The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1847-04-27
FROM OUR YOUNG TRAVELLER.
Letter No. IL, London.

comrhnying my father to see the Docks and
the Custom House, and must give you some
accotht of them, for promised to do so. But
Frank, you must come and see them for your
self, and even, as my father says of me, you
mpsl grow to be a man before you can have
anJ>adequate idea of these great works.
fhe Docks you must know, are vast basins
formed by excavating the earth near the river
|pS stoning them up, and the water is let in
Nh passage through which the ships pass
frdh the Thames. Only think of one of
thlse docks-'Londond dock for instance COW
erhg 81 acres and accommodating 800 ships at
one time besides lighters. st. Catharines Dock
where the N. York packets lie, is near it, but
sfaller, and both of these are surrounded by
vast cellars for wine Recover which are ware
houses for all kinds of merchandise but such
as comes from the E. and w. Indies. The To-
bkcco warehouse is said to cover five acres.
Besides these, there is the w. India dock,
covering SO acres and accommodating 500
slips and also the E. India-docks. The gen.
tlemen who accompanied us said they all had
cost more than sixty millions of dollars. One
thing which we were shown, struck me as
strange and wicked too; it was a great fur
hace or kiln with tall chimney for burning
up all the damaged tobacco and all the goods,
of ever so great cost, which will not sell for
enough to pay the duties-the wags call this,
'5he Queens tobacco pipe
Before these docks were constructed, which
is not many years since, all the shipping was
obliged to lie moored in two tiers three or four
;essels breast stretching from London bridge
some miles down the river, there being but
very few wharves allowed to be built from the
shore as the Thames is but about one fourth Of
La mile wide here. And now, the river is al
,s'ost full of vessels for miles.
Butt do not know that any thing interested
me SO much on that days excursion, as it did
to go through the numerous rooms of the Gus
TOM ouse-stores, where were to be seen the
productions of all parts of the world; for in
stance, in one apartment were or 1000 bales
of Silk with open samples of that which
came from Italy, China, Turkey, Bengal and
Persia; and we could inspect the samples of
every thing, SO that it was like visiting mu-
scum containing the natural productions of
all parts of the world.
We also took the Tunnel under the Thames
in our way, but need not describe that to
you.
Our visit to the old fortress called the Lon
don Town., where they used to keep their
prisoners of state and some wild beasts, but
in modern times they have none of the form
er and the latter are removed to the Geological
Garden in Regents park, which I mentioned
to you. There were however, many curious
things left to be seen, as all sorts of imple-
ments of warfare that were ever used by fight
ing men in any country or age-the efigies of
some 20 kings and knights equipped in
field armor and mounted on horseback;
and also the 'Crown-Jewels' consisting of
crowns. sword of state, &c., &C., which are
kept in dark dingy vault and shown to poor
advantage through stout iron grating, by
lamp light.
could tell you Of attending Concerts, OPP
eras and Lectures but will mention only one
lecture which was by the noted Mr.. Farrady,
Prof. Of chemistry, and successor, believe,
to Sir H. Davy. His experiments were some
of them very curious, but you would have
been most amused as well as surprised and in
structed by his wonderful powers as a lectur-
err. For precisely one hour, with man ac-
lively employed at each elbow he poured forth
rapid torrent of instruction, but so clear and
so well illustrated by a succession of expert
ments, that, with good attention, you could
hardly help understanding him.
One other scene must tell you of in this
letter, for it interested me very much, and
could hardly content myself to enjoy it with
| ont Won Tt uac rehoarca1 in CT Do,1,c VI