Manhattan in the mouth of the river. We are standing, then, on
Manhattan, and it is interesting to recall the fact that this island was
sold three hundred years ago by Indians to Dutchmen for the sum of four
pounds. It is rather more valuable now! Just look at the hideous
sky-scrapers with their twenty and thirty storeys" (Plate XXXII.).

"I was just wondering why houses are built so enormously high."

"That is owing to the tremendous value of the ground. When there is not
space enough to build out laterally, the buildings are piled up
heavenwards, where there is plenty of room. They are certainly not
handsome. Look at this row of houses, some of moderate height, others as
tall as chimneys. Are they not like a row of keys moved by invisible
gigantic fingers?"

"I should not like to live in such a building, I am sure. On the top
floor I should be giddy with the height, and on the first I should
expect the whole mass to tumble down on me."

"We are better off in Brooklyn, where the houses are of moderate height.
To-morrow I will show you something not less remarkable than the wealthy
quarter of the city. I will take you to the Chinese town. There Chinese
swarm in the dirty lanes; there the whole place reeks of onions and
tobacco and spirits from the public-houses; there are vile gambling
hells and opium dens; and there paper lanterns on fishing rods hang
outside the tea-houses. Then we can take a look at 'Little Italy,' a
purely Italian town in the midst of the New York of the Americans. There
you will see only Italian books in the book-shops, there Italian
newspapers are read, there wax candles burn round images of the Madonna
in the churches, and black-haired, brown-eyed children from sunny Italy
play in the gutters. And we must not forget 'Little Russia,' the Jews'
quarter. The Jews are a remarkable people; you never see them drunk, and
you never hear of any crime or felony committed by them. They live
poorly, cheaply, and sparingly, and seem cheerful in their booths beside
the streets."

"All this is very well, but I do not understand where all the immigrants
go. I am told that as many as three thousand persons land daily on Ellis
Island. At this rate New York receives yearly an addition of a million
souls."

"Yes, but how many do you think remain in New York? Most of them go up
country and out westwards. Some improve their position and then repair
to other fields of work. But many also stay here and increase t