A Thousand-Mile Walk 



proffered aid of steam, when we soon reached 

 our quiet mid-harbor quarters and dropped 

 anchor among ships of every size from every 

 sea. 



I was still four or five hundred yards from 

 land and could determine no plant in sight ex 

 cepting the long arched leaf banners of the 

 banana and the palm, which made a brave 

 show on the Morro Hill. When we were ap 

 proaching the land, I observed that in some 

 places it was distinctly yellow, and I wondered 

 while we were yet some miles distant whether 

 the color belonged to the ground or to sheets of 

 flowers. From our harbor home I could now 

 see that the color was plant-gold. On one side 

 of the harbor was a city of these yellow plants; 

 on the other, a city of yellow stucco houses, 

 narrowly and confusedly congregated. 



&quot;Do you want to go ashore?&quot; said the cap 

 tain to me. &quot;Yes,&quot; I replied, &quot;but I wish to go 

 to the plant side of the harbor.&quot; &quot;Oh, well,&quot; 

 he said, &quot;come with me now. There are some 

 fine squares and gardens in the city, full of all 

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