Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-07-26
ONE M|DDYS LETTER
Writes Home About Cruise In
Foreign Waters
WAS IN LONDON TOWN
Experiences of An American Midshipman
Abroad

ne ENeuluB IOSl, OL NcW 1OTh
says the Army and Navy Register of
last Saturday, on Tuesday printed a
letter detailing the experiences of a
midshipman on the present cruise.
1t is as follows.
An Annapolis midshipman, to whom
all the world is new, has been writing
home about his cruise in foreign
and this is part of what he relates:
The eventful day is over We go
under way about $50. 1t was our
first experience of British traiRs, and
mighty funny they seemed. 1t was
beautiful ride through Devon, Som
erset, Berks, Willis and Middlesex
We passed Exeter Cathedral, and saw
the famous White Horse quite close.
We finally arrived in London in the
midst of drizzle and piled into a
taxi three Of US sought out room.
We went to a small hotel, 'pri-
vate hotel near Trafalgar Square.
1t was by that time 4 O'Clock, and al
most everything was closed, but we
sailed forth and started in.
I'VE tried first to get tickets for
the evening for the opera, Tetrazzini
in 'Rigoletto, but could get nothing
under thirty-three shillings and poor
seats at that, so we gave it up and
decided on the 'Acadians. Next
We walked around Trafalgar Square
and admired the monument, and then
went to the National Gallery near
by. Of all the many beautiful
paintings there, the Portrait of
Christina of Denmark, by FAM
Hals-the one that was bought by
popular subscription to save its be-
ing brought to the United States
charmed me, perhaps, most of all. To
that, and to hitherto to me unknown
portrait by Reynolds, we returned
again and again. What surprised
me most was to see so many of the
old masters so fresh looking. Some
of them seemed to be hardly dry.
They must have known something of
color mixing in those days. We stay
ed in the gallery until closing time,
6 p. m, and then returned to the
hotel to dress for dinner.
Il must not forget to mention a
beggar, young chap, who accosted
US and demanded sixpence. 1t is
very ard times now guvnor, he said,
indeed, things are very serious with
me.
After the 'Arcadians, we went to
the Savoy, where all the swells go to
supper. The lack of good looking
women was most noticeable.
Saturday morning we first drove
down to Whitehall on an omnibus and
saw the houses and Westminster
They. like all the public buildings,
were in process Of cleaning and were
half white and half pitch black, which
rather detracted from their pictur-
esqeness. Then we got in taxi and
went down the Strand, Fleet street,
Ludgate Hill to st. Paul's. which we
rode around. and on to the Tower.
The Armories, Beauchamp Tower,
Scaffold Hill, etc. The cell with all
its carving was enough to fill day,
but we had to hustle by. We saw the
Bear and Ragged Staff and a few
other familiar ones carved into the
walls. We went back up Fleet street,
made some purchases, and went to the
Cheshire Cheese for lunch. ! think
enjoyed this as much as anything
we did. The room. had its original
settees and wainscoating, etc. The
corner | sat down in was labeled as
the favorite seat of DR.. Johnson.
After luncheon we went to get
seats for the Blue Bird, but we had
another disappointment, as the matt
nee was the last performance and We
did not want to lose an afternoon.
In the p. m. we 'omnibussed' all
around and went to st. Pauls, seeing
all the sights and part of the service.
| The view from the top was superb,
the best, guess, you can get of Lon
/ don. and, fortunately, the rain, which
had descended all day, let up for
awhile, and the sunset glowed rich
red, and altogether did its best for US.
1t was fine sight.
I'm the evening we went to a music
all, but, unfortunately, chose too
swell a one. 1t was the same as
American vaudeville. except that
every one smoked. We went to Fas-
catti's for supper and had long talk
when we got back to the hotel anc
turned in about a. N.
Sunday we had regular English
breakfast ct the hotel, crumpets
marmalade, ETC. Then we took tax
and went down the embankment tc
Whitehall, up past the Horse Guards
to Piccadilly down Piccadily to th'
Park through the Park through Buck
ingham Palace grounds where W.
stopped for a while and went in to Sc,
the military service in the chapel
They have an officers string orches
ira Sons of Peers etc. / was inform
ed, and the vulgar horde is not admit
ted; We were by special order Tn
church was full of Tommies and the,
sang splendidly. The chapel was gor
geously decorated and, of course, full
of memorials to those who had fit an
bled.'
We re-entered our taxi after abou
q quarter of an hour and went bac
TO the hotel through Belgravia. Prlc
for about two hours ride. seye
shilIings, seven pencel Imagine /
New York. After that it was time {
HE up TO the station and return to th
ship. The ride down was 5 great II