Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-08-02
From the N. Y. Mirror.
WILLIS LETTERS FROM EUROPE.
NUMBER TWO.
lONnON. Inly L

wing my little lmogen her first English dinner,
we saved our passage by halt a minute, and
were of from Liverpool at precisely The
distance to London is believe, 800 miles, and
Wa did it in five hours-an accecration Of speed
which is lately introduced upon the English
railways. There are slower trains on the same
route, and the price, by these, is less. There
are also three or four different kinds Of cars to
eacl, train, and at different prices. chanced
TO light upon the first class, and paid E5 for
two places--my nurse and child counting as one.
I understand, since, that many gentlemen and
ladies Of the most respectable rank take the Sc
cond class cars-(as few Americans would,
am sorry to say, though there would be two de.
grees still below them.)
This travelling at forty odd miles the hour
gives ones eyes hardly time 10 know tree
from cow, but here and there gota distant
view in crossing a valley, and recognized the
lovely rural beauty of England: the first i'm.
preston of which lasts one, like an enchanted
memory. through ite Notwithstanding the
great speed, the cars ran so evenly on their ad
mlrable rails, that there was no Jar to prevent
ones sleeping or being comfortable, and awoke
from very pleasant dream to find myself in
London.
As was dressing to dine out on the follow
ing day, stopped tying my cravat to send tor
physician, and here, if you please we will
make jump over twelve days, and come to n
bright morning when was let on, TO walk in
Regent street.
II is extraordinary how little the English
change Regent street, after four or Eve
years, is exactly what Regent street nas. The
men have the same tight cravats, coo,s too
small, overbrushed whiskers and look of being
excessively washed. The carriages and horses
exactly the same. The cheap shops have the
same placard of "sELuNG OFF" in their broad
windows The blind beggars tell the same s,o-
ry, and are led by the same dogs but what is
still stranger than all this sameness, is that the
iddies look the same The fashions have per.
maps changed-n the milliners' shops But
the Engiishing that is done to French bonnets
after they are bought or the English way in
which they are worn, overpowers the novelty,
and gives the fair occupants of the splendid car
riages OF London the very same look they had
ten years ago.
Still, there are some slight differences obser.
vable in the street, and among others, observe
that the economical private carriage called a
"Broughman," is very common. These are low
cabs, holding two or four persons, with drive:
and perhaps foo,man in livery on the outside
seat, and one horse seems TO do the work as
well as two. This fashion would be well, intro
duced into New York-that is to say if our ci
ty is ever to be well enough paved to make a
drive any thing but dire necessity. The pa
wing Of London is real y most admirable. Vas
city as it is, the streets as smooth as floor s
over IT, and to ride is indeed luxury. The
brcakneck, hat jammng and disloca,ing JOLT.
OF Broadway must seem to English judgment
IN inexcusablc stain OH our public spirit And
0propos of pavng-the wooden pavement seem,
to be entirely out of favor. Regent street il
laid in wooden blocks, and in wet weather (anc
1t rains here some part Of every day) it is ST
slippery that an omnibus which has been stop
ped in going up the street is with difficulty
e'dIeu HHdln i ne no:Ses almost always come
10 their knees, though the ascent is very slight
ond the falls of cart and carriage horses are oc
curing continually. Nothing seems to do like
the McAdam pavement, and wherever you 6nt
1t in London, you find it in as perfect order al
the floor of a bowling alley. see that all hea
w vehicles (hy the way) are compelled to ha "
very broad wheels, and they rather improve tn,
road than spoil it. A law to the same eifec
should be passed in New York, if it ever has
pavement worth preserving.
Observing Lady Blcssngtons fautlcss equi
page standing at the door Of the Cosmorama,
went in and saw her ladyshp for moment
She said she was suffering from recent illness
but | thought her looking far better than whel
was last in England. Her two beautiful nei
ces were with her. and Lord - and the cele
brated Nldocq (tor this was wha. they had com
to sce,) was showing them the DISCUSSES he hat
worn IN his wonderful detections Of criminals
the weapons he had ken from them and all I'm
curIosles OF his career-himself the creates,
! looked at the Prince of Policemen, with n
little interest OF course, after reading his sngu
lar memoirs, He is fat man, very like tn
outline of Louis Phillippe's figure and his heac
enormously developed in the perccplive organs
goes up 50 small TO the top, as to resemble til
pear with which the King ofthe French is con
monty caricatured Vdnoq's bow To me whe
I came in "A ms the model of elegant and esnec