ten in the morning
When the President of these United States gets out a Government steamboat on purpose to carry a distinguished New England female down to the tomb of her country 's forefathers , it 's an honor she 's bound to accept . I did accept it with enthusiasm , and at once invited Cousin Dempster and E. E. to go with me , for it always gives me pleasure to act as a sun to their moon . The Japanese were invited to join me on the boat , and as many as two hundred other people were allowed to go down , which I was rather glad of -- they being amongst the best -- and my nature being social , as you know . Well , between nine and ten in the morning , we drove up to the Navy Yard -- a place where the Government builds the ships that are always being altered , and mended , and made worse than they were before . It 's like a village on the water , is this Navy Yard , with a high wall around it , and a gate big enough for our carriage to go through , which it did , taking us down to the water in fine style . `` Do you want to go on board the ` Tallapoosa ' ? '' says a man on the wharf .