The children stood by the railing of the deck for some time after they came up from below, gazing at the shores, and admiring the various pictures of rural beauty which the scene presented to the eye. At length, becoming a little tired, they went and sat down upon one of the settees, where they could have a more comfortable position, and still enjoy a good view. Not long afterward, the captain, who had been walking up and down the deck for some time, came and sat down by them. "Well, children," said he, "are you glad to get to the end of the voyage?" "Yes, sir," replied Jennie. "I am glad to get safe off of the great sea." "And I suppose that you must be very glad, sir," added Rollo, "to get to the end of your responsibility." "Ah, but I have not got to the end of my responsibility yet, by any means," said the captain. As he said this, he rose from his seat, and looked out very attentively forward for a minute or two. At length he seemed satisfied, and sat down again. "Well, you have got through all the danger, at any rate," said Rollo, "now that we are inside the land." "On the contrary," said the captain, "we are just coming into the danger. There is very little danger for a good ship, whether it is a sailing ship or a steamer, out in the open sea. It is only when she comes among the rocks, and shoals, and currents, and other dangers which thicken along the margin of the land, that she has much to fear. Ships are almost always cast away, when they are cast away at all, near or upon the land." "Is that the way?" replied Rollo. "I thought they were cast away at sea. I am sure it _looks_ a great deal safer here than it does out in the middle of the ocean." "I suppose so, to your eyes," replied the captain. "But you will see, by reflecting on the subject, that it is, in fact, just the contrary. If a very violent storm comes up when the ship is out in the open sea, it can ordinarily do no harm, only to drive the ship off her course, or perhaps carry away some of her spars or sails. If there is no land in the way, she is in very little danger. But it is very different if a gale of wind comes up suddenly in such a place as this." "And how is it here?" asked Rollo. "Why, in the case of a good steamer like this," said the captain, "it makes no great difference here; for we go straight forward on our course, as long as we can see, let it blow as it will. But a sailing vessel would very probably not be able to stand against it, but would be driven off toward any rocks, or sand banks, or shores that might happen to be in the way." "And so she would certainly be wrecked," said Rollo. "No, not certainly," replied the captain. "As soon as they found that the water was shoaling, they would anchor." "How do they know when the water is shoaling?" asked Rollo. "By the lead," replied the captain. "Did you never sound with the lead and line?" "No, sir," replied Rollo.