down planks to get on board to buy their fish. The Mariners' church, an old hulk in which Divine Service was held every Sunday, occupied another corner. The Albert dock was filled with East Indiamen discharging their cargoes of sugar, jute, and linseed, and tea clippers from China; they loaded their outward cargoes in the Salthouse dock, which adjoined; further south again, the King's and Queen's docks were occupied by small foreign vessels, trading to the continental ports. The old New York liners, sailing ships, loaded in the Bramley Moore dock; and the docks further north, the Canada being the most northerly, were filled with steamers trading to the Mediterranean, and the Cunard and Inman lines of steamers. To-day one may hunt from one end of the docks to the other without finding a dozen sailing ships larger than a schooner. With the exit of the sailing ship much of the romance has been taken out of the life of Liverpool. It was a joy to walk round the docks and admire the smart rig and shipshape appearance of the old sailing vessel. The owner and captain, and, indeed, all connected with her, became attached to their ship and took a pride in all her doings. In those days the river Mersey was a glorious sight with probably half a dozen or more Indiamen lying to an anchor, being towed in or out, or sailing in under their own canvas. [Illustration: Photo by Randles. MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR BOARD OFFICES.] The river Mersey, at all times beautiful with its wonderful alternations of light and its brisk flowing waters, has never been so beautiful since the old sailing ship days, when at the top of high water the outward bound fleet proceeded to sea, and the entire river from the Pier Head to the Rock Light was filled with shipping of all sizes working their way out to sea, tacking and cross tacking, the clipper with her taut spars and snow-white canvas, and the small coaster with her tanned sails all went to make up a picture of wonderful colour and infinite beauty. THE DOCK BOARD.