German composition

Section 85 The London Docks. I.

Seemingly⁠1 boundless is the region of the docks, and the visitor who sets out with ever so definite an idea of the course he intends to pursue, will constantly find himself allured from the path. He passes⁠2 a door from⁠3 which issues a delicious fragrance of spice, and he turns in⁠4 to (S. 19, N. 7) explore⁠5 it. At⁠6 the top of a stone staircase he finds an enormous floor⁠7 piled⁠8 with bales of cinnamon and boxes of nutmeg. Here and there are great heaps which, on⁠9 close inspection, prove⁠10 to be cloves. Others, of⁠11 a brilliant sienna colour, he⁠12 finds to be heaps of mace. The⁠13 floor above this is stored⁠14 with Peruvian bark⁠15. This article is used for the preparation⁠16 of quinine, but⁠17 it is imported in such quantities⁠18 as⁠19 to render it difficult to believe that⁠20 it can all be used medicinally.

Notes

1 Say ‘The region (Bereich, m.) of the docks seems (erscheinen) almost boundless (unbegrenzt), and even when the visitor begins his course (Wanderung, f.) with ever so (mit einem noch so) definite a plan about (über) the direction he intends to pursue (die einzuschlagende Richtung, Comp. S. 48, N. 6), (so) he will constantly find himself allured (ab´lenken) from his path’. Supply the adverb doch before the adv. ‘constantly’.

2 an etwas vorbei´gehen.

3 aus der ihm ein köstlicher Wohlgeruch von Gewürzen entgegenströmt.

4 hinein´gehen.

5 besichtigen; the pron. ‘it’ must be rendered by the persnl. pron. of the 3rd pers. pl. to agree with its antecedent ‘Gewürze’.

6 Am Ende.

7 Lagerraum, m.

8 an´füllen; for the constr. see S. 7, N. 3, B.

9 bei näherer Besichtigung.

10 Construe according to the following model: This proves to be false, dies erweist sich als falsch.

11 von prächtiger Okerfarbe.

12 Say ‘he recognises as heaps’.

13 Der darüberliegende Lagerraum.

14 an´füllen.

15 Chinarinde.

16 To render ‘preparation of quinine’ form a comp. n. of the corresponding German terms ‘quinine’ and ‘preparation’ (Bereitung); to use, verwenden.

17 doch, adverbial conjunction, see App. § 24, B.

18 Menge, f., only used in the sing.

19 as — believe, daß es sich kaum glauben läßt.

20 that — medicinally = it (to agree with Artikel) could (Pres. Subj.) only be used (benutzen) for (zu) medical purposes (Zweck, m.).