“We could not get over at all,” said Lucy.
“Perhaps we might,” said Miss Anne; “there are several ways of getting over a river besides going over upon a bridge.”
“What ways?” said Lucy.
“One is by a ferry.”
“What is a ferry?” said Lucy.
“It is a large boat which is always ready to carry persons across. The ferry-man generally lives in a house very near the bank of the river; and if any body wants to go across the river, they call at his house for him, and he takes them across in his boat. Then they pay him some money.”
“But suppose they are on the other side,” said Lucy.
“Then,” said Miss Anne, “they have to call or blow a trumpet. Sometimes they have a trumpet for people to blow when they want the ferry-man to come for them. But sometimes, where there are a great many travellers on the road that leads to the ferry, the boats are coming and going all the time; and then people don’t have to call or to blow any trumpet.”
“How much money do they have to pay,” said Lucy, “for carrying them across?”
“That depends upon circumstances,” said Miss Anne. “If a man goes alone, he does not have to pay so much as he does if he is in a chaise; and if he has a carriage and two horses, he has to pay more still.”