Letanyonefancyanexcursionamidst900ships，greatandsmall，whichlinedbothshoresoftheElbeintiersofthreedeepormore；
thepassingtoandfroofcountlessboatsbusilyemployedinloadingorunloadingthesevessels；thesethings，togetherwiththeshoutingandsingingofthesailors，therattlingofanchorswhicharebeingweighed，andtherushandswellofpassingsteamers，combinetoconstituteapicturenottobesurpassedinanycityexceptinthatmetropolisoftheworld，London。{12}
Thereasonofthisunusualactivityintheharbourlayintheseverityofthepastwinter。Suchawinterhadnotbeenexperiencedforseventyyears:theElbeandtheBalticlayformonthsinicychains，andnotashipcouldtraversethefrozenriver，notananchorcouldbeweighedorlowered。Itwasonlyashorttimebeforemyarrivalthatthepassagehadoncemorebecomefree。
Intheneighbourhoodoftheharbouraresituatedthegreaternumberoftheso-called\"yards。\"Ihadreadconcerningthemthat，viewedfromtheexterior，theylooklikecommonhouses；butthattheyconstituteseparatecommunities，andcontainalleysandstreets，servingasthedomicileofinnumerablefamilies。Ivisitedseveraloftheseplaces，andcanassurethereaderthatIsawnothingextraordinaryinthem。Houseswithtwolargewings，forminganalleyoffromeightytoahundredpacesinlength，aretobemetwithineverylargetown；andthatanumberoffamiliesshouldinhabitsuchahouseisnotremarkable，consideringthattheyareallpoor，andthateachonlypossessesasinglesmallapartment。
Thefavouritewalkinthetownisthe\"Jungfernstieg\"Maiden\'sWalk，abroadalley，extendingroundaspaciousandbeautifulbasinoftheAlster。Ononesidearesplendidhotels，withwhichHamburghisrichlyprovided；ontheother，anumberofprivateresidencesofequalpretensions。Otherwalksare，the\"Wall，\"surroundingthetown，andthe\"BotanicalGarden，\"whichresemblesafinepark。Thenoblestbuilding，distinguishedalikeasregardsluxury，skill，tastefulnessofdesign，andstability，istheBazaar。Itistrulyagiganticundertaking，andthemoretobeadmiredfromthefactthatitisnotbuiltuponshares，butattheexpenseofasingleindividual，HerrCarlSillem；thearchitect\'snameisOverdick。Thebuildingitselfisconstructedentirelyofstone，andthewallsofthegreatroomandofthehallareinlaidwithmarble。Aloftycupolaandanimmenseglazeddomecoverboththegreatroomandthehall；theupperstaircasesareornamentedwithbeautifulstatues。