Page 221 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
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Around the World in 80 Days
upon the New World, he uttered a loud cry, which so
frightened the innumerable cormorants and pelicans that
are always perched upon these movable quays, that they
flew noisily away.
Mr. Fogg, on reaching shore, proceeded to find out at
what hour the first train left for New York, and learned
that this was at six o’clock p.m.; he had, therefore, an
entire day to spend in the Californian capital. Taking a
carriage at a charge of three dollars, he and Aouda entered
it, while Passepartout mounted the box beside the driver,
and they set out for the International Hotel.
From his exalted position Passepartout observed with
much curiosity the wide streets, the low, evenly ranged
houses, the Anglo-Saxon Gothic churches, the great
docks, the palatial wooden and brick warehouses, the
numerous conveyances, omnibuses, horse-cars, and upon
the side-walks, not only Americans and Europeans, but
Chinese and Indians. Passepartout was surprised at all he
saw. San Francisco was no longer the legendary city of
1849—a city of banditti, assassins, and incendiaries, who
had flocked hither in crowds in pursuit of plunder; a
paradise of outlaws, where they gambled with gold-dust, a
revolver in one hand and a bowie-knife in the other: it
was now a great commercial emporium.
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