Travel is the only way to appreciate a country's true exoticism, to discover, as one turns a corner, the scene that speaks volumes about the life of the locals. To be sure, travelers who reached the United States at the end of their voyage, on their way back from Asia, felt that “the picturesque part of the trip was over,” but all the others were thrilled to venture into this strange and exciting world, where they found every proof of true exoticism.

All the travelers did not achieve this aim, for some had not properly prepared their itineraries or made do with very superficial views: They would speak about the blacks without having gone to the South, of the Indians when they had only seen them at the Chicago World's Fair, and expatiated on American society on the basis of conversations in a hotel lobby. Others, by contrast, used great ingenuity to ferret out the most hidden facets of the American reality, carefully studying their itineraries and making every effort to meet representative persons.

That is why one must find out how these trips were set up, how one could get from the dock at Le Havre to San Francisco, from New York to the Black Hills of Dakota, and under what conditions they took place.

DEPARTURE … RETURN

Boarding a steamer bound for New York was an attraction in itself. For most passengers this was the first time, and they marveled at everything, from the bearing of the crew to the power of the engine, and the looks of the other passengers.