traveller, particularly Memnon's head. There are Obelisks from Cairo, covered with Hieroglyphic characters. There are also fine specimens of stuffed animals, there are two Giraffes or Cameleopards of immense size being eighteen feet high, and a Musk Ox; there are also a collection of the Marble sculptures from Athens, brought home by Lord Elgin and bought for £35,000, in 1816. One of the most beautiful things is the beautiful Portland or Barberini Vase, its height is ten, and its diameter six inches, the material is a dark but transparent blue substance, upon this the figures are formed of a white substance; it is difficult to say how they are united; it was discovered about the middle of the sixteenth century enclosed in a marble sarcophagus, supposed to have held the remains of the Emperor Alexander Severus, near Rome. The Duke of Portland bought it of Sir William Hamilton.

On the first floor the room is surrounded with glass cases, with curiosities from the South Sea Islands, and the dresses of the Esquimaux who live near the North Pole. Here are rude spears, arrows, and harpoons; in the centre of the room are glass cases with magnificent shells, beautiful, and arranged in nice order.

In another room collections of dried plants of nearly all known sorts, and then a collection of English fossils, and in another room, carefully preserved in cabinets, are specimens of nearly all

known sorts of insects; then there is a large collection of Seals, Vases, and Hindoo Bonzes, then there are several rooms full of all sorts of animals, birds, beasts, fishes, stuffed so as to look just as if they were alive, very large Bats, Monkeys of all sorts; there is a curious animal called Ornithorhyncus paradoxus, which has the bill of a Duck upon the hairy body of a fourfooted animal, it is half beast, half bird, from New Holland; where things are quite unlike any other place, they have animals, half bird and half beast, and they have timber half Fir and half Beach, called Cowdie.

There are beautiful specimens of Goats, Deer, Antelopes, immense Serpents called Boa Constrictors, Eagles and Hawks of all sorts and sizes, and then all the British Birds, the Lark, Bulfinch, Thrush, Goldfinch, Titmouse, and great numbers of other Birds of England. It is neither our wish or intention to offer a catalogue description of any of the sights of London, we only wish to inform our countrymen of what is to be seen in this mighty city, and if we had seen nothing else but the British Museum, we should have said how happy is the country possessing such an establishment; for here poor as well as rich are constantly admitted. Every thing is so well described, there is no charge allowed to be made for seeing it, and here are to be found books treating upon every possible subject, shells and

geological specimens of every description, ores and stones from all parts of the world, dresses and costumes of all the rude natives, and their implements of war, &c. &c., birds and beasts stuffed so as to resemble life, and we could have spent whole days in examining the several objects contained herein. The English may well pride themselves in possessing this magnificent Institution; it reflects great credit on them for here is laid open a most extensive field of learning, where every lover of knowledge has access without any expense, and thousands of books before him, to store his mind with information-in fact he can here satisfy his curiosity in every natural, and artificial object.

F

CHAPTER IX.

THE PARKS.

THE extent and beauty of the Parks of London, at once struck us and impressed us with the magnificence of the city, said to be the first in the world.

ST. JAMES'S PARK.-The oldest in the Metropolis, was so called from St. James's Palace being at its north side. Henry the Eighth found a rude marsh here, caused it to be drained, pulled down an ancient Hospital called St. James's and built the Palace of St. James's; Charles the Second caused the trees to be planted and had aviaries for birds in that part now called Bird Cage Walk. You can enter by the Horse Guards in Whitehall Street, there are entrances also by Hyde Park Corner,-in all we believe eight entrances where sentinels are on duty, the public who are freely admitted have only this restriction not to pull the trees; the Treasury, Admiralty, and Horse Guards look into this park; you may walk many miles in it; Queen Victoria lives here in a fine house originally old Buckingham House, but which has been nearly rebuilt and is now called Buckingham

Palace. A large statue on a high pillar of the late Duke of York looks into this park; it is near where the Palace of George the Fourth stood, called Carlton House, now pulled down.

THE GREEN PARK goes up to Piccadilly, it is all surrounded by iron railings and a great number of the houses of the nobility look into this park on the western side; there is a large sheet of water in it and upon a high part called Constitution Hill there is a good view of Buckingham Palace, St. James's Park, Westminster Abbey and the hills of the counties of Surrey and Kent, you may every day see a great number of beautiful carriages, handsome horses and persons of all sorts in large numbers walking.

HYDE PARK contains four hundred acres, and as you enter it from the upper end of Piccadilly, at the south east corner, close to the house of the Duke of Wellington, is a large figure called Achilles, put up in honour of the Duke of Wellington and those who fought with him; it weighs thirty tons and was cast from cannons taken at the battles of Salamanca and Waterloo. There is a small river called the Serpentine, which is very pretty for London, it adjoins Kensington Gardens, which is also a park laid out in flower gardens; in Hyde Park the soldiers are reviewed and they have sham fights. No stage coaches are admitted in Hyde Park, the road through this park towards Kensington is called Rotten Row, and here on most days from three until five o'clock,