But you, more fortunate than they,
You flourish in a happier day,
And nobler energies display,

In building of the London.

A finer, firmer ship than she,
To grace the line, or stem the sea,
By art constructed could not be ;
I mean to say, the London.

With stern sublime, and ample side,
Where white and black in shade divide
The parts of her who is the pride

Of Chatham, Kent, and London.

Well might our great metropolis
Be proud of such a ship as this,
To represent the wealth that is

In mighty matchless London.

Her guns, in number ninety-two,
Well served by tars expert and true,
Shall send her charges through and through
The ship that braves the London,

Apart from each and every care,
Spectators, now yourselves prepare
To see the sights you came to share,
The launching of the London.

And while she is gliding down the ways
Rend, rend the air with loud huzzas,
In Clavell's and in Fincham's praise,
For launching well the London.

After the launch was over, we were invited by Mr. Fincham to spend the day at his house, and

we had the high pleasure to meet at his hospitable table the greatest number of persons that we had ever seen assembled in a private residence in England. There were all the resident officers, and their families, of Chatham and Sheerness Dock-yards, several of the foremen of the yard, and some of the clerks. Amongst the guests was T. Campbell, Esq., a very celebrated English poet; Montgomery, a writer, and Dr. Beattie, also a celebrated author. Our good friend, John Seppings, Esq., surveyor of shipping at Calcutta, was also there, and Sketky, Esq., a very celebrated painter of marine views, consisting of ships, yachts, &c. We heard some good speaking, and some very nice songs; whilst upon the table, of every thing, whether of game, chickens, pastry, tarts, cakes, jellies, and all choice fruits, there was a great abundance. Wines of a great many sorts, champagne, hock, claret, &c. were freely partaken of, and it was a most delightful day.

We should be wanting in gratitude did we conclude the subject of Chatham Dock-yard, which we are proud to call our professional school, without returning our heartfelt and most sincere thanks to Captain Clavell, the worthy superintendent, and his assistant, Thomas Vinall, Esq., for the kindness they evinced towards us. We are at a loss how to express our gratitude to our worthy and talented instructor, John Fincham, Esq., who, besides the instructions we received

from him in our profession, evinced an uniform kind disposition, and his amiable family were not backward in welcoming us in every way. We are no less indebted to the assistant master shipwrights and all the foremen of the yard, together with their families, for the attention we experienced from them; all of whom we here beg to assure that they have not bestowed favors upon ungrateful objects, as we shall through life bear them in lively recollection, and look back with pleasure on the pleasant and happy hours we have spent with them.

CHAPTER XX.

CHATHAM, ROCHESTER, AND MAIDSTONE.

CHATHAM is very populous, but very irregularly and ill-built; it consists principally of one long street, extending along the banks of the Medway; Chatham, Rochester and Stroud being one long continued street of above two miles in length. There are very good shops, at which nearly every thing can be procured nearly as cheap as in London.

In Chatham there is an excellent institution founded by Sir John Hawkins,-almshouses for poor decayed mariners and shipwrights, these were built in 1592, and twelve poor old sailors, or shipwrights, have a good house, a quantity of coals, and a few shillings each per week to make the latter end of their lives comfortable.

In Rochester there is a valuable charity founded by Richard Watts, Esq., on the 22d of August, 1579, and a stone over the door of the house where his charity is daily dispensed, will tell its own story. On it are these words: "Richard

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"Watts, Esq., by his will dated 22d of August, "1579, founded this charity for six poor tra"vellers, who, not being rogues or proctors, may "receive gratis, for one night, lodging, entertainment, and fourpence each." How rogues and proctors came to be thus named together is not exactly known. But the common report is, that having once been taken suddenly ill, and having employed a proctor or lawyer to make his will, upon his recovery he looked at the will made in his illness, and found that the proctor had left all the money to himself; and to perpetuate the knowledge of this act of villany, he thus left his bequest. There are also some very nice almshouses on the new road, Rochester, called St. Catherine's Hospital, where several elderly females, who have known better times, have a small house, with sufficient weekly income to keep them. These are very good things. These are such things as do honour to Englishmen. And we are told that there is scarcely a large town of ancient origin but what has some of these benevolent institutions.

There is a very small theatre at Rochester for the amusement of the inhabitants, and in Chatham a Mechanic's Institution, and it is matter of surprise that in this populous place, the neighbourhood of which is surrounded by many wealthy individuals, there is not a public building of any pretension of architectural beauty, or a room to