Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-04
LONDON LETTER.
Cafes, Parks and the biological
Gardens.
Books, Manuscripts and Other Treas
ures of the British Museum.
The Albert Observation-Disclosures,
ActOrs-.,sladame TOussard.
sp.cial Cor. Memphis Public Ledger.

To all English speaking tourists
who visit London for the first tipe,
there is a charm in the very name OF
this mighty city. The word itself is
very suggestive of the many wonderful
structures and monuments within Its
1t calls up historical
recollections of famous soyereign5 and
notable events We remember its
legends and the stories and rhymes
connected with its towers, palaces and
churches. Wilmington and his cat
are still here to III in reality, and as
we 20 over London bridge we surely
exuect TO see the boy who found
penny and bought him kid. We
scarcely know where to begin our sight
seeing, for we dread to lose in cold
reality the fond dreams and anticipa-
tons of many years. 1t we begin at
the most interesting localities those of
,pinor Interest will lose much Of their
charm. So we conclude to visit first
the spots less famous, and reserve un-
til a later period the inspection OF st
Paul's Cathedral, Tower Of London
and Westminster Abbey. We found
that the London cafes were very con-
venient and almost ubiquitous The
'hausoms" have but two wheels, the
driver sitting perched up behind,
while the four "wheelers" are like an
ordinary cab. The fares of either are
quite moderate, and we did not In any
case notice any disposition in "cabby"
to ask an unfair price. or to suggest
too pertinaceously that an extra Tee
was expected. One of our first ridss
was to Regents Park and the Zoolog-
ical Gardens. At restaurant in the
latter we got a dish of English white
bait, which is considered a delioscy in
London at this season of the year.
The white bait is a tiny fish abouttwo
inches long and not larger than a
straw. They are cooked erispy and
brown, and served very hot, and we
found them quite palatable and dainty
1.-THE Zoo" as il is called, ia great
resort for the London children, espe
cially on Saturday afternoons, when
the Light Guard band plays for their
amusement. The collection of wild
animals is very extensive and varied,
many rare specimens being found
in its dens and cages. Ex
cellent catalogues of the curiOsitiOs OF
the gardens are furnished for a triAe,
but we found that more days than We
could spare hours were necessary to do
Justice to the exhibition. We saw
quite number ofelephants of various
sizes, which Sere very docile. Crowds
of children were waiting to ride on
their backs, for which they paid a
penny each. for a course up and down
the avenue, the money being a per
quisite of the driver or keeper. The
children were allowed to feed them
with crackers, cakes aud nuts, and the
animals seemed to enjoy their COM
pany. The people are not yet fully
recOnciled to the loss of their favorite
Jumbo" which Barnum took from
them last spring Some of the visitors
expressed great fears to US that the
American Snowman would i'll treat
"ppor Jumbo" who was q great favor
ite with tae children here. They
hoped that be would not be taught to
play tricks or be whipped By his
keeper while in "Hamerica," and that
he would soon come home to rejoin
his wife Alice" who mourns the
absence of her lord from his accus
toned corner of the enclosure. We
ware just in time to see the offers, the
pelicans and the eagles take their daily
meal; the snakes only eat once a.
week, SO we could not wait TO see
them feed; but the sea lions and the
seals dinod while we were there. The
lion house contained many noble
specimens OF this fierce animal, while
the collection Of bears was not equal
to those in some OF our American
gardens. The greatest crowd of Wis
itOrs thronged around the monkey
house, and the comical antics Of the
four legged mimics rivaled the con
tortions of the circus clown, whom
they very much resemble. Regent
Park, of which the Geological Gar
den forms a part, contains nearly 800
acres, within which are also the Boz
tanical Gardens. To visit the latter,
however, we found that special
ticket was required. or rather an order
from a member Of tho Botanical So
ciety, which we did not take the time
to go after. We did not end the
park itself especially interesting ex>
cept that il contained some fine old
trees, and was we'll laid out
and neatly kept, afording an ans
pie breathing place in the midst Of
the mighty metropolis. We found
the museums of London to be espe
cislly interesting. One of tho oldest
aud best known is the famous British
Museum, probably one Of the most
extensive institutions Of the kind to
be found anywhere. 1t WOs com
menced early in the eighteenth cen.
fury, by Sir Hans Sloane, who be-
queatbed it together with his library
to the British Government. The
museum is under the charge of eight
keepers who each have special sec
tions to superihteld. The first Sec
ton contains the library Of more than
100000 volumes, the largest collec
ton extaut excepting, perhaps, the
one Of Paris. Every publisher ia
England must give one or more
copies Of each book issued to this
library. The catalogue alone is con
tanned in 1000 separate volumes, form
ing a library of themselves. The
reading room is beneath grand dome
Of glass nearly $50 feet 10 diameter
and more than 100 feet in hight. Il
is lighted by electricity, but the ven
tilatiOn seems 10 be very defective, as
is the case ia most public buildings we
have visited The second section
contains manuscripts Of priceless
worth, and autographs Of famous men
If avarv nafion and tina from ~ a