Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-24
LETTER FROM ENGLAND.
LONDON, June 6, 1878

derful city of modern times. If not of any
time wonderful in its vastness, wonderful In
| its population, being now the largest city in
the world and containing over three million
| five hundred thousand inhabtants-as large
in extent and population as the cities of New
York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Chicago and Boston combined; wonderful in
its commerce and railways, wonderful in its
buildings, its parks, gardens, and museums,
and last though not least, wonderful in its
charges and fees. 1t combines at once the
grandest and the meanest, the Oldest and the
newest, the largest and the smallest buildings,
the greatest elegance and luxury and the most
squalid poverty. Its streets are thronged with
a vast multitude from every inhabited portion
| of the globe; it is the grand financial center
of the world, everything is tributary to it.
The American merchant in the indies, China,
or Japan is obliged to transact his business
through London bills of exchange Beneath
the streets, above the houses, railways spread
out in every direction; the city literally wears
net of iron on its head and sandals of iron
bind its feet. No city in America, and in all
probability none in the world, either in mod
ern or ancient times, ever possessed such
complete, rapid and cheap means of transport
tation. These underground and open air rail.
ways have vast stations in every part Of the
| city, which can be reached in few minutes
walk be you where you may. Or if you
choose, You can jump into buss or tram
way (streeD car on any of the prominent
streets, and be carried wherever You please,
riding outside or inside as fancy strikes you.
One of the best ways to see London is to
climb upon the top Of an omnibus and take
seat beside the driver. BY crossing his palm
with silver sixpence he will graciously point
out to you the various objects of interest as
you pass along, and their number is legion.
Should you prefer to have conveyance by
yourself you have only to hail the driver of
hanson or cab, and be rapidly taken to your
destination at ridiculously small price COM
pared with the cost of the same facilities with
US in American cities. Two of us got into a
hanson the other evening and were driven
four miles for two shilings, or about sixty
cents L. s. currency.
The stranger from America on his en-
trance into London finds it difficult to realize
where he is-it does not seem possible that
+ he is here walking. riding, speaking in and
, seeing the great city of which he has heard so
much in song and story; that these buildings
were many of them erected centuries before
America was discovered; that beneath your
feet repose the dusty remains of five thousand
years. We have only just begun to real
ize it fully, and don't know as we ever should
have done so had we not visited those famous
buildings, the Tower of London and West
minister Abbey, and been to hear Spurgeon.
Either one of these things would almost pay
one for crossing the ocean, especially if he
was not liable to be seasick The Tower is a
collection of heavy buildings, some of very
early and others of more recent construction.
1t lies Immediately on the north bank of the
Thames, and is now used only as fortress
I and arsenal, and as a depository for the crown
/. Jewels, which are estimated to be worth over
fifteen million dollars. On entering the
= grounds we paid a shilling, and were conduct.
ed by one of the warders of the Tower
! through the buildings. These warders are
: army or navy veterans, dressed in the pictur.
d eslue costume of the time of Henry the XVII.
: As we passed along he pointed out and gave
a short history of the different buildings and
e their contents. Such a wonderful building,
room, the dungeon prison and the place of
execution of England's kings, queens and
noblemen and women. Opposite the Traitors
Gate, opening upon the Thames, through
which state prisoners were brought into the
Tower, is the Bloody Tower, so-called be-
cause it is supposed the young sons OF Edward
the Nv were murdered there by their uncle.
The entrance beneath this tower was former
ly guarded by two portcullises, one of which
=
the Horse Armory we saw effiges of the kings
and knights of England from Henry vi, 1922,
to James ii, 1855, mounted on horses, and
both men and horses clothed with the armor
worn during the various periods. These eff
fgies of men and horses are of wood, but
made SO lifelike as to appear very natural.
The armors are perfect and present the most
wonderful historic and military display to be
witnessed in the world. The figures are ar
ranged in chronological order, and on the
walls above them are painted the livery co!ors
OF the royal houses of England, from the
Plantagenets to the Stuarts, with the names
Of the kings during which the various kinds
of armor were used. suit of chain mail in
troduced by the Crusaders from Asia (where
it is still worm in tie reign of Henry Ill,
| l2l6-l212, is also seen. Some of these ar
mors are very beautiful and costly, and that
worn in Edward Ills time was so splendid
that the knights who might otherwise have
been taken prisoners were killed for the sake
of the booty. Henry the VIII, on horseback,
is seen with a foot soldier of his time on his
left, both clothed in armor. That OF the
for mer Is known to have been the one worn
by that bloody monarch. and was presented to
HIM on his marriage TO Catharine of Arragon.
Near by is an armor made for him at eighteen,
which weighs ninetytwo pounds. Further on
is the efigy ofRobert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
one of Queen Elizabeth favorite courtiers with
the armor worn by that celebrated person in
1850 His initials 4. d. are engraved on the
! knee guards, and the family badge, bear and
. ragged staff, appears on the armor of the
horse. Beside the armors, this chamber con-
tains, in countless numbers and varieties, the
: weapons of England from the earliest times,
among which are hreech loading and revolv-
4 ing guns and pistols used centuries ago.
l Near by is the modern armory filled with the
: armor and weapons now used. Swords, pis-
tolls, ramrods, bayonets, etc., are beautifully
, and artistically formed into water lilies
cactus and other flowers, stars, crosses,
! shields, and adornments of many kinds, among