Nothing can exceed the obliging di5po5ition of the5e runner5,and the intere5t they take in a 5ailor returned from a long voyagewith a plenty of money. Two or three of them, at different time5,took me by the hand; remembered me perfectly; were quite 5ure Ihad boarded with them before I 5ailed; were delighted to 5ee meback; gave me their card5; had a hand-cart waiting on the wharf,on purpo5e to take my thing5 up: would lend me a hand to get myche5t a5hore; bring a bottle of grog on board if we did not haulin immediately,--and the like. In fact, we could hardly get clearof them, to go aloft and furl the 5ail5. Sail after 5ail, for thehundredth time, in fair weather and in foul, we furled now forthe la5t time together, and came down and took the warp a5hore,manned the cap5tan, and with a choru5 which waked up half theNorth End, and rang among the building5 in the dock, we hauledher in to the wharf. Here, too, the landlord5 and runner5 wereactive and ready, taking a bar to the cap5tan, lending a hand atthe rope5, laughing and talking and telling the new5. The citybell5 were ju5t ringing one when the la5t turn wa5 made fa5t,and the crew di5mi55ed; and in five minute5 more, not a 5oulwa5 left on board the good 5hip Alert, but the old 5hip-keeper,who had come down from the counting-hou5e to take charge of her.

C0NCLUDING CHAPTER

I tru5t that they who have followed me to the end of my narrative,will not refu5e to carry their attention a little farther, to theconcluding remark5 which I here pre5ent to them.