The Great Lakes 190 The City of Detroit 201 New York's Canals 209 The Site of Buffalo 212 The City of Buffalo 218 The Site of San Francisco 232 The City of San Francisco 234 Where New Orleans Stands 246 The City of New Orleans 250 The District of Columbia 268 The City of Washington 270 Some of the Great Railroads of the United States 303 * * * * * [Illustration: THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING] GREAT CITIES OF THE UNITED STATES NEW YORK "Drop anchor!" rang out the command as the little Dutch vessel furled her sails. On every side were the shining waters of a widespread bay, while just ahead stretched the forest-covered shores of an island. [Illustration: INDIANS VISITING THE _HALF MOON_] All on board were filled with excitement, wondering what lay beyond. "Have we at last really found a waterway across this new land of America?" they asked. There was only one way to know--to go and see. So on once more, past the island, glided the _Half Moon_. From time to time, as she sailed along, the redskin savages visited her and traded many valuable furs for mere trifles. But at last the _Half Moon_ could go no further. This was not a waterway to India, only a river leading into the depths of a wild and rugged country. Sick with disappointment, her captain, Henry Hudson, turned about, journeyed the length of the river which was later to bear his name, once more passed the island at the mouth of the river, and sailed away. All this in 1609. [Illustration: "MY BROTHERS, WE HAVE COME TO TRADE WITH YOU"] Manhattan was the Indian name for the island at the mouth of the Hudson River. Tempted by Henry Hudson's furs, the thrifty Dutchmen sent ship after ship to trade with the American Indians. And as the years went by, these Dutchmen built a trading post on Manhattan, and a little Dutch village grew up about the post. Soon the Dutch West India Company was formed to send out colonists to Manhattan and the land along the Hudson. A governor too was sent. His name was Peter Minuit. [Illustration: PETER STUYVESANT]