Passage to India！

    Lo soul for thee of tableaus¹ twain，

    I see in one the Suez canal initiated²， open'd，

    I see the procession of steamships³， the Empress Eugenie's

    leading the van，

    I mark from on deck the strange landscape， the pure sky， the

    level sand in the distance，

    I pass swiftly the picturesque⁴ groups， the workmen gather'd，

    The gigantic dredging machines.

    In one again， different， （yet thine， all thine， O soul， the same，）

    I see over my own continent the Pacific railroad surmounting⁵

    every barrier，

    I see continual trains of cars winding⁶ along the Platte carrying

    freight and passengers，

    I hear the locomotives rushing and roaring， and the shrill⁷

    steam-whistle，

    I hear the echoes reverberate⁸ through the grandest scenery in

    the world，

    I cross the Laramie plains， I note the rocks in grotesque⁹

    shapes， the buttes，

    I see the plentiful¹⁰ larkspur and wild onions， the barren，

    colorless， sage-deserts，

    I see in glimpses afar or towering immediately above me the

    great mountains， I see the Wind river and the Wahsatch

    mountains，

    I see the Monument mountain and the Eagle's Nest， I pass

    the Promontory¹¹， I ascend¹² the Nevadas，

    I scan the noble Elk¹³ mountain and wind around its base，

    I see the Humboldt range， I thread the valley and cross the

    river，

    I see the clear waters of lake Tahoe， I see forests of majestic¹⁴

    pines，

    Or crossing the great desert， the alkaline plains， I behold¹⁵

    enchanting¹⁶ mirages¹⁷ of waters and meadows，

    Marking through these and after all， in duplicate slender

    lines，

    Bridging the three or four thousand miles of land travel，

    Tying the Eastern to the Western sea，

    The road between Europe and Asia.

    （Ah Genoese thy dream！ thy dream！

    Centuries after thou art laid in thy grave，

    The shore thou foundest verifies thy dream.）