Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-10-22

II you wander around you will come across
the museum of naval models, one Of arti.
lery, other kinds of shooting irons, swords
and Sich another Of materials used in con.
struction, animal products, food, education
al models or apparatus, large collection
Of ancient armor, and patent Office mu-
scum, where you can see the first steam en-.
gine, the first power loom, the first wheel.
barrow, 10 fact, the FIRST of everything in
cluding bust of he who was first in war,
first in peace, and first in the hearts Of his
countrymen and as grand 6nis, the last
rose of summer, and catalogue Of the
whole at the low price Of sxpence.
The galleries Of paintings (oil and water
colors) are very fine, and include the cele-
brated " Vernon and Sheepshank !"
collections. Most Of Lapdseer's Hogar,bs
Rosa BoDheurs aud other noted artists
pictures are to be seen here. think there
are some two or three hundred pictures in
oil. Students are allowed to copy all but
those Of living artists. The famous car
toons Of Raphael and a number Of Benja-
min Werts paintings are in the collection
| skim the library for ideas aud facts, and
take such notes as think will be Of service
to me in the future have already filled
two good sized books You see work
hard, for average ten hours in the mu.
scum, and get in about four at home, which,
with what sightseeing | do, don't give me
much idle time.
You ask if really enjoy London life.
Well l enjoy the roast beef and mutton
chops, but as to the aeas aud fog, | would
rather be excused It's a queer way Lon.
doners have Of doing things-at least they
make just twice the work in the house.
keeping liue that Yankees do. They cook
at the bottom Of the house, and dine at the
top They buy a penny's worth Of butter,
etc, at a time and so have to run out to
the grocers a dozen times a day. They
serve each one separately, so that the cook
works from morning until night About
half the time | have my meals served to
me when 10 bed, custom Of the country
that don't 90 bad when a fellow is little
tired. Talk about American cookery as
being sure to give a man indigestion! Why
English pastry is the worst stuff | ever ate.
You can smell, taste, see, and afterwards
feel a whole herd Of swine, so much lard
do they use.
You cannot help but notice a backward
ness in everything They use every thing
that has gone by with US, and boast that
they have had whatever the article may be
6rty or hundred years. All the shops
we're established before the food, and ca ,h
one is under the special patronage Of the
Queen, or, II. r. H., the Prince Of Wales,
or some other noted hummer. There are
no door bells, but thirty or forty pounds Of
iron for knocker. The door knobs are all
in the middle Of the doors, and the key.
holes So high up short man can hardly
reach them. There are no rocking chairs
and the mantlepieces are so high one can
not put his feet on them, aud | have moi
yet found a chip large enough to whitie
Poor comfort for a Yankee.
But what's the use to tell you all th s.
If do you won't want to come and see fCI
yourself So III quit.
But | haven't told you of my visit tc
the Geological Gardens. Well, | went aud
got back safe and whole, no one Of the
Keepers mistakiug me for the connecting
link" | saw the elephant, and got ovel
his tail The Hippotamus seemed quit
pleased to see me, and shed tears of jo.
when | threw stones into his mouth, h
thinking all the time | was feeding hin
crackers the boa.constrctor forty fee
long) was very uncivil, not even so mucl
as waggrg his tail when | came in. Blu
my attention was principally taken up by
NANCY dog, who was knocking the feas o.
for bird of paradise to lunch on. ais
gazed on the hairy.eared rhinoceros. tn
wart hog, the man who struck Bill,
Patterson" the frog who would a wooin
CO. shook hands with all the principa
monkeys, took short cut home to drear
OF stump tailed Lizards, chicken snakes an
heas. But to write soberly, it is fine col
lection, and well worth n long journey
, see. The grounds are beautifully arranged
aud there is fully as much attraction in tn
! flowers as in the anirials.
The most wonderful thing that l hav
yet seen are the Botanical Gardens at Ke'
something like two hours ride frol
, Charing Cross by bus-where, under glas
! or in the open air, plants, flowers and vel
etable curiosities from all countries, are @
view. The gardens are about seyenty-6'
0 acres in extent, and finely laid out wit
beautiful and rare trees. fower-beds, walk
etc. There is whole range Of hot-house
and monster palm.house, Of glass, three
four hundred feet long, aud seventy.iive fe'
. high, where palm trees are in " full blast
/ aud reach the highest span Of the roc
6 Here you can watch the growth OF Il
cocoanut, and, If you look sharp, perhal
g you can 6ud out how they get the milk i
side. didn't have time to make sure
the process. Then there is the Victor
= Lilly, huge water plant. with immen
7 leaves. There is also little conservator
A ouly six hundred feet long, which is made
. cover an area Of two acres, A man wan
couple of Thousand noses, to manage
, take in every kind OF odor from the plan
: and flowers of this house. If you want
! roll on the grass, there are two hundr
= acres Of pleasure grounds, Just back OF th
: house, where you can mop, skip and jun
{ to your hearts content. The Museum
0 Economic Botany is filed with vegetab
. products, useful in the arts aud manufa
/. lures, aud is very interesting. In d
A #" uerbaria saw dried leaves from We