sliell-work, and are often paddled by a woman with a
cigar in her moiith, while a man or boy attends the
floating shop. Traffic is conducted in this wise:
Ransrino; themselves alonof both sides of the steamer
the dark-visaged venders lift up their eyes and voices
to those above inviting^ trade. Armed with a basket
or mat bag^, to which is attached one end of a loner
line, they throw the other end up over the guard.
Whoever wishes to make a purchase takes the line,
draws up the basket, and puts into it a piece of money.
Then lowerino; it to the boat and intimatino; what is
wanted, the seller takes the money and puts in the
basket its equivalent in wares which are then drawn up
on board by the purchaser. Tired of this you may
amuse yourself by throwing dimes or quarters over-
board, and watching the naked tawny-skinned urchins ;
who float about the ship as in their natural element,
dive and scramble down into the transparent water
ten or twenty feet, and come up porpoise-like, puffing
and blowing the water out of their heads, with the
glittering coin between thumb and finger. Seldom or
never do they fail catching it before it sinks very far,
and holding it up to view for a moment they throw it
into their mouths and watch for more. These boys
will thus remain in the water for hours without any
support save that which a slow fin-like motion of
arms and legs gives them, and despite the sharks to
which one of them is now and then sacrificed. To
him who has made the voyage, the bare mention of
these little incidents will call up a thousand associa-
tions which will enable him in some degree to live
again the time that formed so important an epoch in
the life of every Californian.
While the steamer is taking in coals, cattle, fowls fruit, and water, which occupies several hours, you may if you like go ashore in a boat and visit the town, less than a mile distant, in a recess of the bay. Near the landing, and on the shady side of the plaza, you will find spread out on tables and on the ground
