Film taken from a boat heading down the Hudson is shown at varying speeds, often giving a sense of rapid transit. We see empty hills sweeping by, then a steamboat passes. A few houses appear in woods along the river's bank. The camera goes around a curve in the river; a train track is visible at the water's edge. The occasional sign of industrialization appears, then a working rail yard. Around another bend are more steamboats, a three-masted sailboat, and barges. In the distance, a train heads south. After awhile, we reach a city.