Question: It consists of two spans, straddling the Ile de la City, and was initially populated with street-singers, charlatans, prosetutes, pickpockets, and above all bouquinistes selling old books and pamphlets out of boxes.
Bouquinistes used boxes to sell old books and pamphlets.

Answer: yes

Question: Hawaii, as America's western outpost and major Pacific military base, was ruled by martial law.
Hawaii was ruled by democracy.

Answer: no

Question: But its greatness was linked to its fine natural harbour, and when this silted up in the third century a.d. the city went into decline.
Before the harbor silted up, the city was the greatest hub of trade in Greece.

Answer:
it is not possible to tell