Fremont--Drake and the Golden
Hind--A Convenient Harbour--First to Enter--With the Indians--Child of
Destiny--A Vision of Greatness--Queen of the Golden Gate.
Our walks hither and thither in San Francisco will lead us to many
interesting places, and at times into the midst of exciting scenes.
There is an onward sweep of the current of humanity, which is
exhilarating in a high degree; there is activity on all sides; and
you soon catch the spirit of the place. Men have a purpose in view,
something to accomplish; and there is the entire absence of lethargy;
there are no drones in the great hive. You realise that you are in a
city of distances as well as surprises; and wherever you go you find
some object or locality or happening that calls for comment. Hark!
there is the fire alarm. The engines and hose-carts and fire ladders,
with other apparatus, pass you as in the twinkling of an eye; and so
skillful are the fire-laddies, and so well equipped is the department,
that the devouring flames rarely ever make headway. They are quickly
mastered. But it was not always so. There was a period about fifty
years ago when great and destructive fires succeeded one another like
a deluge and wiped out large portions of the growing city.
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