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SEP/OCT, 1973 Page 126 waterfront come into view, every one on board, from the officers to the deck hand, knows that away off down the shore-line to the right, or else hidden by busy shipping, is the little white mail boat, that will come leaping and dancing out to meet them, blowing her signal of one long, one short, followed by another long whistle, which interpreted means, "We have mail for you." The approaching ship answers the salute with a satisfied growl of her big brass whistle, the mail is soon exchanged, and, streaming a long trail of smoke behind her, the big ship is soon again full speed ahead down the river. If the day is a busy one, and many vessels are passing up and down, the mail boat stays on the river and goes to each vessel in turn as it passes; but often times the river is crowded with steamers and tows that have become bunched here, and must keep moving to get steerage way. It is a time like this, when boats are The his going each way, that calls for dar- ing exhibitions of coolness and judgment; for United States mail must not be delayed, and the mail boat must now and then be jumped over a towline and speeded across the roaring bows of some fast-going steamer, only to shake herself clear of the wet that comes aboard from the bow wave, and, circling along- side some vessel anxious for the bundle, to toss it on the deck and be off to the next one. It is by no means an easy task to deliver mail to and receive it from ships at full speed, and the emer- gencies that arise bring out wonder- ful exhipvitions of seamanship at times. In the first experiments of this service it was found that some means must be devised to do the work at full speed, as ships had not been accustomed to slow up at this point. At first a swift yacht was proposed to run alongside while the exchange was being made; but this was soon Carrier's boat drops off the stern of a steamer as he coils line in preparation for the next delivery.