The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-28


| the hind-pate had fallen down, and
that his load of apples was stFeYn
from the top to the Dottohl oI the
hill, Although professional swear
er. he uttered not an oath, declaring I
that he could not do the SUBJECT JUS
80 So I imagine it would be with |
me If / should attempt to describe /
the contents of the British Museum. |
It contains quite large collection of
ancient manuscripts, including the
original articles of the Magma Charta
| of King John, in &. ID. 1915, the
original diary of John Locke, Pail
manuscripts, written on sheets of
ivory, Burmese and Buddhistic man
| uscripts, on palm leaves, &C.; also
! from one to FIVE inches in diameter;
also the great seals of the English
sovereigns, including that of Queen
| Victoria, which is seven inches IN d.
ameter. The reading room far exoels
anything of the kind / had yet seen.
The room is circular with a dome.
The ceiling is colorad Ia azure. with
gilded mouldings. The height Of the
dome is LOG feet, the diameter lao
feet. 1t was erected at cost Of
| 915O,O0O.
The representation from the animal
and mineral kingdoms is very full.
The curiosity becomes satisfied and
the eve almost grows 1gedTy IN look
ing at the different and almost end
less varieties and species of the
feathered tribes. There 10 also a very
full representation of the smaller
fishes and four-legged animals, but
the display Of large animal Is and sea
monsters, is scarcely superior to that
in the museum at Edinburgh, Scot
. land. Nor does the mechanical de-
partment in this museum seem to me
to equal that at Edinburgh. The
great whale skeleton, for instance, at
Edinburgh, far exceeds anything Of
the kind in the British Museum,
while In the British Museum the huge
frame Of the American Mastadon
rises up in its mammoth proportions,
to a size almost surprising belief.
Here is the shell of terapin or tor
r toise more than half the size of a
{ common tobacco hogshead, and the
{ representation of an extinct species
i of armadillo, much larger than the
a shell of the tortoise. The display OF
q ancient tombs, mummies, lot only OF
a the human species but also Of dOga,
J, cats, cattle, sheep and reptiles; also
8 sepulchral figures and statues repre-.
e senting heather divinities, stone
!, carvings in bassO reIievO, representing
battle scenes and triumphal process
sions, is probably unsurpassed any
i' where.
July I'D we visited the Royal Mini
and the Tower of London. You
readers have doubtless all heard Of
,f this celebrated Tower, or rather serle:
r. of towers, for there are thirteen il
. number. They are surrounded by az
q outer wall, enclosing thirteen acres
j. Not far from the outer wall there Il
! also a stone embattled wall, surround
! ing the inner ward, This inner wal
= is in places forty feet high and twelve
= feet thick. Ii is connected with anC
/ defended by twelve strong towers, vary
g ing in form and placed at unequal dis
n tances from each other. Most o.
:. them were formerly used as prison
/ lodgings, and are named as follows
y 1st. Bloody Tower; I'd. Bell Tow
C er; Sd. Bsauchamp Tower; 4th
Tower; 9th. Bowyer Tower; 7th
- Brick Tower; 9Th. Jewell Tower
;, och, Constable Tower; 10th. Broad
/
Y Record Tower. In q central part OF
: the inner ward may be seen looming
= up above the surrounding towers, that
u magnificent specimen Of Norman
y architecture, called the White
q Tower. This Tower contains
: $4,000 stand of British arms
= a Horse Armory, in which are an
d ranged the equestrian statues Of the
g English Kings In ancient armor-a
O largo supply of small arms Of modern
Il invention, as we'll as a great variety oil
e rude and cruel weapons OF war used
u before the introduction of fire.
+ Several of these apartments are deco.
u rated with an ingenious display oil
rosettes, flowers, leaves. vines, trees
I, and cornices, made entirely of swords
I. knives, lanoes, pistols, hint-locks
8 ram rods, &c. The tower also con-
!. tains the Jet0eL House, IN which are
i kept the Royal Regalia. consisting Of
the cr0l0n of the Teigning sovereign,
: Queen Victoria, (Which is cap Of
q purple velvet, inelosed In hoops oil
G silver, surmounted by a golded ball
, and cross; all of which are resplen
!; dent with diamonds,) St. Edwards
= = crown, the Prince OF Wales, crown
{ (of pure gold,) the ancient Queen
OEOWua Jnc RWVOu 1A5OCAai ~ H~-
3 wards staff, the Royal sceptre,
l the Rod Of Equity, the Queen :
o seeptre, the Ivory sceptre, and
, other aticles used on cor
! onation occasions. On the 23d OF
Q July we visited the Regents Park
9 and the geological Gardens, situated
Q in the Western portion of London.
e These delightful gardens were laid
u out in the year 1873, and In connec.
ton with the Geological Department,
, are considered the handsomest and
: most interesting in England. The
q citizens of London claim that it is
q the largest and rarest collection OF
2 living animals, in their natural state,
2 that IS anywhere to be found. This
= park contains 472 acres. very taste
fully laid out and beautifully embel-
T lished. The geological Department
7 IS laid out on the North side Of the
! park, and embraces a very large col
lection of live animals, including
= fowls of almost every description,
j brought from all parts Of the habit
! able globe. 1t is laid out and so
r arranged with hills and valleys, trees
I and shrubs, lakes and pools. sheds
: and burrows, houses and stables,
/. cages, large and small, light aud dark,
I caves and deDs, cliffs and perches,
{ gravel beaches and green lawns, that
: each tribe and species of all this
!. vast collection Of living creatures
I I may live as near as possible In
: its own native element. Tie
!, bowling, roaring and growing of
: the carniverous animals near feed
ing time is almost frightful.
: Prominent amongst all the many OBJ
+ !ects of. curiosity in these gardens is