‘But what is steering?’
‘Steering means guiding the boat; and this is done by a piece of wood at the end, which Jack moves backwards and forwards in the water, and this makes the boat go to the right or to the left, as his father tells him.’
‘How funny that is! How can a bit of wood make a boat go one way or another?’ said Alice.
‘I cannot explain it to you now, dear Alice; but when you are older I will show you how it moves, and what it does. This piece of wood is called the rudder;’ and Alice watched the rudder some little time.
‘Why is there a hole in the sail, Jack?’ asked little Beatrice. ‘Is the sail old?’
‘No, little miss,’ said Bartlett, ‘it is quite a new sail; but a lady let her dog make that hole only last week.’
‘Why did she let her dog make that hole and spoil your new sail?’ asked Alice.
‘The lady was playing with her dog, as she sat on the beach, and threw stones for him to fetch; and at last she threw a stone on to the sail, that was lying next my boat, and the dog jumped upon the sail, and turned it over the stone, and then he bit and gnawed at the sail to get it out. The lady did not think what harm she did me in letting her dog make a hole in my new sail,’ said the boatman.
‘Did she not give you anything for the mischief her dog had done?’ asked grandmamma.
‘No, ma’am, nothing; and she did not even say that she was sorry, but took no notice, and walked away.’