The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-02-06
European Correspondence OF the Min
nesOtian. ---NO. g.

European Correspondence OF the Min.
nesOtian. ---NO. 6.
LONDON.
MEssRs. EDIToRs.-In addition to those
places have mentioned there are many 9TH
ers Of note in London. In my description of
a few of these shall be very brief
The new Houses of Parliament are situated
on the banks of the River Thames, opposite
Westminster Abbey, and are built nearly az
ter the same style of architecture. 1t is a
very large building, and the most costly of
any in England. | never saw building that
appears to have so much work Oil it as this,
both on the outside and within, and yet do
not like the appearance of it as well as | do
many of the public buildings in the United
States. The Lamps on the outside in the
shape of a globe are very pretty. received
cards from the gentlemanIy Secretary of our
Minister to visit the INTERIOR but as the Hous-
es were not in session did not have the pleas
urc of seeing and hearing many of the public
men of England.
St. Paul's Cathedral is a place very much
celebrated. and was built by the Masonic Fra.
ternity. 1t was thirty-fve years being built,
and cost seven and half million dollars, and
this, too, at time when labor was very cheap.
There are many Monuments on the inside
! and among them is that of its Architect, Sir
Christopher Wren, Howard, the Philanthro-
pist, Lord Nelson, and other Heroes.
| attended divine service in this place. II
is Episcopal or Church of England as it is
sometimes termed, and l noticed there were
twelve men and eight boys in clerical robes
and from the number of seats for the Clergy
l should judge this was only about one hall
of the full number. There are also seats ex.
pressly for the Lord Bishop, Mayor, and AL
dermen of the City of London. On the tor
of this building is to be obtained the best
view of this City.
The British Museum contains the largest
collection in the world, consisting of stuffed
beasts, animals, birds, reptiles, fishes, fossils
insects, minerals, skeletons Of beasts and an
imals, ancient sculpturing, and ancient relics
of every description. This building is thu
property of the Government, and admission
is free to all. 10 any one that takes an in
terest in natural history and antiquities few
days conld be spent here with profit Nearly
all the products of DR.. Layards excavations
on the site of ancient Ninevah, and othel
taces in AsSyria are deposited here. Some
Of the specimens to be seen are the oldes
k, 10 wn. or nearly 1000 years old
Tie National Gallery contains large ant
fine collection Of Paintings, and is also free tt
all.
Having heard much of Madame Tussan(
& Sons Waxworks, Ipaid it visit. 1t is il
Baker Str eet-a very aristOcratlc part OF TIT
city-and contains about three hundred ane
fifty Wax M, )dels Of the most prominent In
dividuals of the present and past ages, ant
are considered to be the most correct likeness
es in existance. In walking through plac'
of this kind, it is sometimes very difficult t
tell visitors, when they are seated or stand
ing, from the Models, as some OF the latte
move and apparently breathe. Many OF the
figures l could call by name those who the.
were intended to represent. although L hat
, never seen them inperson, but owing to hav
ing seen their port raits very often. Among thu
Figures here is THAI of George Washington
dressed as first Presi, lent OF the United States
think this is the wo, st likeness on exhibi
ton, as it don't look lik, = Washington at all t.
me,-the features and m suth being too small
What gives an additional interest to the fle
ures is, that many of them ee clothed III tn
same dresses as worn by thos e they represent
TIE figure of Emperor Napolcon the first
is laying on the same camp BED 'tead, matras
and pillow, that was used by him seven year
during his excitement ut St. Hele "a, and nj
body covered by the same cloak that ne wor'
at Marengo, and which served a5 hi tunera
pail There are also many other relic OF MI
personal property, including his carrias e, ia
ken at WaterloO,-mOst of which tn. 'ng
Madame Tussaud procured from the Cove. n
ment. One of the rooms is called "Tht
Chamber of Horrors and contains large
collection of the figures Of Alc most notori-
you sketch of one person in this room, and
that is Of Count De Lorgc, and who is repre-
sented IN prison in the Bastile, with a loa
of bread and a pitcher of water on a table
before him, and on the loaf is the figures Of
two Mice, fixed by machinery so that they
run around and nbble just as natural as life
This man whom Madame Tussaud says she
saw in exile, was confined in tie Bastilc thir
ty years for offending minister; and when
liberated he found all his relations and friends
dead and almost forgotten. Liberty had no
joys for him. He often begged to be re
stored to the prison he inhabited SO long,
He died shortly after his release.
In this room is exhibited the same guillo
tine that was used in France during tho
Reign of Terror, and decapitated Louis XVI.
Duke of Orleans, Robespierre and others.
The Thames Tunnel is another institution
This tunnel is under the Thames River, il
the eastern part of London. The charge tt
go through is two cents. paid that sum a
a door, and passed inside. The first thing
that greeted my car was music from below
descended flight of steps for sixty feet Il
the entrance of the tunnel. There are TIVE
roads through it, each about sixteen fee
wide One of them is closed up for SOM
reason. On going through it L found i
lighted with gas, and various stol for tn
sale of fancy articles, refreshment rooms, &c
and miniature panoranomas and otE or exhib
itions all the way through. At one Of til
latter ;places saw neat and small steam
engine performing the duty of organist on
large hand organ. After going through ant
thinking of the wonderful skill of man in con
structing this tunnel, thought and askc'
myself for what it was built for l canno
see that it is Of the least use whatever. N
one that is going across the river would b.
likely to go through it, for they can cross il
a boat in half the time, and not have to as
cend and descend sixty feet; and therefore thu
only traffic through it IS by visitors.
In company with few friends 1 visited
the Crystal Palace. 1t is the same Palace
that was built in Hyde Park for the grea
exhibition. 1t is now removed to Syden
ham, nine miles from London. A railroa,
runs from the latter place right into the gar.
den of the palace This place is the pretties
ever saw the Crystal Palace at New Y orl
is not by any means so extensive. / wa
told there was thirty-four miles of walk il
the building. The inside is laid off witt
plants and flowers from various parts of tin
globe, together with sculpture, paintings
birds, machinery, and goods Of various de
scriptions. Among the machinery in motor