Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-23
NO. BOG.
DAILY KennetrI .JournaI.
My Trip to Europe.

London, July IL. Shakespeare is not the
only name of note connected with the river
Avon. John Wyclff, ''the greatest reformer
before the Reformation" though born 1t
Wye Cliff in Yorkshire, 500 years ago, spent
a large part of his life at Lutterworth near
the Avon. Here he studied, here he preached
pure gospel, here he was prosecuted, and
here he made the first English translation Of
the Bible. Here he died, and here in after
times his bones were dug up and burned, and
his ashes thrown into the Avon, which led
some one to write
''The Avon TO the Severn runs
The Severn to the sea-
So wyclia's doctrines shall go forth.
Wide as the waters be-
OK TO LONDON.
We left Stratford by rail in the afternoon.
after lunch at the "Red Lion inn Our If.
ternoon journey was about l20 miles, and the
remainder of the day was fine for England.
The part of the country we passed through
was probably a favorable specimen of Eng
lish scenery. Smooth green fields, gentle
slopes, that New Englanders would scarcely
call hills, verdant valleys, hedges and hedge
rows, (trees interspersed in the lines of hedg-
esq were the characteristics of the landscape.
Dminutive rivers and streams of water tli-
versify the view, and handsome villages, az
well as scattered farm houses, frequently oc-
cur. Buildings and bridges here are mostly
OF brick, with painted exteriors. We reached
London about 6 in the evening, and took car
riages for our hotels. The largest number cf
the party found quarters at the Grosvenor
Hotel, near Westminster Abbey; the remain.
Ger at the Terminus Hotel, on the South or
Surrey side of the Thames, near London
Bridge. At this large and fine hotel, we had q
company of about 80 or 40, with good rooms,
excellent fare, and all needful Accommodations.
The dining room was one of the most spa.
clous and highly ornamented rooms often
seen.
Thus we found ourselves in the great me.
tropolis Of the world. We could but feel di-
minutive amongst these four millions of liv-
ing beings, most of them engaged in the keen
rush of active life, bent on the pursuit of
their various schemes of gain or pleasure.
Conceive of a compact mass of buildings of
stone and brick, covering more than flftv
square miles. and you have a faint idea of the
vast extent of London. Yet if you follow the
various streets until yon come to the visible
exterior lines of the inhabited territory. the
fifty square miles would swell to more than
twice that area. In this vast city, with its
buildings, nearly 1000 places of worship,
nearly 100 museums and picture galleries,
seven large and numerous small parks and
public gardens, crowded with historic associ-
atons at every point, how little could we see
of it in the few days we had to spend there
Our party of tourists was now to be divid-
ed into four sections, of which one was to
leave Monday morning direct for Paris. and
one by way of lIarwich for Rotterdam. The
fifth section, of whch-I was one, and ono
other section were to remain in London un-
til Wednesday night, and then cross to Rot
terdam, and travel together as far as Heidel-
berg. Still another section had crossed to
the continent week in advance of us.
A few words to explain how we travel.
Each person pays gross sum before leaving
home, and this covers all expenses of trans
portation and entertainment for the journey.
with some very slight exceptions. Each Sec
ton has two conductors, one to make all
necessary provision for the travel and enter
tainment of the members of the party, and the
other to look after the baggage (here they
call it luggage.) Our fare by rail, steamboat
and carriages, and our hotel bills, are all
paid, and we have no care or concern about
them Our route of travel is marked out be-
fore hand, and each one is furnished with an
itinerary or programme of the journey.
July IA. Yesterday being the Sabbath,
some ofus went some two miles from our
hot al to