Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-09-08
MISCELLANY.
From the Albany Evening Journal.
LETTERS FROM MIR. WEED.
THE THAMEs-GREENwIcH-T TowER-THE
BANK, &c,

London. Objects of vast historical interest and
much architectural grandeur attracted and daz-
zled the eye every point to which it turned
Passing under London Bridge and ouer the
Thames Tunnel the river is wedged so full of
shipping os TO leave but small passage Tor the
steamers up and down. The ships iarihest up
the Thames are loaded with coal, which is dis
charged into large lunks halfscow and half Dur
! ham boat construction, that are foated farther up
the river, and then the coal is measured into bags.
The bags nre loaded into large Pennsy lvania look
ing wagons, taken throughout the city and sold Mt
an av0rage price of twenty-five shngs Tor $500
per ton.
ST. Catharine's Docks and the London Docks
displayed forests OF masts spreading over many
acres of artificial seattle docks, you know, hav-
ing been excavnted after the Thames became en-
tirely too small TO accommodate the shipping
which the metropolis attracted to her waters.
We passed several large steamers that run be-
tween London and the various places on the con-
lineut and for miles below, as far indeed as we
could see, there was continued wilderness OF
inasls and spars, those most distant being so dis
tinct as to resemble The dry trunks, limbs and tops
OF n girdIed forest
Near Greenwich we passed close to The ship of
war "Dreadnought," one of those enormous
:" wooden walls" that helped to render England
terrible TO her continental enemies. but which is
now under the auspices Of u Female Charitable
Society," Hos, ilal for eeanen. She is majes-
| tic hulk, with Tour tiers OF port holes, that look
destruction even after the braZen mouthed en-
gines of slaughter have been Withdrawn.
Upon our steamer Dasy' was band, with
three insruments) playing sweetly, and at every
stopping place plate was handed round to the
departing passengers, each of whom deposited his
penny or ha-penny as unbesilalingly as il this
smnh stipend had been nominated in the bond"
There are, as have observed, numbers of per-
SONS about the metropolis who maintain them.
NV n mi ono " ilp
body is Obliged or required 10 pay, yet every body
does pay as thing in couise.' Theatre bills,
instead of being given TO you, as with u.s. inside,
are sold at the entrance by half mendicant men
and women for penny. The cross walks are
kept clean by persons who derive their support
| from the voluntary half penny contributions of
those who pass. In two instances, saw The mud
removed from the cross walks by women, who
piled the scraper with one arm aud carried an in-
FAM, probably for effect IN the other. These per-
SONS have properly of some sort, in their respec-
tive cross walks, but whether by prescription,
possession, or the payment OF license money, am
unable 10 shy; but from the mlnueness and i'm
partially Of the English system of taxation, these
servitors of the walks not unlikely TO de-
rive their authority from Her Majesys govern
ment. When YOU employ hack or cub, its door
is opened and shut, not by the hack or cab man,
but by person who expects and receives his PEN
ny from you.
the DOCKS shipping and shores lined with people,
collected, We soon found, to see "The Annual
Greenwich Regatta" under the patronage of
Princess somebody, whose name has escaped me
There were TO be five heats OF mile each, with
half an hours time TO breathe between each heat.
or to speak more properly eat. Soon after our
arrival, six boats, each with I" one pair of sculls,' -
las they culed the oars started and pulled brskly
aud bravey through The competitors were de.
signated by their jackets of green, yellow, scarlet
white, &c. The river was damned SO full OF small
craft that it seemed impossible for the Regatta
boats 10 find their way through, and they did en-
counter some obstruction and in the third heat q
boat with half dozen men in it ran SO foully into
one of the competitors, that his friends in another
boat made for the Offenders and a general nava
engagement ensued, in which blows were dealt
with such effect that several of the combattants
were knocked down and one overheard. After a
cessation of hostilities, both parties pulled for the
shore, when the battle seemed TO be removed
amid great crowd of spectators. We cnme away
before the last heat, al eight clock, p. Nj.
We did not, however, come away from Green
witch without having most gratifying view of the
Hospital, one Of the many noble charities which
have been founded, endowed and supported il
London. The Royal Observatory, built b,
Charles the Second, and the best in Europe
stands upon an emnence here This ubservator,
, is The meridian from which astronomers all owe
the world make their calculations. There is
beautiful Park on an eininence beyond the hos
, pinl, from which is good view of London
Within and around the Hospital the old veterans
are seen pacing leisurely about, or gathered il
groups loungng quietly upon benches under tn,
| lee OF wall or an arbor, or an alcove. AS | en-
tered, one of them drec,ed me to the "Pantet
Hail." 10 which art has impaired interest sec
ond only 10 the noble achievements thus perpetu
ated. In the vestbe of the cupoa is painted
splendid compass with its points and bearings
the winds with their attributes are seen. TIT
artist, Sir James Thornve, was engaged ten year
upon these pictures. The Hail. on either side i
hung with paintings of Naval Battles and portraits
OF Naval Heroes, among which are several o
Lord NELSON, who is evidently the Washington
of England. In the Chapel too are many excel
lent paintings, the best of which s St. Pnul's pre-
servatIon from shipwreck, by Benjamin West.-
There are Naval Schools here in which The son
OF officers and seamen are educated. The mum
Der of boys in the schools now is about 800.
But The admiration which this massive pile o
buildings exctes, and the charms which its Hall
have borrowed from Art and Genius, fade ava,
and are forgotten while you are contemplating tn
living chronicles of maratime glory. Painting an
Sculpture can but reflect and personify deeds O
renown. But here are The men, the bone ant
muscle, the thews and sinews by whom all thes
prodges were acheved-men who have 10
nearly hundred years
"Braved the battle and the breeze"
Here are veterans who were engaged in battl
with the Spanish fleet off Cape Vincent in l79;
when Lord Nelson boarded the San Joseph OF | L
guns There Others who were with Admire
Duncan when he gained his victory over tn
Dutch fleet off Camperdown. There are suryiv
ors of Nelson's victory over the French in l79s
off the Nile and several who were on board th
Victory with Nelson, in his las, battle at Iraiaga
in 1905 In short, there are men here who hav'
helped to carry the British flag through ever!
ocean and sea, and who have fought in all Eng
lands battles for the last sevenly-hye years
They are the manned and scared and scanned, bu
still living monuments OF her glory You Sc
and Others again with but single eye; and in lh'
Infrmary are those who have lost both an arm
and leg, and others who have lost both legs
With their three.cocked hats, long wasted blu
coats, their weather beaten und time furrowe'