SHIPS THAT PASS 



247 



dyed with scarlet, orange, blue and purple. 

 The gorgeous butterflies of commerce, chased 

 by the eager winds from sea to sea — the wine- 

 dark galleys of the ^gean, the red and azure 

 argosies of the Adriatic, the gilded galleons of 

 the Atlantic — have gone their way. In de- 

 serted harbors and along unfrequented water 

 ways of the East some reminders of them may 

 still be seen ; Imt the old order has changed and 

 the erstwhile golden age of navigation has given 

 place to something new. 



Yet the sea has never lacked for ships to sail 

 it. With each generation are launched new 

 hulls, new sails, new fears, new hopes. The 

 harbor to-day sends forth ships as a hive its 

 working bees, and each craft as she beats out 

 to sea is followed by eager eyes and applauding 

 voices. The interest has not diminished in the 

 least. Nor has the beauty of the ship grown 

 less. For there is a beauty of ships as of sea 

 birds, though the association of thought is 

 rather to the detriment of the former. The 

 fairest wings of the most graceful pleasiire 

 yacht that ever rode a summer sea are but 

 clumsy mechanism compared with the white 

 wings of the albatross or the black wings of the 

 frigate bird. Nothing of human device can^ 

 match the design of nature. The true sailer I 



The butter- 

 flies of 

 commerce. 



The harbor 

 to-day. 



White wings 

 anil gray 

 ■winys. 



