Steamers and schooners were plenty, but the captain missed the old square-riggers, the clipper ships and barks, such as he had sailed in as cabin boy, as foremast hand, and, later, commanded on many seas.
At length, however, he saw four masts towering above the roof of a freight house.

They were not schooner rigged, those masts.

The yards were set square across, and along them were furled royals and upper topsails.

Here, at last, was a craft worth looking at.

Captain Elisha crossed the street, hurried past the covered freight house, and saw a magnificent great ship lying beside a broad open wharf.