Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-08-14
NUMBER TWO.

ways.Price Of the trains.--Efects Of travelling up
| wards Of forty miles Rural beauty of Eng
| land-Arrival in London Regent strcet.-NIen.-
| Womcn-C arriascs.--Placards.- Shops.-Bcggars.
Samencss-Fashions.- Broughams. "--Cabs.-The
pavement of the sirccts.-Difercncc between London
aud New York in this particular. w OGDEN pavencnts
In wet wcather.-Omnibuscs.- Blessing,oh's
eqaipagc.-Thc Chief of the Partisan Police.-His
personal appearance and curious carecr-An Arncri-
can Bclle.-Her admirers rolleries.-Thc most
celebrated notability of the season, etc.
LONDON, July l.
My DEAR NORRIS Having some delay
in giving my little Imogen her first English
dinner, we saved our passage by half minute,
and were off from Liverpool at 4 precisely.
The distance to London is, believe, 900
miles, and we did il in five hours-an accelera-
ton 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 each train, and at DIFF
ferent prices. CHANGED to light upon the
first class, and paid G5 for two places-my
nurse and child counting as one. understand.
since, that many gentlemen and ladies of the
most respectable rank take the second-class
cars as few Americans would, am sorry to
say, though there would be two degrees still
below them.
This travelling at forty odd miles the hour
gives ones eyes hardly time to know tree
from COW, but here and there got distant
view in crossing valley, and recognized the
rural beauty of England, the first impression
of which lasts one, like an enchanted inemory,
through life. Notwithstanding the great speed,
the cars ran so evenly on their admirable
rail, 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
for physician, and here, if you please, we
will make a jump over twelve days, and come
to bright morning when | was let out for
walk in Regent street.
II is extraordinary how little the English
change Regent-street after four or five
years, is exactly what Regent-street ras. The
men have the same tight cravats, coats too
small; overbrnshed whiskers, and look of be-
ing excessively wash'd. The carriages and
horses exactly the same. The cheap shops
have the same placard Of "sELtiNG OFF" In
their broad windows. The blind beggars tell
the same story, and are led by the same dogs
bit what is stranger than all this. sa1neness, is
that the ladies look the same The fashions
shops ! But the Englshing that is done to
French bonnets after they are bought, or the
English way in which they are worn, over
powers the novelty, and gives the fair occu-
pants OF the splendid carriages of London the
very same look they had ten years ago.
Still, there are some slight differences OBJ
servable i'll the street, and among others, OBJ
serve that the economical private Carriage call
ed "Brougham," is very commoh.-1'hesea are
low cabs, holding two or four persons; with
a driver, and perhaps footman in livery on
the outside seat; aid one horse seems 10 do
the work as well as two. This fashion would
be well, introduced into New York-hat is
to say, if our city is ever to be well enough
paved to make drive any thing but dire
necessity. The paving of London is really
most admirable. Vast city as it is, the streets
are as smooth as a floor all over it, and to
ride is indeed d luxury: The break-neck,
hat-jaming and dslocating jolts of Broadway
must seem to English judgment an inexcuS-
able stain on our public spirit. And, apropos
Of paSing-the wooden pavement seems to be
entirely out of favor Regent-street is laid
In wooden blocks, and in wet weather (and
it rains here some part of every day. it is SO
slippery tina; an Omnibus which has beef
stopped In going up the street is with diff
Guilty started again. The horses almost all
ways come to their knees, though the ascent
is very slight, and the falls Of cart and car
! riage-horses are occurring continually. Moth
ing seems to do like the McAdam pavement;
and wherever you find 1t in London, you find
it in as perfect order as the floor of a Bowling
alley. see that all heavy vehicles, (by the
way are compelled to have very broad
wheels, and they rather improve the road thar
spoil it. A law to the same effect should be
passed III New York, If it ever has d pave
ment worth preserving:
Observing Lady BlessiDgtoh's faulliess e.
quipage standing at the door Of the CoSmora-
ma, went in and saw her Ladyship for d
moment. She said she was suffering from re.
cent illness, but thought her looking far bet
ter fban when was last in England Hef
two beautiful nieces were with her, and Lord
- and the celebrated Vidocq (for this
was what they had come TO. see,) was show
ing them the DISCUSSES he had worn in his
wonderful detections of criminals, the weap-
! ons he had taken frou, thorn and all fbe 90,