144 NEW YORK. 



had made such a fortune in that trade, that he was able to 

 retire from business altogether with a very respectable income. 

 On our way, we stopped several hours at Habana, but I shall 

 leave the history of that pearl of the Islands, for another 

 occasion, when I visited the town and its neighbourhood. 



NEW YORK. 



I entered the magnificent port of New York, on the 15th 

 of June, 1853. Entering from the Atlantic Ocean, you cannot 

 be less than struck by the peculiar manner of the formation 

 of the bay. On each side of this admirable bay there is 

 a large and fertile Island. Long Island on the right, and 

 Staten Island, on the left. After having passed the Narrows, 

 where the distance between the two is narrow, the coasts 

 widen suddenly, and give access to a large and deep sheet of 

 water, which could contain easily all the vessels of the world. 

 This is the port of New York. This magnificent position has 

 greatly contributed to the rapid growth of the Imperial city. 



New York itself is built on the Island of Manhattan, and 

 a portion of the mainland. 



I remained in New York from the 15th of June, 1852, to 

 the 1 2th of July, 1854. 



New York, the chief city of the United States is located 

 at the mouth of the Hudson River in the southern part of the 

 State of New York, and the city occupies the county of the 

 same name. It is bounded on the south by New York Bay, 

 on the west by the Hudson River, on the north by the city 

 of Yonkers, and on the east by the river Broux. Spuyten 

 Duyvil Creek and Harlem River divide the City into two un- 

 equal portions, and make the northern boundary of Manhattan 

 Island. The city is 16 miles long, and varies in width from a 

 few hundred yards to 4^ miles on the north part. Its area is 

 about 41-^ square miles or 26,500 acres, of which 12,100 are 

 on the mainland. Its location is both beautiful, healthful, and 

 very advantageous to commerce. Its large and commodious 

 bay, the Hudson River, navigable for 150 miles, the neigh- 

 bouring sea, and the diversified country about it, contribute to 

 its attractiveness, while its varied surface and extensive 

 water front conduce to its general healthfulness. Its position 

 in the centre of the northern part of the coast, makes it a 

 natural entrepôt for the Middle States. The Erie Canal and 

 several lines of railroads place the city within reach of the 

 great West, and on the East, New England joins the city. 

 The State and city of New Jersey fringe the opposite bank of 



