The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-20
VISIT TO WINDSOR CASTLE.
4 TIYID DESCRIPTION OF THAT
 HISTORIC PLACE IN ENGLAND.


 HISTORIC PLACE IN ENGLAND.
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 Private Apartments of the Queen are In- terostlng-Coloction of China That Cam not he ESpollcd in Europo-Ev val Horses a Disappon,mont-Many Points of His toriC IEteYcs Viewed.
 Nov, 25, 1895. To tho Edito. the JOURNAL AND CouRIER; More tAa. one thousand years ago, during the AngIo-Saxon rule in Eng land, there was a small settlement twenty miles to the west Of London, where the river Thames turned and twisted itself into a series of majestic curves and windmgs, and this little hamlet was called by the significant name of "Windels-Ora" (Winding- shore); at later period the name of this pretty spot was abbreviated into Windsor, and an estate at Windsor was given by Edward the Confessor to the monks of Westminster Abbey, and this property was afterwards purchased by William the Conqueror and here he built his castle on Q great hill. Ed ward the Third, who was born at Windsor, took down the old castle and erected a new one in it's place. Nearly all the succeeding monarchs took their turn in extending and adding to the castle at Windsor, and finally George ,1 tz 1,n y-r1,l- lf iC predecessors in magnificent style, and Queen Victoria completed the restora- tion at a cost Of over five million dol lars. Windsor castle is now one of the grandest and most magnificent royal palaces in the world.
 On a delightful October morning we took the train at Paddington station for a visit to Windsor We travelled through delightful district passing Acton, Ealing and many delightful su- burban towns nestling and hid away beneath giant oaks and a perfect man. tile of ivy surrounded with fair fields and delightful uplands which have for more than g. thousand years been the delight and pride of the dwellers in those lovely districts known as Middle sex and Buckinghamshire.
 We dashed through Slough, famous by the labors of the great astronomers, the celebrated Herschels. Stoke Poges and Burnham Beeches were passed by our rapid train, and we regretted we could not stop to visit those historic spots, In the little churchyard of Stoke Poges rest the remains of the poet Gray, and this same churchyard is the scene of his famous ''Elegy" The great beech trees at Burnham are said to be the finest in England. As we crossed the Thames and made a turn to the right there burst upon our view an immense stone tower rising high above numerous machiolated buildings, and we at once recognized this as the celebrated Round Tower of Windsor. Tn few moments we slirted alone the play grounds of Eton college and soon came to full stop at the little railroad station in Windsor itself. We lost no time in getting out of our carriage, and passing into a narrow street We aS- cended to the main street of the town, snd passing by the well known .'White Hart Inn,'' we turned up a slight ascent and at once entered the castle court and began our inspection of the famous and most interesting se- ries of chapels towers, Qualifications, terraces, apartments, &c., &c., all of which together form a whole known as s'Windsor Castle On our left stood a grand tower built right on the edge of the battlements which look down upon the town and from which one gets a fine view of the buildings of Eton col Iege. This tower is the "Curfew Tow er,' so-calied from the order Of the Conqueror that a bell should be tolled at an early hour at night when all lights should be extinguished, hence curfeW bell (couvre-feW). After all the romance which attaches to the order of the Conqueror in respect to the curfeW bell, it is a well-knoWn fact that the Norman ruler simply rehabilitated a very old institution which had long been in vogue prior to the conquest. The Conqueror merely enforced an old Jaw which had fallen into disuse No doubt the tolling nightly of the solemn bell prevented the seditious ferment of a conquered people.
 We first visited the state apartments in the castle such as the ''Queen's Pres ence Chamber" and "Queen's Audience Room" these rooms are filled with ta- pestries and grand pictures with fine wood carvings by "Grindling Gibbons;" these latter are of exquisite design and were executed over two hundred years ago. The Guard Chamber contains many interesting relics and plenty Of singular old suits of armor shields, cannon and implements of war. Con- spicuous in this room stands 8 pedestal made from section of the mast of the .'Victory," Nelson's old flagship; on this pedestal Is placed colossal bust of Nelson, and through the base of the pedestal there is an immense rent made by a cannon shot which was fired during the battle of Trafalgar. Here also are two fine marble busts of Marlborough" and "Wellington;' over these are hung new silk banners upon
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