Our heroine, Isabel, first arrives in New York with her sister Ruth and her new owners on page 26 of Chains. They are brought up from the hold of the ship in which they traveled and arrive, blinking, into the bright sunlight. From there, Isabel makes some first observations of the city.

She starts by describing the buildings, all crowded together. Some, she notes, are "taller than the oldest trees back home." Isabel also sees many soldiers. They are hard at work, splashing through puddles left by a recent rain, carrying supplies. Some of them, those carrying muskets, are in uniform. Others wear homespun clothes and do manual labor, such as dragging fence posts around.

Isabel is amazed at the diversity of people she sees in New York. She is encouraged to see many black faces among the working crowd, though most are still white. Maids and workingmen share the streets with gentry, who "stuck out of the crowd like peacocks wandering in the chicken pen." This contrast is further illustrated by two teams of horses. The first, a wagon drawn by "two thick-necked horses" stops by the dock. The second, a "beautiful carriage drawn by two pale gold stallions and driven by a stout man in livery" pulls up behind the wagon.

There is truly an enormous diversity in New York of buildings, people, and even animals. Some clearly display their enormous wealth while others toil and work to support the bustling city.