Puck — March 26, 1879 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes American politicians or diplomats being sent abroad on missions, then returning home without accomplishing their goals—hence the classical reference to Ulysses (Odysseus), whose journey home took years of struggle. The scene depicts several figures in formal 19th-century dress gathered around a central character who appears to be a dignitary or official. The caricatured faces suggest these represent specific political figures, though the OCR'd caption and visible text don't clearly identify them by name. The "homeward-bound" reference implies these officials were deferred or postponed in their missions, returning empty-handed. Without clearer identification of the specific figures or historical context from the page, the precise political conflict remains unclear, but the cartoon mocks diplomatic failure or political ineffectiveness.