THE FIRST STEAMBOAT.

The first good steam-boat was built in New York.  She was built by Robert Fulton.  Her name was “Clermont.”  When the people saw her, they laughed.  They said that such a boat would never go.  For thousands of years boat-men had made their boats go by using sails and oars.  People had never seen any such boat as this.  It seemed foolish to believe that a boat could be pushed along by steam.

The time came for Fulton to start his boat.  A crowd of people were standing on the shore.  The black smoke was coming out of the smoke-stack.  The people were laughing at the boat.  They were sure that it would not go.  At last the boat’s wheels began to turn round.  Then the boat began to move.  There were no oars.  There were no sails.  But still the boat kept moving.  Faster and faster she went.  All the people now saw that she could go by steam.  They did not laugh any more.  They began to cheer.

[Illustration:  Seeing the First Steam boat]

The little steam-boat ran up to Al-ba-ny.  The people who lived on the river did not know what to make of it.  They had never heard of a steam-boat.  They could not see what made the boat go.

There were many sailing vessels on the river.  Fulton’s boat passed some of these in the night.  The sailors were afraid when they saw the fire and smoke.  The sound of the steam seemed dreadful to them.  Some of them went down-stairs in their ships for fear.  Some of them went ashore.  Perhaps they thought it was a living animal that would eat them up.

But soon there were steam-boats on all the large rivers.

WASHINGTON IRVING AS A BOY.

The Revolution was about over.  Americans were very happy.  Their country was to be free.

At this time a little boy was born in New York.  His family was named Ir-ving.  What should this little boy be named?

His mother said, “Washington’s work is done.  Let us name the baby Washington.”  So he was called Washington Ir-ving.

When this baby grew to be a little boy, he was one day walking with his nurse.  The nurse was a Scotch girl.  She saw General Washington go into a shop.  She led the little boy into the shop also.

The nurse said to General Washington, “Please, your Honor, here is a bairn that is named for you.”

“Bairn” is a Scotch word for child.  Washington put his hand on the little boy’s head and gave him his blessing.  When Irving became an author, he wrote a life of Washington.

Little Irving was a merry, playful boy.  He was full of mischief.

Sometimes he would climb out of a window to the roof of his father’s house.  From this he would go to roofs of other houses.  Then the little rascal would drop a pebble down a neighbor’s chimney.  Then he would hurry back and get into the window again.  He would wonder what the people thought when the pebble came rattling down their chimney.  Of course he was punished when his tricks were found out.  But he was a favorite with his teacher.  With all his faults, he would not tell a lie.  The teacher called the little fellow “General.”