City Scenes Part 8

61. The Admiralty Office.

[Picture: The Admiralty Office]

This is in that part of the street between Charing Cross and Parliament Street which is called White Hall, Westminster, having capacious apartments for the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, who direct the affairs of the navy. The telegraph receives information, and gives instructions, in fair weather, to the various commanders of s.h.i.+ps at the different sea-ports. This invention was first practised with success in France, and is admirably contrived to convey intelligence in a very expeditious manner.

62. The Sailing Match.

[Picture: The Sailing Match]

Take care, my lads, not to crowd too much sail, or the boat may upset!

There they go! from Blackfriars' Bridge, through Westminster Bridge, to Vauxhall, and back again. What a number of boats there are on the water!

Let us hope no lives will be lost, for it seems rather dangerous to be near such fast-sailing boats in a loaded wherry; and, as it is much the safest to be on sh.o.r.e, we would recommend every little boy or girl to keep off the water at such times.

63. The drowned Boy.

[Picture: The downed boy]

Ah, silly lad! he would go out of his depth, though he knew he was not a skilful swimmer; and see what has been the consequence! He was seized with the cramp, when he had been a few minutes in the water, and began to sink directly. His brave companion jumped in after him, at the risk of his own life, and has brought him back, quite senseless, to the boat.

How distressed his poor brother looks! and how anxious to see whether there is any life left in him.

There is a society in London, of which Dr. Hawes and Dr. Lettsom were the founders, for the purpose of recommending the best means to be used for recovering drowned persons. It is called the Humane Society. They have houses placed at proper distances by the river-side, where a.s.sistance may be had instantly; and every possible means are tried for many hours, before they give any one quite over. Numbers have been restored to life by this benevolent inst.i.tution; and there is a sermon preached once a year, before the Society, when many who have been brought to life by this means are present: it is a very affecting spectacle.

Let us hope they will take this poor boy to one of these places, and perhaps he may yet be restored to his family.

64. The General Post-office,

[Picture: The General Post-office]

In St. Martin's le Grand. The front of this fine building is 380 feet long, and is ornamented with three Ionic porticos. The post-office is one of the most busy spots in London, and is the most perfect system of commercial convenience which has ever been formed under any government.

It receives letters from all parts of our own country, as well as from every civilized nation in the world, and forwards them to their destination with the utmost regularity.

In front of the central portico, I see, there is one of the mail-coaches for the conveyance of letters. These coaches travel at the rate of eight miles an hour, including stoppages: they carry also pa.s.sengers and parcels.

65. Southwark Bridge.

[Picture: Southwark Bridge]

This grand fabric was constructed of cast-iron, under the direction of John Rennie, Esq. It consists of three immense arches. The centre arch spans 240 feet, and the two others 210 feet each. The weight of iron is more than 5308 tons. The abutments are of stone. The bridge forms a communication from the bottom of Queen Street, to Bankside, Southwark.

It was begun in September, 1814, and was completed, and opened for public use, in March, 1819. The entire expense incurred by the building of this bridge was 80,000.

66. Waterloo Bridge

[Picture: Waterloo Bridge]

Is built of a very hard kind of stone called granite. This bridge was commenced in 1811, and completed in 1817. The road-way of the bridge is level, which is very favourable to the draught of carriages. It has nine fine arches, 120 feet span. The piers are twenty feet thick, ornamented with Tuscan columns. This building was constructed under the superintendence of the late John Rennie, Esq. The opening of this bridge to the public was conducted with unusual grandeur, on the 18th of June, 1817; being the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, his late Majesty, then Prince Regent, and the Duke of Wellington, with grand military cavalcade, attending.

Near the foot of Waterloo Bridge, in the Strand, stands

67. The Royal Academy, Somerset House.

[Picture: The Royal Academy]

This academy of fine arts was established by royal charter in 1768. The academy consists of forty academicians, twenty a.s.sociates, and six a.s.sociate engravers. Sir Joshua Reynolds was the first president. They make a grand annual exhibition of paintings, sculptures, &c. which commences in May, and generally continues open about six weeks.

68. Covent Garden.

[Picture: Covent Garden]

Now we have a view of Covent Garden Market, where plants, fruit, and flowers of every kind, are brought for sale from the country. By four o'clock in a summer's morning, it is completely full of the most rare and beautiful plants that can be grown in England, either in open nurseries, or in the hot-house and green-house: and, what with the number of busy people buying and selling; the carts going to and fro, laden with flowers, fruit, and vegetables of all sorts; the beauty and gaiety of the different plants, and the sweetness of their odours, it is altogether a most delightful scene. The Londoners cannot take a country walk whenever they please, and enjoy the green fields and wild hedge-flowers, in the open air; but they may supply themselves here with every kind of beautiful plants, for a garden within doors; and to those who have a little knowledge of botany, it must be not only an entertaining, but even a useful amus.e.m.e.nt.

69. The British Museum

[Picture: The British Museum]

Was formerly the residence of the Dukes of Montague: it is now the national museum for every kind of curiosity. Indeed, they are so various, both natural and artificial, that it would require a very large book to give even a very short account of them. Here are such a mult.i.tude of animals of all kinds, birds, beasts, fishes, sh.e.l.ls, b.u.t.terflies, insects, books both ancient and modern, precious stones, medals, &c. that, in fact, the only way to form an idea of them, is to see them.

70. Charing Cross.