New-York daily tribune., 1843-08-23
THE TRIIsUNE
Letters from lIr. Weed No. Al.
Correspondence of tn. Albany Evening Jonmal.

W.
TUE THAMES. cRrENwica. T TOWER THE n.Nk KS. nTc
LoSpos July Il ,l5i'
a'e took the iron steamer Daisy" at Black
friars stairs after breakfast YESTERDAY, iof olcci-
wich, FIVE miles below London. Oplccts ol vast
historical interest and much architectural grandeur
attracted and ddzzed the eye at every point 10
which If turned. Passing under London bndgc
and orcr the Thames Tunnel, the river is Wedged
so full of shipping as to leave but small passage
for the steamers up and down. Ihe shps lar-
thest no the Thames arc loaded with COAL winch
Ia discharged into large )unks hall scows and
half Durham boat construction, that are iioated
along farther up the river ard then the coal IS
measured into bags. These bags are loaded INTO
large Pennsylvania looking wagons, drawn by
the same breed of horses referred to as before the
draws at Liverpool, and the noblest animals |
have ever secn,) taken throughout the city and
sold at an average price of twenty-five shilllngs
Tor Sc 50) per ton.
St. GATHERINGS Docks and the London Docks
displayed forests of masts spreading over many
acres of artificial sea-thc docks, you know hav-
ing been excavated after the Thames became
entirely too small to accommodate the shipping
which the metropolis attracted to her waters.
We passed several large steamers that run be-
tween London and various places on the Cont
nent and for miles below, az far indeed as we
could see, there WAS continuous wilderness of
masts and spars, those most distant being so IN
distinct as to resemble the dry trunks, limbs and
tops of a girdcd forest.
!, Near Greenwich We passed close to the ship of
war Dreadnought," one Of those enormous
"woodcn walls" that helped TO render England
terrible to her continental enemies, but which IS
now, under the auspices of Female Charitable
Society, Hospital for Scamen. She nales
tic hulk, with four tiers of port holes, that look
destruction even after the brazcn-mouthcd engines
Of slaughter have been withdrawn.
Upon our steamer Daisy" was Band with
three nstrments) playing sweetly, and at every
stopping place plate was handed round TO the
departing passengers each one of nhom dcposl
ted his penny or ha-p pence as unhesltatlhgly as If
this small stipend had been nominated in the
Of persons about the Metropolis who maintain
themselves by these conventionalitics, which,
while no body is obliged or required TO pay, yet
every body does pay, as thing In course
Theatre bills, instead of being given to you, as
with us inside, are sold at the entrance, by half
mendcant men and women, for q penny. The
crosswalks are kept clean by persons who derive
their support from the voluntary half-penny con-
tributions ofthose who pass. Intwo instances saw
the mud removed from the cross. walks by women,
who piled the scraper with one arm and carried
an infant, probably for effect, in the other These
persons have property, OF some sort, IN their
respective cross walks but whether by prescnp-
ton, possession, or the payment of llcensc-moncy,
| am unable to say-but from the mnutencss
and impartiality Of the English system Of taxa
ton, these scrvtors 'of the cross walks are not
unlikely 10 derive their authority from Her Ma
iestys Government. When you employ a hack
or cab, its door is opened and shut, not by the
hack or cabman, but by a person who expects
and receives his penny from you.
But let US 20 back to Greenwich, where we
found the docks, shipping and shores lined with
people, collected, as we soon found, to sec 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 alter
our arrival, SIX boats, each with " one PAIR OF
sculls," (as they call the oars started, and pulled
brskly and bravely through The competitors
wete designated by their jackets of green, yellow
scarlet white, &c. The rivet was damned so
full of small craft that it seelr.cd impossible for
the Regatta boats to find their way through, and
they dle encounter some obstruction: and IN the
third heat a boat with half dozen men III 1t ran
50 iouly INTO one of the competitors, that his
lnends III another boat made for the offenders,
and general naval engagement ensued, Ia which
CLOVIS were dealt with such effect that several OF
ihe combatants were knocked down and one
ovelboard After cessation of hostilites, both
boats pulled for the shore, whcsc the battle SEEM
Cd to be renewed amid a great crowd of spccta-
'ois We came away before the last heat, (at 5
O'clock P. NJ but the London papers of this
morning give US the result.
We did not, however, come away from Green
Wleh without having most gratifying view OF
The Hospital, one OF the many noble charities
which have been founded, endowed and are sup
ported IN London. The Royal Observatory, built
oyCharles the Second, and the best IN Europe,
stands upon az cmincncc here. This Observa-
'oFy is the meridian from which Astronomers all
over the world make their calculations. There Is
beautiful Park on an cminence beyond the Hos
Ptal, from which is good view of London
within and around the Hospital the old veterans
sle seen pacing lelsurcly about, or gathered INTO
groups lounglng quietly upon benches under the
Fe OF wall, or an arbor, or an alcove. AS
ealered, one of them directed me TO the PAINT
ID HALL" 10 which Art has impaired an interest
second only TO the noble achievements thus per
petuated. In the vestibulc of the cupola is
painted splendid compass with It's points and
bearings; and in the covings, in magnifccn,
chia,o-scro, the winds with their attributes are
seen. The Artist, Sir James Thornville, was en-
gagged ten years upon these pictures. The Hall
On either side, is hung with paintings of Nava
Battles and portraits of Naval Heroes, among
which are several of Lord NELSON, who is evi
aeaty the WASHINGTON of England. In th
Chapel, too, are many excellent paintings, tn
best OF which is St. Paufs Preservation from
shpwreck, by BENJAMIN WEST. There are Ma
val Schools here in which the sons of officers an
ssamen are educated. The number of boys il