W0BVBOTNM9C e BRITISH ISLE Enr nn i* ;1. lomlinson HOUGHTON MIFFLIN CO. Boston New^ork Chicago WHIM— MBM—in— MmiftfMifiniWrtnnr Class ., I J L Book / Copyright N°_ COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT THE BRITISH ISLES BY EVERETT T> TOMLINSON WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS BOSTON, NEW YORK, AND CHICAGO HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY (Cfre mftzxmbe $ve& Cambribge COPYRIGHT, I909, BY E. T. TOMLINSON ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©CU253865 PREFACE No way of obtaining a knowledge of the great world has ever been invented that is equal to traveling about and seeing it with one's own eyes. Next in value to trav- eling one's self, is reading about the travels of others. It is becoming more and more fully realized that books of travel — if written from the child's point of view — are better teachers of geography than the geographical text- book, with its ordered marshaling of data that have been squeezed dry of all picturesqueness or human interest. It need hardly be said that information which arises natu- rally out of vivid personal experiences, and which takes, in many instances, the form of graphic impressions and pic- tures, will not only prove far richer in inspiration for the child, but will make a deeper impression on the memory, than facts presented in the barren and prosaic manner of the ordinary text-book. The writer has prepared this little book with these considerations in mind. He has felt that there is no more vital way of teaching geography than letting young trav- elers see interesting places with their own eyes. Hence, with the idea of making American boys and girls, who cannot see the British Isles for themselves, acquainted with them in imagination, he journeyed through these islands for three or four months, in company with some young friends. The book, therefore, is arecord of places and things actually seen and enjoyed by these young people. No geographical reader has heretofore devoted itself exclusively to the subject of the British Isles ; yet even a whole volume can hardly do justice to so important and interesting a country. The extraordinary place occu- iv PREFACE pied by the United Kingdom as a world power, and its close historical connection with the United States, are sufficient reasons for presenting it as a unit to American boys and girls. English law, civilization, language, liter- ature, and life belong alike to both England and Amer- ica ; indeed, a knowledge of them is essential to a proper understanding of our own country. The writer has tried to give a comprehensive, and, within its scope, an adequate picture of the British Isles, — of their scenery and their people ; their customs, homes, cities, and industries ; their storied castles and cathedrals, their lordly estates and famous schools. A great many details have of necessity been omitted, and emphasis has been placed on the more important and significant phases of the life observed. To make the book stimulating, as well as informing, it has been left to the boys and girls to look up many easily found facts sug- gested by the journey. Pupils should read the introduction before taking up the reading of the body of the book. The acquaintance with the geographical facts therein summarized, with the brief history of England given, will serve as a fitting background for the better appreciation of the book. It is suggested, also, that the introduction should be carefully reviewed after the reading of the book has been finished. Suggestive questions will be found at the end of each chapter, which will help pupils and teachers to select the important facts to be fixed in memory. The Appendix gives statistical tables that will be valuable for reference. The author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness for -the many useful suggestions made by teachers and others who read the manuscript before its publication. Everett T. Tomlinson. Elizabeth, New Jersey. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Facts about the British Isles The Story of the English People . CHAPTERS I. The Voyage II. First Views of England III. Old Places and New .... IV. Castles and Colleges .... V. The Greatest City in the World VI. Places of Interest in London . VII. Places of Interest near London VIII. Towns and Downs in the South IX. Moors and Mines X. The Gray Cities of the North XL In the "Land o' Cakes" XII. Highlands and Lowlands . XIII. In the Emerald Isle .... XIV. From Dublin to the Lakes of Killarney XV. In St. David's Land APPENDIX Contrasts and Comparisons between the British Isles and the United States Area of the British Isles 270 Population 270 Chief Cities and Towns, with Population . 271 Principal Rivers 272 Lakes 272 Chief Products of the British Isles . . 273 The British Empire 273 INDEX 277 Xlll XX I 14 25 35 49 61 89 102 125 143 168 185 208 224 252 269 ILLUSTRATIONS Physical Map of the British Isles viii Political Map of the British Isles (in colors) . . facing i Leaving the Dock 3 On Deck 5 In the Cabin 6 The Smokestacks 8 At Sea 10 An Ocean Billow • . . n An Ocean Steamer in Dry- Dock 14 A Dock at Liverpool 15 The End of the Voyage 17 Liverpool from the Landing Stage 19 An English Locomotive ........ 21 An English Railway Compartment ..... 25 Roman Ruins at Chester 27 King Charles's Tower 28 The River Dee at Chester 29 Eaton Hall 31 English Sheep and Lambs 36 The East Gate, Warwick 37 Warwick Castle 39 Kenilworth Castle 40 Stratford-on-Avon 42 Shakespeare's House 43 Rowing-Races at Oxford 46 viii ILLUSTRATIONS Tom Tower * . 47 New College Cloisters, Bell Tower, and Chapel . . .48 Charing Cross 50 The Thames Embankment 51 A Congested Section 52 One of the Horse Guards 53 The Kew Gardens ■ . 55 The Thames, at Billingsgate 56 Rotten Row 58 Westminster Abbey 62 The Poets' Corner 63 The Coronation Chair 64 The Houses of Parliament 65 The House of Commons 66 The House of Lords 67 The Tower 69 London Bridge 73 Trafalgar Square 74 Pall Mall 75 Piccadilly Circus 76 Oxford Street 77 The Strand 78 Fleet Street . . 79 The Old Curiosity Shop 80 The Mansion House 81 The Bank of England 82 The British Museum 83 The National Gallery 86 Hampton Court 92 Windsor Castle 94 ILLUSTRATIONS ix In the Quadrangle at Eton 97 School Buildings at Harrow 98 A Street in Harrow 99 Margate. The Jetty 104 Chatham. The Dockyard 106 Dover Castle 108 Brighton from the Pier 1 1 1 Portsmouth Harbor . . . , 113 Saint Peter Port, Guernsey 115 Saint Aubin's, Jersey 118 The Pier at Southampton 119 Osborne House 123 A Typical English Inn 126 Winchester School 127 The Dining-Room at Winchester School . . . .128 Salisbury Cathedral 130 Stonehenge 131 The Vale of Avalon 132 Ruins of Glastonbury Abbey 133 Eddystone Lighthouse 135 Land's End 138 An Ancient Bath 141 Entrance to the Headmaster's House at Rugby . . . 146 Quadrangle at Rugby, showing the Boys' Studies . . .147 Railway Station at Rugby 148 Fishing Vessels at Yarmouth 150 A Scene on the River Ouse .158 A Scene near Newcastle 160 Bowness from Furness Fell 162 A Coaching Party in Ambleside 164 x ILLUSTRATIONS Ambleside 165 Carlisle Castle .... 166 Melrose Abbey 169 Abbotsford 1 70 Edinburgh Castie 173 Holyrood Palace 175 The Forth Bridge 176 Public Buildings in Aberdeen 180 Shetland Ponies 182 Shetland Women 183 The Summit of Ben Nevis 188 FingaPs Cave 190 The Pass of Glencoe [92 Stirling Castle 194 Dumbarton Rock and Castle 197 Glasgow University 198 On the Clyde near Glasgow 199 A Bridge in Glasgow 202 Robert Burns' Birthplace . 205 A Busy Street in Belfast 209 An Irish Jaunting Car 212 An Irish Flax-Mill .214 The Giant's Causeway 220 Londonderry . . .. . . . . . . .221 Sackville Street 225 Trinity College Green 226 St. Patrick's Cathedral 227 Science and Art Museum 229 Cutting Peat 232 A Farming Section 234 ILLUSTRATIONS xi Fair Day at Killarney 239 One of the Lakes of Killarney . . . . . . .241 St. Patrick Street, Cork 243 Blarney Castle 245 Waterford 247 The Vale of Avoca 24S The Rock of Cashel 249 A Welsh Camp-Meeting 254 Mt. Snowdon 256 Bettws-y-Coed .• 258 Costumes of Welsh Women 259 Llandudno 260 Landscape in Wales 262 The cover design is from a drawing of the Tower Bridge, London. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Publishers acknowledge courteous permission to reproduce pho- tographs as follows : From the North German Lloyd Steamship Com- pany. Messrs. Oelrichs and Company, New York, Agents, pages 3, 5, 6, and 8; from the White Star Steamship Company, pages 14 and 17; from the London and Northwestern Railway, pages 21, 25, and 148; and from Mr. J. M. Hall, Manager of the Bay View Reading Circle, Detroit, Michigan, pages 36,40, 47, 50, 51, 52, 53, 76, yy, 78, 79, 126, 147, 162, 164, 165, 175, 182, 183, 212, 214, 232, 234, 239, 241, 248, 254. and 262. INTRODUCTION FACTS ABOUT THE BRITISH ISLES LOCATION The most important group of islands in the world is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the northwestern coast of Eu- rope. The largest of these islands is Great Britain, a narrow body of land, 636 miles in length, running nearly north and south, and separated from the mainland by the narrow waters of the North Sea. South of it is the English Channel, and the broad Atlantic beats on its western shores. In the northern part of Great Britain is the mountainous country of Scotland. England occupies the southern and largest part, with the tiny land of Wales, one seventh its size, jutting boldly out from the middle of its western boundary. Westward of Great Britain is Ireland, short and broad in form, a third its size, separated from it by the Irish Sea, and having a coast as jagged as that of the larger island. 1 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The larger part of Scotland, starting from the extreme north, is a rugged, mountainous region called the Highlands, where is found the highest peak in Great Britain, Ben Nevis, 4406 feet high. To the southeast of the Highlands are the fertile Scottish Lowlands, and the Lowland Hills, sometimes called the Southern Uplands, ending in the line of the Cheviot Hills which divide Scotland from England. The little peninsula of Wales is also a hilly and mountain- ous country, but its highlands, like those of England, are lower 1 See Appendix for figures and tables showing the area, dimensions, and population of the countries of the British Isles; the population of their chief cities ; their chief products ; and their principal rivers with length in miles. INTRODUCTION than those of Scotland. The highlands of England, beginning in the north near the Scottish hills, extend along its western boundaries, ending in the high peninsula of Cornwall, the extreme southwestern point of Great Britain. As we go east and south, we find plains and lowlands. Indeed, the island of Great Britain as it widens out gradually toward the south seems to flatten itself out at the same time. We can easily see from this that most of the rivers must flow eastward, and that, in the basins of these rivers are found the fertile lands, — which have been largely washed down from the hills. Among the most important English rivers are the Thames, the Humber, the Great Ouse, and the Trent on the east, and the Severn, the Mersey, and the Dee on the west. Among the chief rivers of Scotland are the Clyde, the Forth, the Tay, and the Ayr. Although Ireland, as we approach it from the sea, looks as if it might be a very hilly country, we soon find ourselves mis- taken ; for most of its beautiful green hills are massed along the shores, and the interior dips, so to speak, into a great plain (not unlike a saucer in its form), with many swamps and peat bogs. This level land makes navigation possible for nearly two hundred miles on the Shannon, Ireland's chief river. Many years ago the mountains and rivers of Britain were natural barriers which made possible the existence of separate PHYSICAL MAP OF THE BRITI INTRODUCTION xv nations like the Scotch, Welsh, and English. To-day these three divisions form one nation called the United Kingdom. CLIMATE The British Isles are noted for the dampness of their cli- mate and their large rainfall. The prevailing winds are from the west, laden with moisture. As the clouds, driven by these winds, strike the hills in the west, the moisture is condensed j rain, therefore, falls more heavily in western England than in the east. Scotland and Ireland, for similar causes, have even more rainfall than England. The British Isles are not subject to sudden or extreme changes in temperature. This is due to the fact that the surrounding bodies of water tend to warm the air in winter and to cool it in summer. The winters, there- fore, are warm, the summers cool, the difference between the heat of summer and the cold of winter in Scotland being on the average only nineteen degrees. In America, North Caro- lina, which is two thousand miles nearer the equator than Ire- land, has nearly the same average temperature as the latter. RESOURCES The location of the British Isles has provided rare oppor- tunities for the development of the nation, giving freedom from invasion, nearness to important markets, long hours of daylight, protection from the cold Arctic currents, Advant as well as from extremes of temperature, and, per- of Location haps most important of all, the cheap transporta- an oasts " tion which the sea affords. Another great advantage of the islands is their broken coasts, which abound in excellent harbors, some of which have the double advantage of being " back to back," such as those of the Thames and the Severn rivers, of the Mersey and the Humber, the Clyde and the Forth. (See map facing page i.) The jagged coast line of Eng- land is two thousand miles in extent, while Scotland, although a much smaller country, has a still longer coast line. Agriculture was once a leading industry of Great Britain, xvi INTRODUCTION but its importance has been greatly lessened in modern times by the agricultural development and competition Agriculture. ; , , , . , , TT . , of other and larger countries, such as the United States and Germany. Whereas, at one time, Great Britain used to export large quantities of food products, it must now im- port them from other countries to feed its immense popula- tion. An important fact in connection with agriculture as carried on in Great Britain is that much of the land is owned, in the shape of great estates, by a comparatively small number of wealthy men, in whose families it has been for hundreds of years perhaps. These "gentleman" owners do not cultivate their estates themselves, but rent the lands, on long-time hold- ings, to tenants, who supply the capital and employ the labor- ers needed for their cultivation. Because of the thorough and scientific methods applied to farming by these " capitalistic " tenants, as they are called, the soil of Great Britain yields more per acre than that of any other country. Wheat (grown chiefly in the fertile lands of southeastern England) formerly headed the list of cereal products, but its production has greatly fallen off since the opening up of the immense wheatfields of the United States. Oats and barley (which are the staple crops of Scotland) are now raised in somewhat greater abundance than wheat. The other principal agricultural products are green crops (particularly turnips, used for feeding stock), potatoes (the great staple of Ireland), small fruits, and hops. The large number of towns have made market gardening an especially profitable industry in present- day England, and its importance is steadily increasing. While the raising of crops has decreased, stock-raising has greatly increased, England surpassing all other countries in Stock-rais- ^ e quality of her domestic animals. Cattle, sheep, ing- horses, pigs, and poultry are raised in large num- bers, there being in Great Britain more than half as many sheep as there are in the whole United States. Grazing lands are found largely in the north and west of England, although INTRODUCTION xvii stock-raising, as well as agriculture, is also carried on in the eastern portion. The large number of cities make the produc- tion of butter, cheese, and eggs likewise profitable. The great mineral resources of England are iron and coal. More than three thousand square miles of coal-fields — chiefly in northern England and Wales — are worked. Un- Mineral til recent years, no other country could compare Wealth. with England in its production of coal and iron, but now the United States and Germany are formidable rivals in this re- spect, our own country leading the world. Tin, lead, and zinc are also mined, but in far smaller quantities than either iron or coal. The shallow waters surrounding the British Isles abound in fish of fine quality, fish being the only food product that Great Britain supplies in quantity to meet its own ^ r^, - f . , r • Fisheries, demands. The fisheries, therefore, are an important industry, the value of the annual catch being estimated at more than $45,000,000. Billingsgate, London, is the largest fish market in the world. Many factors (apart from the agricultural competition of other lands) have combined to turn England from an agri- cultural country into one of the greatest manufacturing and commercial nations in the world. Chief among these factors are its great resources of coal and iron, its damp climate (which is especially adapted to spinning), its splendid harbors, its numerous rivers, and its nearness to the sea. Great manu- facturing cities, such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, Nottingham, and Sheffield, have grown up in the north, where natural conditions are most favorable to their development. Cotton manufacturing (the centre of which is Manchester) is the chief industry of the United Kingdom, which furnishes two thirds of the world's output of cotton, in spite Manufac- of the fact that most of the raw material must be turln e imported. In the textile industries, woolen manufacturing is only second in importance to that of cotton, while- the manu- xviii INTRODUCTION facture of iron and steel ware (notably at Birmingham), and of machinery, is carried on extensively. England also pro- duces large quantities of beer, pottery, and chemicals. The manufacture of linen is the chief industry of Ireland, which produces the finest linen in the world, the extreme dampness of the climate giving a whiteness to the linen that can be at- tained in no other land. It should not be forgotten that England owes much of its manufacturing supremacy to the great mechanical inventions of Englishmen, like Hargreaves and Arkwright, Crompton and Watt. Among these inventions should be mentioned the spin- ning jenny, the power loom, used in the manufacture of tex- tiles, and the steam engine, which did away with the old- fashioned custom of using water power in moving machinery. The fine harbors of England, affording splendid facilities for trade, have helped greatly to develop its manufacturing Commerce interests, just as the manufacturing cities have and helped to develop the nation's immense commerce, which, in a recent year, amounted to the stupen- dous sum of nearly five and a half billion dollars. New- castle, Hull, Yarmouth, Dover, Portsmouth, Southampton, Falmouth, Plymouth, Bristol, and Liverpool, with their har- bors, form a marvelous line of coast cities, — a line that in- cludes London, the greatest city in the world. The best harbors of Wales are Swansea and Cardiff in the south, and Holyhead in the north. In Scotland, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Ayr are all on or near the coast. The chief cities of Ireland — Belfast, Dublin, Lon- donderry, Cork. Limerick, Queenstown, Waterford, and Wex- ford — are also all on or near the sea. Shipbuilding is carried on extensively in the coast cities Ship- of the British Isles. The foremost shipbuilding cen- bmiding. tres are Qi aS g OW ( w hich leads the world in this industry) and Belfast. Great Britain, in its ambition to be the greatest commer- cial nation, believes in owning more ships than any other INTRODUCTION xix country. Its total shipping, estimated by tons, is at present four times as great as that of the United States, and is nearly as great as the combined shipping of all the rest of the world. Great Britain has also developed a remarkable system of inland transportation by means of canals and rail- Trans _ ways, all of which add greatly to its resources. portation. The British Isles are the centre of a vast empire that covers one fifth of the lands on the globe. The English- „ , . , b & Colonial man's boast is that the sun never sets on his flag. Posses- A list of all the countries comprising the British sions " Empire will be found in the appendix of this book. These great colonial possessions furnish a vast additional source of wealth and power to the English people. The extent and remoteness of these possessions, added to the fact that Great Britain itself is merely a small island lying off the great continent of Europe, have rendered a British large navy necessary. To-day England has a navy Navy> which it plans to keep always equal to the combined navies of any two powers. With such a protection, England can well feel that it is safe from invasion, and that none of its vast possessions is in clanger of conquest by a foreign power. FORM OF GOVERNMENT The form of government of the United Kingdom is a limited or constitutional monarchy, consisting of the King and Parliament. Parliament comprises two branches, — the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Members of the House of Commons are elected by the people, while birth or rank determines the membership of the House of Lords. Parliament can make new laws or alter those previously made. Its authority extends to church, civil, and military affairs. THE STORY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN (B. C. 55 -A. D. 445) The ancient inhabitants of Great Britain were called Brit- ons, a people belonging to the Celtic race, which then oc- The ancient cupied all the British Isles. The great Roman gen- Britons, ej-ai^ Julius Caesar, found them, when he invaded the island in b. c. 55, a warlike, half-savage people, who lived much as the early American Indians lived, and who painted their bodies blue. The civilized Romans gradually conquered The Roman most of Britain, and ruled there for three centuries Conquest. an( j a half, but finally had to withdraw from the is- land, in order to protect their own country from invaders. Meanwhile, they introduced Christianity, and built many great cities, roads and walls, the remains of some of which may still be seen. ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD (445-1066) Left to themselves again, the Britons were now more help- less than beforehand after a long struggle they were finally sub- dued by the Saxons, and their kinspeople, the Angles and Jutes, bold and hardy sea-rovers from northern Germany. From the Angles, or Engles, who spread very widely throughout the KingArtnur couritr y> England finally received its name, al- Sixth cen- though the Saxons were the stronger people. Eng- lish people of to-day are often called Anglo-Saxons. In connection with those early days, arose the famous stories of King Arthur, who is supposed to have been a British king, bravely fighting the Saxon invaders of his country. The Saxon conquerors of Britain were pagans and wiped out Christianity, but about the sixth century they were converted to it by mis- sionaries from Ireland and Wales. INTRODUCTION xxi THE DANISH INVASIONS (787-1066) After becoming masters of England, the Saxons themselves were repeatedly attacked by the Danes, a people from northern Europe akin to the Northmen or Vikings. The Danes finally gained almost complete possession of the country. But in the ninth century the brave and wise Saxon king known in history as Alfred the Great, forced the Danes to give Alfred the up half of their conquest, and to accept Christianity. Great. 871- He built up a strong Saxon nation, making many wise laws, and establishing schools and churches. In the elev- enth century, a Danish king again completely conquered Eng- land, and his son Canute, who succeeded him, be- Canute, came a wise and great ruler, who was beloved by 1014-1035. his English subjects. Two more Danish rulers followed, and then a Saxon king, Edward the Confessor, came Edwardt i ie to the throne. In his reign London was made the Confessor. 1042-1066 capital of England, and Westminster Abbey was built. THE NORMAN CONQUEST (1066) Saxon England, however, was soon to be conquered by the Normans, a people from the north of France, who were de- scended from the Northmen, or Vikings. William, W iniamthe Duke of Normandy, claimed that King Edward Conqueror. J . 1066-1087. had promised him the English crown, and in a fierce battle at Hastings, in 1066, he, with his invading army, defeated Harold, the last of the Saxon kings, and became ruler of England. After his death, three of William's Later Nor . descendants, called Norman kings, ruled succes- man Kings. sively, and Normandy was added to England (al- though it was lost in later years). The French language and customs had meanwhile been introduced, and many great cas- tles and cathedrals were built. The Normans were a better educated and more civilized people than the Saxons, and they at first looked down with scorn on the rude, simple people they had conquered, and treated them harshly. Nevertheless, xxii INTRODUCTION the Normans introduced many new ways of living and of think- The Eng- m & mt0 En gl an d, which was a very good thing for nsh and the country. As the years passed, the two peoples becomTone were gradually united into one, from whom the nation. English of the present day are descended. THE PLANTAGENETS (1154-I399) In olden times it was not customary in any country to al- low the great masses of the people to have any share in the government, and if a king happened to be selfish and tyran- nical (as kings were likely to be), his subjects — especially the poorer people among them — had a very unpleasant time of it. The English, however, have always been an unusually sturdy and independent race, and their history shows them mainly engaged in one long struggle for freer and better gov- ernment. At first the common people were not strong or in- telligent enough to take much part in the struggle, and it was chiefly carried on by the great nobles and the clergy, who already had a share in the government, but who wanted still more freedom from the tyranny of the kings. By a system called feudalism, the common people were subject to these great nobles, who controlled all the land ; they were bound to serve them, and looked to them for protection. The very poorest people were indeed little better than slaves. It was a lawless age, when nobody seemed to have any rights that anybody else was bound to re- spect, and as might be expected, the nobles (or barons, as they were called) were often cruel and unjust in their treatment of the poor people under them. It was a good thing, therefore, for Henry II. the whole country that the first of the new line of 1154-1189. kings called the Plantagenets happened to be a strong and fair-minded man. He took away much of the law- English ^ ess P ower °f tne barons by making better and laws are stronger laws, and by establishing courts, and trial by jury. He was an able ruler — this Henry II — and he has been given the title of the " lawyer-king." INTRODUCTION xxiii Another famous, but not very useful, Plantagenet king was the bold warrior, Richard the Lion-Hearted, who cared for nothing but roaming about in foreign lands in quest Richardthe of exciting adventures. Those were the days of Lion- knighthood and of chivalry, when fighting was con- j^ssl-nag sidered the most glorious occupation a nobleman could engage in. The bravest knights of Europe, including many of royal rank, were trying to wrest the Holy The Land (where Christ had lived and died) from the Crusades - heathen Turks who had captured it, and Richard the Lion- Hearted, was among the most daring of these "Crusaders," as they were called. But King John, who succeeded Richard, was a great coward, and such a bad, tyrannical ruler that, without intending to do so in the least, he proved of the greatest usefulness John to his people in the end. For, after everybody had H99-1216. become thoroughly disgusted at his obstinacy and extrava- gance, his barons rose against him in a body (12 15), The ^gh^ and compelled him to sign a parchment taking classes be- away a large portion of the king's power to oppress mand their the people. This was called Magna Charta (the great ri s hts - charter), so highly prized and so jealously guarded ever after- ward by the English people that, although many Magna later kings tried to rule without paying any atten- Charta. tion to it, they were forced again and again to confirm it. The barons also rose against and defeated the next king, Henry III, another extravagant and selfish man ; and, as they were by this time beginning to feel that the common Henry in. people had some rights in the government as well as 1216-1272. themselves, they reorganized Parliament (the body of men who helped the king govern), and allowed men who did not belong to the nobility or the clergy to be monpeople represented in it. This was the beginning of the represented House of Commons in Parliament. inPariia It was to be expected that the little country of Wales (whither long ago many of the Celtic inhabitants of xxiv INTRODUCTION Britain had been driven by the Saxons) would some day be overcome by these bold descendants of the Saxons and Nor- Edward I. mans. This was what actually happened in the reign 1272-1307. f Edward I, who gave his son the title of Prince of Wales, borne to this day by the eldest son of the reigning sovereign. The conquest of Ireland had already begun, and was to continue through many cruel years. The Conquest . of Wales Irish were brave and freedom-loving, and perhaps andireiand. wou i c j not h ave Deen conquered in the end by the English if they had been so fortunate as to have a great leader to unite them. Meanwhile, the bold and hardy Scottish people in the rugged land to the north of England had stoutly kept their Trouble independence as a nation. Nevertheless, trouble with Scot- began when King Edward I was asked by them to decide as to the claims of two rival Scottish kings, Bruce and Balliol. Edward pretended at first to take the part of Balliol, but he soon put forth claims of his.own to Scotland, defeated the Scots, and imprisoned Balliol. Then a brave Scotchman, Sir William Wallace, rallied his people together, and though he fought the English valiantly, he was defeated and cruelly executed. Finally, the Scotch succeeded in placing Robert Bruce (grandson of the original Bruce) on the throne. Edward II. In the reign of Edward II, they regained their in- 1307-1330. dependence by winning from the English the great battle of Bannockburn, of which all Scotch people to this day are so proud. When Edward III ascended the English throne, the Scotch were still upset over the question of whether they should be Edward in. ruled by a Bruce or a Balliol. They were greatly 1330-1377. enraged when Edward, by helping Balliol to be- come king, gained control over a large part of their coun- try. In their struggle with England, the Scots received help from the French. Partly because of this, but chiefly because he claimed through his mother, who was a French princess, INTRODUCTION xxv title to the French throne, Edward began the famous Hun- dred Years' War with France, carried on at inter- vals by later kings. In this war, the common people f the Hun- of England were to play an important part. All this ^ ed Years ' time, they had been growing stronger and more intel- ligent, and had been gradually freeing themselves from the power of the great nobles, to whom, in earlier times, they had all looked for protection in time of war. The English armies were no longer composed, as in former days, of knights and men-at-arms, fighting clumsily on horseback, while Riseof the weighted down with heavy armor. The great victo- English ries gained by the English in the Hundred Years' y eomen - War were won by the sturdy English yeomen, who fought on foot with their longbows and arrows. For these yeomen, the French armies, still made up of knights on horseback, and of archers who used the old-fashioned clumsy crossbow, were no match. You will remember that the Normans introduced the French language into England. English, however, had always con- tinued to be the language of the common people, Ush bg although the educated classes used French and comes the Latin. In the fourteenth century, at the time we j^j^^ find the first great English poet writing (Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the " Canterbury Tales "), English had become and was henceforth to remain the language of the whole people. The English Parliament had, from very earliest times, even when not so powerful as now, claimed the right to say what king should be allowed to rule. So when, in this Richard n. same fourteenth century, a certain king (Richard 1377-1399. II) had displeased the people by his acts of tyranny, and had been compelled by them to give up his throne, p ar u ame nt Parliament bestowed it on his cousin, Henry, Duke e * er f i8e8 '. its right to of Lancaster, who, as Henry IV, started a new line choose a of English rulers called the House of Lancaster. ruler * xxvi INTRODUCTION HOUSE OF LANCASTER (1399-1461) During the reign of Henry IV, the House of Commons gained more power than it had ever had before, although it Henry iv. wa s destined, in later years, to lose a good deal of 1399-1413. j t again, as we shall see. The second Lancaster king was the brilliant and dashing King Henry V, who was more ambitious for glory in war Henry v. than for the good of his subjects. So he continued 1413-1422. t i ie Hundred Years' War (which had ceased in previous reigns), and was so successful that he gained pos- session of northern France, and married the French Henry VI. princess. A little later, in the reign of Henry's 1422-1461. r ° J son (Henry VI), the wonderful young French peas- ant girl, Joan of Arc, who believed that she had been sent by God to save her country, took charge of the French armies, and won great victories from the English. France JoanofArc. ta & was saved, but Joan was captured by the English and burned at the stake as a witch. Soon afterward, the English lost all they had gained in France, except the city of Calais. Thus ended the Hundred Years' War, which had caused such terrible suffering. It had shown how much need- less harm a ruler who was vain and ambitious for mere glory could do to his own people and to those of other lands as well. But this war was hardly over when the selfish ambition of would-be kings caused some terrible wars in England, fought between the House of Lancaster, represented by King Henry The "Wars ^' anc * tne House of York, another branch of of the royalty that claimed the throne. The fierce con- tests that were waged between the two Houses were called the " W T ars of the Roses," because the emblem of Lancaster was a red rose, and that of York a white one. HOUSE OF YORK (1461-1485) After some bloody fighting, carried on mainly by the no- bility, who were most interested in the outcome, and during INTRODUCTION xxvii which first one side and then the other gained the mastery, the House of York triumphantly placed King Ed- Edward iv. ward IV on the throne. The people, in their desire 1461-1483. to have a worthy king, had taken sides with first one claimant and then another, dissatisfied with the faults of each. Yet so little responsibility toward their people did kings of those days feel, that hardly any ruler could be depended upon to act wholly for the interests of his subjects. The reign of Edward IV is notable, not because of his own worth, but be- cause the first printing press was set up in England T he first by William Caxton, in 1477. The placing, by this P^ting J • 1 r 1 press is sex means, of printed books within the reach of large U p in Eng- numbers of people, made them all brighter, more landl intelligent, and more eager for the greater liberty that was to come to them in later years. The little son of Edward would have succeeded his father, as Edward V, but, with his younger brother, he was killed in the Tower of London by his wicked and ambitious tij ■" Edward V. uncle, who became King Richard III. The Eng- lish people, horrified at Richard's baseness, rallied to the sup- port of a new leader, Henry Tudor, the nearest sur- R i Chard iii. viving claimant to the throne, who became King 1483-1485. Henry VII, the first of the Tudor kings. THE TUDORS (1485-1603) When these Tudor sovereigns came in, there was no strong nobility left to resist the power of the kings, for large num- bers had been killed in the "Wars of the Roses." Thetired Parliament, also, had completely lost its power, people sub- The Tudor kings, therefore, were destined to be JJ"^ * on . the most independent and haughty rulers that Eng- archical land had had for many years. Yet, after all the ex- rule " citement and bloodshed of the " Wars of the Roses," it was per- haps a good thing for England, in many ways, to have a strong central government such as these Tudor sovereigns built up. It was during the reign of the first Tudor that Columbus xxviii INTRODUCTION discovered America (1492). Immediately after that wonder- Henry vil. ^ discovery, European kings began to send ex- 1485-1509. plorers and colonizers to the New World. John America Cabot, setting out in the name of the English king, discovered the mainland of North America in 1497. Henry VIII, the second Tudor sovereign, stands out in history as the most thoroughly wicked and selfish of all the Henry viii. English kings. He knew no law but his own wishes. 1509-1547. Events, however, of the greatest importance, hap- pened in his reign. Upon the Pope's refusing him a divorce from his wife that he might marry again, he declared the Pope to be no longer head of the English church, and setting up a national church, he made himself its head. This church remained at first a good deal like the Roman Catholic Church in its form of worship, although changed and The change modified in later years. At first most of the people in religion, stoutly objected to the change Henry had forced upon them, and many were persecuted by the self-willed king for refusing to acknowledge him as head of the church. As the years passed, however, more and more people grew accustomed to the change, until finally practically the whole of England had become greatly attached to the Pro- Edward vi. testant faith, and was ready at all times to fight for 1547-1553. it. Henry's son, Edward VI, who succeeded him, was also declared head of the church, but upon his lsSisss. death, his 'sister Mary, who became queen, tried to restore the Roman Catholic Church to power in England, and persecuted many of her subjects who would not return to it. Mary's sister, Queen Elizabeth, who succeeded her, made the national religion Protestant again, but she, too, had a great deal of trouble in trying to make all of her 15 1 53^603. SUD J ec ts worship according to the royal will. By this time, many Protestants had come to believe in and to practice a simpler or " purer " form of religion than that of the established church. For this reason they were called Puri- INTRODUCTION xxix tans, and Elizabeth punished them for their disobedience al- most as severely as she did Catholics. It was an age when kings and queens thought they had a perfect right . to force upon their subjects the form of religion thepuri- which they themselves approved. The reign of Elizabeth, or the " Elizabethan Age," as it is called, was one of the greatest in English history. Elizabeth's subjects were, on the whole, fond of their queen, . because they realized that, notwithstanding her invincible many cruelties, she was really devoted to England, Armada - and, in spite of religious differences, a decided national feel- ing came about. This was greatly increased after the English had destroyed the Invincible Armada, the enormous fleet which Spain had sent to conquer England. After this victory England was, for the first time, a really powerful nation. Commerce flourished as never before, while Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, and other bold and courageous men sailed on their voyages nessofthe of exploration. Famous writers arose, to express in Elizabethan books, in plays, and in poems, the new knowledge, ideas, and feelings that the discovery of a New World and the invention of printing had spread among the people. The greatest of these writers was Shakespeare. Others were Ed- mund Spenser, Ben Jonson, Sir Francis Bacon, and Beau- mont and Fletcher. THE HOUSE OF STUART (1603-1714) Elizabeth was the last of the Tudors, her successor being James Stuart, who was heir also to the throne of Scotland. By his accession as James I, he united the thrones jamesi. of England and Scotland. James was the first of 1603-1625. a line of kings who, by their reckless disregard for the rights of their subjects, were to bring great trouble to . The people England. He was very conceited, but so unlike a begin to king in looks and manner that people began to "emselves lose the deep respect for royalty which the haughty xxx INTRODUCTION Tudors had inspired. Besides, the religious persecution from which they had suffered had aroused their spirit. Parlia- ment had now got back much of its old-time power, and as James thought that kings had a " divine right " to do every- thing they pleased, whether fair to the people or not, he was constantly quarreling with it. James's reign is not- lish settle- a ^^ e Decause the first successful English colony mentsin was planted in America, at Jamestown, Virginia, in America 1607. (Sir Walter Raleigh, in 1585, had tried to plant one in Roanoke, Virginia, but had failed.) The Pilgrim Fathers, also, who were Independents in religion (that is, they believed in even a simpler religion than the Puritans), and who had fled to Holland to escape King James's perse- cution, sailed in the Mayflower, in 1620, and made the first settlement in New England, at Plymouth, Mass. Charles I proved an even greater tyrant than his father, James I. He taxed the people unmercifully, he tried to govern Charles 1. without the consent of Parliament, and finally with- 1625-1642. out an y Parliament at all. By this time, the House of Commons in Parliament had grown very strong, and many Puritans were among its members. They decided to submit no longer to Charles's rule, but to set up a government of their own, and to force their own religion upon the country. So the great Civil War broke out, between Parliament and the common people (called Roundheads because they wore their hair short) on one side, and the king and his friends (who were called Cavaliers) on the other. A great leader of the Roundheads soon arose in the stern and harsh Puritan, Oliver Cromwell. Under his leadership, the king's party was defeated at Marston Moor and Naseby. Charles was brought to trial by Parliament as a tyrant and traitor, and beheaded. The office of king was abolished, and England was archyis at l ast ruled by the representatives of her common overthrown, people. The government was called a Common- wealth, and Cromwell was the Lord Protector. During Crom- well's rule many victories were won by the English in foreign INTRODUCTION xxxi waters. One of the greatest English poets, the Puritan, John Milton, who wrote " Paradise Lost," lived during these trou- blous times, as did, also, John Bunyan, author of "Pilgrim's Progress." Cromwell's son, Richard, succeeded him as Lord Protector, but soon resigned. Most of the people had now become tired of the harsh rule and stern religion of the Puri- mx . ° Tne mon- tans, and were anxious to have a king again. So archyis Charles's exiled son was invited to ascend the restored - throne as Charles II. The Puritans, or Roundheads, were immediately swept out of power, and large numbers of them were punished, for the Cavaliers now ruled both in Parliament and in the church. Charles, however, soon proved himself so worthless a king that even his devoted friends, the Cavaliers, were forced to see it. A party inclining to Puritanism again grew Charles n. up in Parliament, and there was constant strife 166 ° 1685 - between the king and the House of Commons. The people, however, won another great victory, when the famous Ha- beas Corpus Act was enacted by Parliament in The Habeas 1679. This established the right of untried prison- Cor P usAct - ers to be brought on demand before a judge for investigation of the charges on which they were held. For a number of years past, English people had been stead- ily emigrating to America, and their colonies had grown very strong. Large numbers of Puritans, who had been Enclish dissatisfied with the state of things in England dur- colonies in ing previous reigns, had settled in New England, menca - the first having arrived not long after the Pilgrims. In this way the English were extending their power all along the Atlantic coast. In 1665, England went to war with the Dutch, after having boldly seized the great province of New Nether- lands in America (now New York) which the Dutch had settled. In 1681, the English gained still more territory in America when Charles II granted the province of Pennsyl- vania to William Penn for settlement. The eminent scientist. xxxii INTRODUCTION Sir Isaac Newton, and John Locke, the philosopher, lived in this reign, and among the great writers was John Dry- den. Charles was succeeded by his brother, James II, who was a Catholic ; but the people preferred to have a Protestant James II. king, and he was obliged to give up his throne 1685-1688. an d leave the country. The people of England were now more determined than ever to choose their own rulers, and they resolved never again to let any king govern „„„ without the consent of Parliament. James's daugh- William J b and Mary, ter, Mary, and her husband, the Dutch Prince of 1688-1702. Orange, came over from Holland, by invitation of the people, and became joint rulers of England, after having agreed to the Declaration of Rights drawn up by Parliament, which took away forever from English kings the power of governing without the consent of Parliament. What is called a constitu- a constitutional monarchy was now definitely estab- tionai mon- ii sne d in England, and remains to this day. With archy is & J firmly es- the help of France and Ireland James tried to re- tabiished. gam his tnrone? b ut was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne, in Ireland. During the reign of the two sovereigns, war with France was carried on, which, in America, was called King William's War. William and Mary were succeeded by Mary's sister, Queen Anne, who was not clever enough to take any real part in Anne. the government. This was a good opportunity for 1702-1714. tne House of Commons to do the real ruling, and it has ever since continued to do it, except in the reign of TheEng- George III. The intense religious feeling had died llsh sov- down, and everybody was now much more inter- ceases to ested in politics. Parliament had been for some take an ac- time made up of two great political parties, — the the govern- Tories, who believed in aristocracy, and the Whigs, ment. w h were people of more liberal ideas. The war with France was continued (in America it was called Queen Anne's War), and a great general, the Duke of INTRODUCTION xxxiii Marlborough, won the battle of Blenheim and other splendid victories. England and Scotland were united in this reign into the Kingdom of Great Britain, with England one Parliament and one crown (1707). England and Scot- land gained from France, Nova Scotia and Newfound- land, and was now richer and more powerful than she had ever been before. Many great writers lived at this time. Chief among them were Swift, Addison, Pope, and Daniel Defoe, author of " Robinson Crusoe." THE HOUSE OF HANOVER (1714- George I, the next king, was a German prince, of the House of Hanover, the great-grandson of James I. His reign was peaceful and prosperous, but he was such a weak George I. king that the part he should have taken in the 1714-1742. government was represented by his advisors, or, as they were called, " ministers," who were chosen from the rul- • T-. i- * , r,. ^ , Government ing party in Parliament. Among these Sir Robert by min- Walpole became so powerful that he really created isters- the office of Prime Minister of England. In the reign of George II, a brilliant man, William Pitt, the elder, became War Minister, and England won many triumphs on land and sea. In the war with France George n. (in America called the French and Indian War), 1742-1760. Canada was taken, and the struggle with France in America came to an end. England also gained possession of _. ... X 116 Jj Tig IIS n India through the energy of a great company of Empire is English merchants (the East India Company), and expanded - by several great naval victories she became the acknowledged mistress of the sea. George III, the next king, was very different from the Hanoverian kings who had preceded him. He was so deter- mined to govern in his own way that Parliament George in. and his ministers were weak enough to give in to 1760-1820. him. Through his obstinacy he brought a great disaster upon England, for, by his high-handed and scornful treatment of xxxiv INTRODUCTION the American colonies, he provoked the American Revolu- A eri- t * on ' ^Y wmcn tne y won their independence, in canRevolu- 1783. tlon " Although England lost her American colonies in this reign, she gained the great region of Australia and New Zealand by sending out, in 1769, an exploring expedition in charge of Captain Cook, which took possession of this whole territory. From 1800 to 18 12, England was at war with the great French general, Napoleon, who had become master of Europe. Lord Nelson with his fleet prevented Napoleon gains lands from invading England, and won the famous naval andprestige. baU]e of Trafalgar (1805). In 1812, the Duke of Wellington completely defeated Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo. Among the great writers of the period were the . Scotch poet, Robert Burns, and the famous novel- England ist, Sir Walter Scott. The union of England and and Ireland. j re ] anc j occurred in 1800, but Ireland was not ad- mitted on the independent footing that had been given to Scotland. George rv. During the reign of George IV, an event occurred 1820-1830. f great importance to England, and eventually to the whole world. A clever engineer named George Stephen- First steam son ' a ^ er much study and labor, constructed a railway. locomotive, and built the first steam railway in the world's history. In the reign of the next king, William IV, Parliament was made more truly representative of the people than it had ever William IV. been before, and many important reform laws for 1830-1837. the benefit of the people were enacted, for Eng- land had passed at last into the era of democracy. The long victoria. reign of the good Queen Victoria, who succeeded 1837-1901. William, was especially notable for its reforms. Among these were laws more favorable to Ireland, which had suffered for so many years from the harsh treatment of English landlords. William E. Gladstone, the great leader INTRODUCTION xxxv of the English Liberal party, tried several times to have enacted a bill for Home Rule for Ireland, but was The harsh unsuccessful treatment of unsuccesMui. Ireland is England also made additions to her vast empire in lessened, this reign. She acquired large portions of central Africa, and by winning the Boer War she gained possession of The Empire the Transvaal in South Africa. Queen Victoria Jj^,,. ex _ died in 190 1, after the longest reign in English panded. history, and was succeeded by the present king, Edward VII. The Victorian Age (as the reign of Queen Victoria is called) occupied the larger portion of the nineteenth century. It stands out as the greatest of all ages, — for it had Greatness all the wisdom and all the mistakes of the past to ofthevic- guide it. It was an age of wonderful literature, and l n ge * of still more wonderful discoveries in science. Among its great writers were the poets Tennyson and Browning, and the novelists, Thackeray, Dickens, and George Eliot. It saw the marvelous development of electricity, of the railway, the telegraph, the telephone, the phonograph, and photography, and it saw countless discoveries and inventions which have made life safer, more comfortable, and more pleasant for everybody. And now at the beginning of the twentieth cen- tury, England and the whole world is at the threshold of a still more wonderful age. For all the people are enjoying greater liberties than ever before, and the spirit of kindness and of human brotherhood among all classes is growing stronger every day. THE BRITISH ISLES CHAPTER I THE VOYAGE Crossing the Atlantic — Size of Boats — Leaving the Dock — The Pilot — New York Harbor — Speed — Rooms of Passengers — Games — Sitting on Deck — Colors of the Ocean — Dining-Saloon — Change of Time — The Captain — Bells — Dangers — Routes — Smokestacks — Consumption of Coal — Stokers — Dol- phins — Porpoises — Whales — Birds — Distance of the Horizon — Storms at Sea — First Sight of Land — Queenstown Harbor. In this little book we are to accompany a party of American boys and girls and their parents on a visit to the British Isles. As long as these young people can re- member, "Old England," " Old Ireland," and "Bonnie Scotland " have been familiar words to them ; in fact, their own ancestors came from these very countries. And now they are to have the long-wished-for opportunity of actually seeing these lands. The voyage they will make, however, will not be very much like the voyages that their ancestors made. Sixty years ago, most of the boats were sailing vessels, and the people who came to America on them suffered more than we can realize to-day. The voyage was long, continuing several weeks. Sometimes the food gave out, or the sup- ply of water failed ; sometimes wild storms at sea broke the masts or tore the sails, when the vessels might drift for days, even if they did not go down. How different it all is to-day ! Now the boats are driven by steam, and some of them are so fast that less than a week is required for the voyage. There is enough food on board to last for many days, and the ships are like great 2 THE VOYAGE floating hotels. The voyage is also much safer now. We are told that more lives are lost on trolley-cars than on Atlantic liners. The liners are huge ships made of iron or steel. The largest of them are almost a thousand feet long, and have as many as eight decks, with elevators to carry passengers from one deck to another. A passenger on one of these mammoth vessels said not long ago, " I do not like the big boats because I lose my way on them, and cannot find the deck where my room is." The largest and swiftest ships are the most expensive to travel on, and for this reason many prefer the smaller boats ; but even these are not very small. One may sail for Europe from Boston, or Philadelphia, or New York ; but the party with whom we are to travel is to sail from New York, on one of the medium-sized boats, — one that is seven hundred feet in length and seventy-five feet from one side of the deck to the other. The passengers have all been assigned to one of the three classes, — first-cabin, second-cabin, and steerage. As our boat has a full list, there are about four hundred of the first-cabin, three hundred of the second, and per- haps a thousand of the steerage ; including the officers and crew, there are more than two thousand people on board, — more than live in many a village ! The very minute that our vessel is scheduled to sail, she begins to move out of her slip in charge of a pilot, who is to direct her course down the harbor. It is an ex- citing moment. On the crowded pier, hats and hands and handkerchiefs are waved at the departing travelers; and we, in company with throngs of other people on the deck, wave in response. As soon as the steamer is free from the dock, her speed is increased. We make our way down the harbor, THE START 3 past the famous " sky-scrapers " of New York, past the majestic statue of Liberty holding her torch aloft, past Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Coney Island. As we steam LEAVING THE DOCK by Sandy Hook, the boys try to get a glimpse of the huge guns which they have heard can send a cannon-ball seven miles out to sea ; but it is only a glimpse, for most of the guns are hidden from sight. After Sandy Hook has been left behind, our course is changed and the vessel is headed easterly, in the direc- tion of the Banks of Newfoundland. There is a brief stop to enable the pilot to clamber over the rail and de- scend the swaying rope-ladder to the yawl which is to bear him away from the vessel. " The next stop is Oueenstown ! " one excited small boy shouts, and all who hear him smile in sympathy, and hope his words will prove to be true. 4 THE VOYAGE Pretty soon we are racing along under full steam ; if there is no mishap, a speed that varies from twelve to twenty-five knots l an hour will be kept up day and night, in fair weather or in storm, till we dock on the other side of the ocean. Meanwhile, most of the boys and many of the girls have become familiar with all parts of the §hip. Length- wise within the ship are narrow little hall-ways, that in some boats extend the length of the deck, and along these are the staterooms, or cabins. What little rooms they are, — only about eleven feet square ! On one side of each room are two small beds or berths, one above the other, and on the opposite side is a couch. These, to- gether with the tiny clothes-press and wash-stand, do not leave very much vacant space ; but the rooms are beauti- fully finished, and are well lighted by two windows that open upon the deck, if the rooms are " outside." The cabin, and in fact the whole boat, is well equipped with lights and bells. We do not, however, use our cabins very much except for sleeping, for we spend most of the time in fair wea- ther on deck, where, if we like, we can play games of various kinds, such as shuffle-board, ring-toss, tether-ball, and even deck-golf. In the steamer-chairs, placed in a long row from one end of the deck to the other, passen- gers can almost always be found sitting, - — perhaps wrapped in rugs, if the weather is cool, — reading, talk- ing with their neighbors, or watching the restless, chang- ing water. Some days the sea will be as blue as the sky ; again, when the wind veers or clouds appear, it may change to a vivid green, and the rolling waves will be tipped with white. The most wonderful of all the impres- 1 A knot is a nautical mile, — a little longer than an ordinary mile- ON SHIPBOARD sions of the ocean, however, is that which a boy once voiced wfc is of it ! " voiced when he said, "I can't get over how much there ON DECK In the evening, and in stormy weather, many of the passengers assemble in the music room or the par- lors, which are handsomely furnished ; the library and writing-room will attract others. The dining-saloon, how- ever, is the common meeting-place. The long tables here are fastened to the floor, and the chairs revolve, but cannot be removed. Racks are placed along the edges of the tables, to prevent the dishes from slip- ping to the floor when the ship is tossing in a heavy sea. Before we have been long at sea, we are compelled to change the time of our watches. Every night, at mid- night, the ship's clock is set ahead a half hour or more, so that the time on board will be the correct time in that 6 THE VOYAGE part of the world. London time is more than five hours earlier than that of New York. As the earth revolves on its axis from west to east, London sees the sun long be- fore it appears to the people of New York. IN THE CABIN The captain of our ship is a strong man, with a weather-beaten face. He has supreme command on ship- board, and can even arrest people and confine them in their rooms if they do not obey the rules. Although there are several other officers, the captain is the one in whose charge the boat is placed, and in a storm or fog he must stay on the bridge day and night to see that all is well. In fair weather, he often comes on deck and talks to the passengers, and he shows his interest in our party by answering the many questions which we wish to ask. Just THE CAPTAIN 7 now he approaches us, and the usual volley of questions begins. "Where was this boat built?" asks one of the boys. "At Belfast," replies the captain. "How long did it take to build it?" "Two years." - "How much freight is there on board?" "We can carry twenty -four thousand tons." Just then, five strokes of a bell are heard. "Captain! What is that bell?" cries one of the girls. "That is our clock," laughs the captain. "Twelve o'clock, four, and eight are each 'eight bells.' When that has been struck, one bell is struck at the end of the next half hour, two at the second, three at the third, and so on, until eight have been sounded, and then we begin again." "Then, five bells is half-past two!" a boy exclaims triumphantly. "What are the greatest dangers on a voyage?" asks a rather timid girl. "Fog and fire. You remember how foggy it was when we were passing the Banks of Newfoundland. Sometimes we run into a fog there that lasts for days, and we have to set our whistle so that it will blow once every minute." "What causes the fog?" "As you know, cold air cannot hold so much moisture as warm air. Therefore, when the warm, moist air over the Gulf Stream (which has been flowing northward through the Atlantic) meets the cold winds blowing from the north and becomes chilled by them, its moisture is condensed in the form of mist or fog." "Did you ever run into another boat in a fog?" " No ; but once, off the Banks, we came so close to a fishing schooner that we could have tossed a coin on to THE VOYAGE her deck. Usually, however, there is not very much danger of collision, for every year the officials of the various lines meet and arrange just what course every boat shall take, going and coming." "Exactly the same course, — like a trolley-track?" asks one of the boys quickly. " As nearly as we can make it, though sometimes the storms keep us out of the exact course. If each ship holds to her course, there is really little danger on the Atlantic. Whatever might happen, we ought to be able to keep the boat afloat, and our chart shows us where other boats are likely to be, so that we can get help by sending a Marconigram to them. Wireless telegraphy has made ocean-going very much safer than it used to be." "What is the diameter of those big round smoke- stacks ?" asks another boy. " They are not round, although they appear to be. They are seventeen feet one way and eleven feet the other. If they were flat on the ground, you could drive a team of horses right through them." " You must burn a tremendous amount of coal ! " exclaims a boy. ' " About two hun- dred and sixty tons a the smokestacks day," replies the cap- IN MID-OCEAN 9 tain. " We usually coal up for a round trip, taking on about six thousand tons." "Who looks after the fires ? " " The stokers feed the fires, and we have ' trimmers ' and other workers besides." "The stoking must be very hot and hard work." " It is. The men work in gangs of eight for four hours, and then have eight hours off." " Are passengers allowed to go down and see the en- gines ? " inquires a boy eagerly. "Yes," replies the captain, with a smile. "You shall see the place where we get our 13,500 horse power to drive the ship." We thank the captain for his courtesy as he passes on, and our attention is next drawn to a school of por- poises playing in the water near the ship. Indeed, al- most every day of the voyage dolphins or porpoises are seen, rolling in the water, or leaping from wave to wave very much as boys dive, and they appear to enjoy it, too, almost as much as boys enjoy the sport. One day, a whale is seen far out on the ocean, and, when it spouts, a column of water is plainly visible. We are much interested, also, in noting the birds that follow the ship. Even in mid-ocean, fifteen hundred miles from either shore, birds are to be seen following us still, — the circling gulls or swiftly flying Mother Carey's chickens. How it is possible for a bird to fly so long and so far from shore is puzzling, but an old sailor explains that the birds occasionally rest on the water, and some of them even come and perch on the masts. Only a few days before, he had seen a little land-bird alight on the deck when the ship was a thousand miles from shore, and he said it had probably been blown out to sea by a storm from the coast of Ireland. All the sailors are kind 10 THE VOYAGE AT SEA to the wearied little creatures, and believe it is bad luck not to feed them. We are surprised when we learn that " out of sight of land " does not mean any great distance from the shore. From the deck it is not possible to see farther than from five to eight miles. Up in the " crow's nest," — the bas- ket-like contrivance high on the foremast, in which, night and day, one or two sailors are stationed to keep watch, — one can see farther ; but the horizon is not nearly so far away as it seems to be. A storm at sea is one of the grandest sights in all the world, and if the boat is in mid-ocean, there is really very little danger. When the storm is at its height, the great billows seem to be racing as if they were trying to see which could be first to reach the ship and strike it hardest. Sometimes the bow is under a huge mass of water, and then the " whir " of the propeller can be felt when the stern of the boat is lifted high in the air. The howling of the wind, the roar of the sea, and the rolling LAND AGAIN u AN OCEAN BILLOW of the ship terrify some of the passengers, but others enjoy it all. The ship pitches and rolls so that a person who tries to walk staggers almost like a drunken man ; but the boat was built to meet such experiences, and she "behaves" well. When the storm has passed, nearly all the passengers are glad that they have seen it, although a few of them prefer never to see another. On the seventh day of the voyage, all on board are greatly excited when it is known that the southwest coast of Ireland has been sighted. The hills on the far- away shore at first appear like masses of clouds, but as we draw nearer and nearer, they rise before us, green and beautiful, — a refreshing sight after our week on the wide ocean. Ireland is one of more than five thousand islands which together form the British Isles, or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. These islands lie on the eastern border of the Atlantic, nearly three thousand miles northeast of the United States. Many of them are 12 THE VOYAGE mere rocks that barely rise above the surface of the sea. We are to devote by far the greater portion of our trip to visiting the largest of them, — Great Britain (which in- cludes England, Scotland, and Wales) and Ireland. Great Britain is but a little larger than Minnesota, and Ireland is about the same size as Maine or South Carolina. The people who have lived on these islands have been the greatest sailors, explorers, and colonizers ever known, and to-day they have the largest fleets and navy the world has ever seen. There is no nation in the world with which we do so much business as with the United King- dom, nor do the British Isles have so great commercial relations with any other nation as with us. Then, too, the inhabitants of Great Britain had more to do with set- tling the United States, making her early laws, establish- ing her schools and colleges, and building her churches, than the people of any other nation. We shall be greatly interested, then, in traveling through these islands and in learning, by observation, about the people who inhabit them ; who they are ; how they live ; what they produce ; the causes and means of their success ; their cities, farms, mines, and mills ; their government, schools, and colleges ; their railways and canals; and their battle-fields and castles. Oueenstown Harbor, which we are now approaching, is very beautiful, with its ten square miles of water, so deep that the largest vessels can safely enter. On the hills, one on each side, keeping guard over the city and its harbor, stand two great forts. Our ship does not enter the harbor, but stops just outside, and two tenders — sidewheel steamers, the America and the Ireland — come alongside to receive the passengers, the baggage, and the mails for Ireland. More than an hour is required for this transfer, and while the boat is waiting, bright Irish QUEENSTOWN 13 boys come on board to sell newspapers. These papers are eagerly bought, for they bring us the first real news of what the world has been doing during the week we have been on the ocean, Soon our ship resumes her voyage, and when she next stops, we shall be in Liverpool, where we are to begin our travels in the British Isles. QUESTIONS From what ports in the United States can you sail for the British Isles ? At what places in the United Kingdom can you land ? What is the distance from New York to Liverpool ? How long is the voyage ? In what directions do you go ? What are ocean currents ? Where on your voyage are you most likely to find fogs ? What is the cause of the fogs ? How is the route or course of your boat determined? Mention three reasons why the people of the United States are interested in the British Isles. Does England ship more goods to the United States than she receives from us ? Give a reason for your answer. If you do not change the time of your watch during your voyage, will your watch be slow or fast when you arrive in London ? How much ? Why ? How is time reckoned on ship- board? What land will you first see ? Where is Queenstown ? Why does your boat stop there ? SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK Imagining yourself two hundred miles at sea, write a Mar- conigram to a friend on shore and another to one on another boat. Tell how each message will be sent and received. Write a brief description of a voyage across the Atlantic sixty years ago. Write a brief description of a voyage across the Atlantic to-day. CHAPTER II FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND Liverpool — The Mersey — Docks — Foreign Trade — Customs — Trolley- Cars — Signboards — English Money — Canals, Railways, and Steamships — Nearby Industries (Mining, Cotton, and Woolen Manufacturing) — Other Indus- tries — Streets, Parks, Museums, and Colleges — Manchester — Contrast between the North of England and the South — English Names in America — Birken- head. It is early in the morning when we come on deck again, for the run through St. George's Channel from Queenstown to Liverpool has taken all night. While we slept we have been A speeding past the rugged coast of Wales, and now, far away on our right, we have a good view of its high hills and deep bays. On the water all about us are many little sailboats with dun-colored sails. The men on board these vessels are plainly as much in- terested in the great steamer as are her many passengers, crowding about the rails, in the strange sights they see. But there are no salutes from one boat to another, nor does the whistle greet even the huge boats that are starting Wl AN OCEAN STEAMER IN DRY-DOCK Showing the propellers ON THE MERSEY on their way back across the Atlantic. The people of England are much more quiet in their ways than Ameri- cans. At last we enter the mouth of the river Mersey, the port of the great city of Liverpool. Here we see a vast number of ships entering or leaving the harbor, — many, perhaps, starting for South America or Africa, — for Liv- erpool has a larger export trade than any other city in the British Isles. A great many little tugs are darting about, and there are tiny canal-boats which have made their way down the narrow canals that enter the Mersey. Noisy steam dredges are working away to prevent the long sand-bars in the mouth of the Mersey from choking up the river, and we are told that they are working this VERPOOL way almost constantly. High on the banks are forts to protect the city, with its great harbor and its ships, from a foreign enemy in time of war. " What wonderful docks!" we cannot help exclaim- ing, as the steamer now approaches its landing stage. 16 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND These docks, like those in all the English harbors, are not of wood, as most of those in our own harbors are, but of stone, solid and lasting. In Liverpool there are nearly forty miles of " quays " as the English people call them, and of floating docks there are nine miles ! The latter are so built that they rise and fall with the tides ; but when we look at them we can scarcely distinguish them from the quay itself to which they are made fast. We see the need of such docks when we learn that Liverpool has a yearly foreign trade that exceeds in value more than a billion dollars, sending out one third of all the exports and receiving more than one third of the imports of the United Kingdom. On the dock there is the usual crowd to welcome in- coming travelers, and among them are agents for the railroads who come on board to ^sell tickets to London and other cities. Before the people go ashore, long chutes are adjusted to the boat, clown which the trunks and bags are sent in a steady stream. Every piece of baggage has on it the initials of its owner, and as soon as the pieces reach the dock they are taken and arranged in order in the custom-house. If a person's name chances to be " Black,"' he must look for his trunk in the baggage which has been collected under a huge " B." If his name is " Jones," he will find his belongings under the letter " J." Before he is free to take it, however, he may be requested to open his trunk and permit the customs officers to see what it contains ; and if he has any sweets, spirits, perfumery, or other taxable articles, he must first pay the duty. Most articles, however, are not taxed as they are in America, for Great Britain is largely a free- trade country. At last we are free to leave the station. Some of our party enter cabs and are driven at once to a hotel. The LIVERPOOL THE END OF THE VOYAGE cabbies do not make a babel of noise as they do in New York, and it is good to find that the fare is very much cheaper than at home. Some of us, however, prefer to ride on one of the strange-looking trolley-cars, which have seats upstairs as well as downstairs. We climb the little circular steps and secure seats outside, where we can have the air and see all that is going on. Liverpool is plainly a very smoky and a very busy place, and we are surprised to find how much like an American city it appears. Yet before reaching our hotel we see that in many ways it is quite different. To begin with, our fare is only a penny, or two cents in American money, for in England one pays according to the distance 18 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND one rides. The conductor who receives the coin punches a ticket which he hands back to the passenger. In reply to our question about these tickets, we are told that an inspector may at any time enter the car to col- lect the tickets, and if a passenger does not have one he will have to pay his fare again. On our ride, we hear the elevated railroad spoken of as the "overhead"; we make out, from signs over the doorways, that a "booking office" is a ticket office; and that a "fruiterer and greengrocer" is a dealer in fruits and vegetables. We are astonished, also, to see foot- passengers turning to the left instead of to the right, and we wonder if we can ever get used to so queer a custom. We know, of course, that American money must first be changed into the coin of the realm before it will be of any use to us in England. So after we are comfort- ably settled in our hotel, in which we already have en- gaged rooms by telegraph, we diligently put our minds to the problem of learning English money. "Twelve pence make a shilling, twenty shillings make a pound," we repeat glibly. As an English penny is equal to about two American cents, we conclude, for conven- ience, that a shilling is worth about a quarter. We find, too, that practically we can call a pound about five dol- lars, and a sixpence twelve and a half cents. We are greatly surprised to learn that the English use very little paper money. The Bank of England issues notes for five pounds and for greater amounts, but that is all. We shall use for money, the crown, — the largest silver piece, — equal to five shillings ; the silver half- crown ; the florin, or two-shilling piece ; the shilling; the sixpence, and the three-penny piece. The copper coins are the penny, the halfpenny (which is commonly called ENGLISH MONEY 19 LIVERPOOL FROM THE LANDING STAGE the "ha'penny"), and the farthing, though one does not see many of the last. The larger gold pieces, we are told, are pounds or sovereigns, and the smaller are half- pounds. The guinea, which is worth twenty-one shillings, we find is no longer in circulation, though the word is still used in trade. Long practice makes the English skillful in counting their money. We are surprised when, in going through Liverpool shops, we see how rapidly the clerks add the columns of pounds, shillings, and pence. An English- man, however, said to us one day : " The American and French systems of money are simpler than ours and more easily learned. I have no doubt our boys are kept longer in school than they would be if our money were not so difficult to learn. Still, I like our coin better than I do your paper money. The paper money becomes filthy after it has passed through many hands." It is true that American bank notes sometimes are 20 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND not very clean, but one day, after we have seen a man counting a great pile of British coins, we think that even gold and silver are not always cleaner than our bills. This man had his coat off and his sleeves were rolled up. His hands and wrists were black from handling the money. After we have spent several days in Liverpool, we find how big, and busy, and wonderful a place it is. Next to London, it is the largest city in England. A network of canals enters it at the mouth of the Mersey, and it is also a terminus of several important railway systems. Its steamship lines connect it with almost every harbor in the United Kingdom, and its steamers depart for almost every country in the world. Wheat is even brought with- out change from Duluth, Minnesota, which is itself two thousand miles from the ocean. Within a radius of fifty miles of Liverpool there is a great population of more than three million, largely engaged in manufacturing cotton, iron, and steel. A great many people also work in the numerous coal and salt mines not far away, which we will later visit. All these people must be fed, and all the goods they make must be sold, and Liverpool is the port for it all. Cotton manufacturing is the most important industry of Great Britain, which produces two thirds of the world's output of cotton goods, most of the raw cotton being brought from America. Situated a little northeast of Liverpool, on the river Irwell, and second to Liver- pool in size, is Manchester, the great centre of the cot- ton industry. Its damp climate, for an abundance of moisture is needed to make the finest cotton, enables Manchester to manufacture vast quantities of cotton goods. At Nottingham and other places not far from Liverpool cotton hosiery and cotton lace are made. As cotton machinery naturally is made where cotton machines INDUSTRIES 21 are used, great quantities are manufactured in Man- chester, and nearby cities, and shipped from Liverpool. Next in importance to the cotton trade of Liverpool is her trade in woolen goods, for not far away are Leeds and Leicester, which are centres of the woolen industry. Each year the United Kingdom raises thirty million sheep, but even that number cannot supply her with the wool she requires, and so she has to import large quan- tities from Australia, and also from South America, Germany, and other countries. Besides these industries that centre in Liverpool, the coal, glass, soap, paper, leather, sugar, and other industries of neighboring regions have also added to the volume of the city's trade. But the city is more than a mere port, for it has its own grain mills, sugar refineries, rope factories, iron and steel works. Like every English city, also, it has a public art gallery, a free library and museum, m. .- 1. AN ENGLISH LOCOMOTIVE and many parks. It has also its university, and its beautiful monuments and churches ; but the strongest impression that we carry away with us is of its enormous commerce and its great docks. Dirty, smoky Manchester is our next stopping-place. How narrow its streets look when seen from the car windows ! And how the smoke of its factories has dark- ened its stone and brick buildings ! Even the little river 22 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND Irwell, which empties near here into the Mersey, is dark and forbidding. This first view is far from attractive. However, we remember that this town is, next to Lon- don, the greatest manufacturing city in the British Isles. It is the refuse of the many mills that has so discolored the waters of the Irwell. The great Manchester Canal enables the large ocean steamers to come up to its docks, and so brings the city directly in contact with the ports of the world. It was at Manchester that steam was first used (in 1789) as the power to turn the wheels in the cotton mills. It was here, too, seventy years ago, that the cotton printer, Rich- ard Cobden, founded what is known as the Manchester School, a political party that helped to repeal the unjust corn laws, and so make bread cheap and trade free. As we walk through the streets and parks of Manchester, we notice the large number of fine statues, and we like es- pecially that of the Duke of Wellington, the conqueror of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. We of course go to see the red brick grammar school, near the Victoria University of Manchester, where Thomas De Quincey, the noted author, was once a pupil. We also visit the art museums, the town hall (called the largest and most remarkable town hall in Europe), some of the libraries, as well as other buildings which show that even here life is not all given up to work. The people of Manchester, like those of most of the cities and villages in northern England, believe that a man is of value in proportion to the work he does. In the South of England, the best life is thought to be that of the country gentleman. To have a beautiful house on a large estate, with many tenants to till the land ; to be free to ride and hunt and entertain many visitors, and to have time to read, — this, in southern England, is NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND 23 looked upon as the ideal life. There, one does not find busy men or humming mills. In politics, too, the same party may continue in power indefinitely, and men seldom vote any other ticket than the one they have before supported. In the North it is very different. Here, the people will vote for a certain man at one election, and at the very next election may vote for his rival. Here, men toil from morning till night, and business is the great aim of life. Here, we find the mines and manufactories of Eng- land; and here, the frequent changes in public opinion and politics which always go with the spirit of enterprise. Which part of England is more like America ? We also find, before our trip through England is ended, that the difference between northern and southern Eng- land may be seen in the language, and especially in the names of places. The distinction is most noticeable in the final syllables. In the North, we find such names as Rugby and Whitby, names left by the Danes, who lived here long ago ; while in the South, we find such names as Plymouth and Portsmouth, a legacy from the Saxons, a very different kind of people, who came to Britain some time before the Danes. It is interesting to recall that the names of many American cities were taken by emigrants from towns in England. Thus we know that places called Dover, Salisbury, Bristol, and Plymouth were settled by people from the South of England, while Derby, Chester, Manchester, Birmingham, York, and Worcester were so named by people who came from the North of England. In northern England there is much more than we have time to see just now, for we are to turn directly south, and proceed to London through the Midlands. Later we shall travel northward again by the Great 24 FIRST VIEWS OF ENGLAND Eastern Railway. Having returned to Liverpool, we cross to Birkenhead, some of us going by the tunnel under the river, and others crossing on the quaint little ferry- boats. Birkenhead is as large as Worcester, Massachu- setts. It has great docks covering 165 acres. Where so many ships and so much shipping come from is puzzling until we remember that, of the steam tonnage of the whole world, Great Britain has more than half, and of the sailing tonnage she has nearly one third. QUESTIONS For what is Liverpool best known ? On what river is it situated ? Why does England have so many canals ? Mention some differences between English and American money. What is the foremost industry of England ? Why ? What causes have made Liverpool and Manchester great ? Where do Manchester and Nottingham obtain their cotton ? Why does England manufacture cotton goods ? Mention three differences between the people of the North and the South of England. Mention five American cities having the same names as English cities. Locate each. SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK Write a letter stating what most impressed you during your visit in Liverpool. What four effects have the location of the British Isles had upon the British nation ? Compare these with four effects which the location of the United States has had upon our people. Write a letter to an Englishman explaining how cotton he has purchased in Georgia can be sent to Manchester. CHAPTER III OLD PLACES AND NEW A Ride on the Railway — Cars — Locomotives — Speed — Luggage — Chester — Ancient Walls — A Walk on the Walls — Charles I — Roman Ruins — Cricket and Bowling — River Dee — The Cathedral — Home of Gladstone — The Palace of a Duke — The Ride to Birmingham — English Stations — Bir- mingham — "Model Villages " — Why Chiefly Small Articles are Manufactured — Nearby Cities. From Birkenhead we are to go by rail to the ancient town of Chester, not far to the southward. We soon learn that the railway cars, or "carriages," as they are called, are divided into compartments, separated into " first," "second," and "third" "classes," according to price and furnishings, the first-class compartment being, of course, the most ex- pensive and the best fur- nished. The difference between the classes of compartments is, how- ever, chiefly one of up- holstery,and wefind that the second-class com- partment is almost, if not quite, as comfortable as the first-class. Both the carriages and the locomotives are much smaller than those in America, and the tracks on some roads are narrow gauge. We notice with surprise that many of the freight cars are open, the cargo being cov- ered with sailcloth to protect it from the rain. If there are enough people in a party to fill a com- partment, traveling in England is very pleasant ; but if AN ENGLISH RAILWAY COM- PARTMENT 26 OLD PLACES AND NEW a person is alone and must find his seat in a compart- ment with strangers, it is not as pleasant as the arrange- ment in the United States. Fortunately, we are able to secure two compartments for our party. Not long after we nave taken our seats, the "guard," or ticket-collector, passes along the station platform calling at the door of each carriage for the tickets. These station guards take the place of conductors, usually collecting the tickets either at the station where the passenger enters, or at the one where he alights. At the ringing of a bell, followed by a shrill little whistle from the locomotive, the train starts, and is soon moving at an amazing speed, — almost a mile a minute. Although we dart so swiftly through the many little towns on our route, there is slight danger of acci- dent, as the tracks are elevated. Fewer people are killed on the railways in England than in America, mainly because in England walking on the track, or boarding a train after it has started, is punishable by fine or imprisonment. In half an hour our train rolls into the Chester station. We enter the 'bus which is to convey us to our hotel, but are delayed in starting until one of the party has claimed every piece of our baggage (or "luggage," as the English call it), which has been left standing on the platform. In place of baggage checks, a small slip of paper is pasted on each piece of baggage, bearing the name of our destination, Chester. Like us, every one else is engaged in securing his own property and finding a porter with a truck to carry it to a 'bus or cab. On the way to the hotel, we notice some farmers driving huge pigs along the street, which at once remind us that we are in Cheshire County, whose swine and cheese, as well as cats, are famous all over the world. ROMAN RUINS ^7 Chester, on the river Dee, the capital of Cheshire, is a strange mingling of the new and the very old ; for, as early as 60 A. d. the Romans had a camp here which they called Deva, meaning "the camp on the Dee." All ROMAN RUINS AT CHESTER around the city runs a high wall following the line of that which the old Romans built. Along its top is a celebrated walk, two miles long, which we decide to take immediately upon our arrival, mounting to it by steps which we find by the side of one of the old gates. As we walk along, we notice that houses and stores have been built out here and there upon one part of the old wall, giving a strange appearance. From the towers which rise at frequent intervals, we stop to look over the ancient valley where the Romans, Danes, Saxons, and others have come and gone, one after another. One of the boys, on reading some printed words on a window in one of these towers, exclaims, " I am standing on the very spot where King Charles the First stood and saw 28 OLD PLACES AND NEW his army on those moors yonder defeated by the army of Cromwell ! " A little farther on, we visit the ruins of an old Roman bath, after which we stop to look down on a party of girls playing cricket in a neighboring field. Eng- lish girls are all fond of outdoor sports, and their rosy cheeks bear wit- ness to the games of ten- nis, hockey, "fives," and "squash" which they enjoy. We are next in- terested in watching a group of young men bowling on a lawn in the rear of a large house. It seems to us that all Eng- land lives out of doors. Soon the picturesque, tumbling waters of the river Dee are seen, and we stop again to watch several men with rods, wading up the stream fishing. "What have I heard about the Dee?" inquires one of the boys. "Don't you remember the Sands o' Dee ? There was a miller here, too, who sang that he was perfectly happy. ' I care for nobody, no not I, if nobody cares for me' " — "Yes, there was another miller here, too," breaks in one of the girls. " He is in a Mother Goose story : — ' There was a jolly miller lived on the river Dee. He looked upon his pillow and there he saw a flea. Oh, Mr. Flea, you have been biting me, and you must die. Sohe crunched his bones upon the stones, and there he let him lie."' KING CHARLES'S TOWER THE HOME OF GLADSTONE 29 v - ttliU ^•i W >:/-&*• ' THE RIVER DEE AT CHESTER In the afternoon, we start out to visit the great cathe- dral in the centre of the city. It is the time of afternoon service, and as we enter the long and lofty nave, we are greeted by a burst of music from the unseen boy choir. We gladly seat ourselves until the beautiful service is ended, when we proceed to inspect the noble building. The next day, a drive of eight miles brings us to Ha- vvarden Castle, once the home of Gladstone, the "Grand Old Man" of English history. This we enjoy, but a greater treat is in store for us, when we journey to Eaton Hall — the palace and residence of the richest man in all Eng- land, the young Duke of Westminster. Our ride to the estate is delightful. We travel leis- urely along a typical English road, hard and smooth as a floor. The air is fragrant with the odors from the green hedgerows, which everywhere take the place of fences, and from the flower gardens which surround every little cottage. The houses are nearly all of brick or stone (for 3 o OLD PLACES AND NEW long ago timber became very scarce in England). Over their old gray or red walls, roses climb in profusion, and almost every window has its pots of gay flowers. The duke's estate comprises thirty-two thousand acres, including the park and gardens of Eaton Hall and the farms of the tenants. He has another estate of the same size in Wales, and also one in Scotland. Besides all this, he owns six hundred acres in the west of Lon- don — the very Houses of Parliament, it is said, paying him an annual ground rent for the land on which they stand. Not an acre of all these vast possessions is for sale. Some of the land is rented for a term of ninety-nine years, but it is all kept in the Duke's family. Indeed, the fact that so much of the land in England is owned by a few wealthy mert makes life harder for the young people, who cannot hope to buy a farm for themselves. In the cities, one frequently notices, among the real estate signs, the words, "free-hold," and "lease-hold," — the former mean- ing that the property can be purchased outright ; the latter, — much more commonly seen, — that it must be bought subject to the lease upon it. This lease may have many years to run, or it may have only a few years ; and the price will depend upon the time that remains before the lease expires, when the land and everything upon it, including whatever buildings may have been erected, will again be in the possession of its owner. As we drive through the grounds of Eaton Hall, we wonder at the acres of beautifully kept gardens, filled with choice flowers, at the extensive drives and walks in which a person might easily get lost, and at the great barns in which some of the finest horses in England are found. But the great palace itself, through which we are conducted by a guide, is most wonderful of all. Every THE PALACE OF A DUKE 31 visitor pays a shilling to enter, but the money is all given by the duke to the neighboring hospitals. Although forty thousand people visit the place every year, not one of these has done even the least damage to the property. Unlike many of the stately homes in England, Eaton Hall is new, although it stands on the spot where at dif- EATON HALL ferent times four great mansions have been erected and fallen into decay. We cross the great courts and pass through massive doors into the mansion. As we are led from one magnificent room to another, we are deeply in- terested when we are told that much of the beautiful wood in the panels and wainscoting was brought from Amer- ica. There are costly vases, soft rugs, carved tables, and quaint and massive chairs in every room ; while beautiful paintings by famous artists hang on the walls. In the immense library are paintings by the American artist, Benjamin West, in which, naturally, we are especially interested. 32 OLD PLACES AND NEW In answer to the questions asked by some of the girls, our cheerful and talkative guide drops bits of information about the nobility, and members of the royal family who come here on great occasions; about the famous jewels of the women and their costly gowns; about the hunting parties, the riding and driving, and other amusements which may engage the time of these great personages ; and, as we listen, it sounds almost like a fairy tale ! We are amazed when we are told that nearly fifty house ser- vants are employed by the duke, fifty gardeners, fifty stable men, and so on ; altogether, nearly four hundred servants are employed on the estate. Some one asks if the young duke is really happier than the little family that dwells in one of the tiny cottages on the estate — a house so small that the people who live in it must be much crowded, and where the barn is so small that the hay must be stacked outside and covered with a thatch- work of straw to keep out the rain. What do you think about it? From Chester, we continue our journey southward until we arrive at Birmingham, one of the chief manufac- turing cities of England. On the ride through a country of rolling upland, we see beautiful hills cultivated almost to their tops. The fields and the farms, however, are all much smaller than those we usually see in the United States ; indeed, the whole land is so small compared with America that it seems to us almost like a toy country. As the brick and stone railway stations, each surrounded by its beds of flowers, fly past us, one of the girls ex- claims, " Everything seems to be built to last, and is made as beautiful as possible ! " With which we heartily agree, for she has spoken the feeling of every visitor to Eng- land. Now the train is entering Birmingham, and the smoky INDUSTRIES 33 walls of the great factories and the many mill-yards re- mind us of some large manufacturing city in America. Birmingham is certainly not beautiful, but it is one of the busiest cities of England, and its six hundred thou- sand inhabitants have one of the best city governments in the world. On the outskirts of the city are several little "model villages" built by the manufacturers. In them it is possible for people who have not much money to build and own homes. All the increase in the value of the property belongs to the city itself, rather than to an individual owner. On account of the iron and coal mines not far away, the iron industry of Birmingham is very important. The articles manufactured, however, are chiefly small, because, as the city is not located on a river, all its freight must be carried by rail. A good part of our time in Birmingham is spent in visiting some of the great factories which produce, among other articles, pins, nails, needles, watch- springs, screws, pens, guns and rifles. During our Civil War, Birmingham sent many hundred thousands of rifles to the United States, and we find, too, that more bi- cycles are made here than in any other city in England. There are also many plants for the manufacture of rail- way supplies. Although Birmingham is, perhaps, the chief centre in the world for metallic wares, this fact has not pre- vented its enterprising citizens from being interested in many other things. The working people of this city have long been known for their independence and free- dom of thought. Their trades-unions are especially strong. The higher ideals of the city are expressed in a university, an art gallery, and some fine churches. What has been said regarding the industries and the people of Birmingham is true, in large measure, of Wolver- 34 OLD PLACES AND NEW hampton, and of many other cities and towns in its vicinity. Almost every place is best known for its pro- duction of some special article. Location, climate, water, and means of transportation usually combine to determine what this is. QUESTIONS What are some of the differences between English and American railways ? Where is the Dee ? Describe its course. Mention the most interesting features of Chester. Why did the Romans come to Chester ? Why are so many small articles of steel or iron manufac- tured in Birmingham ? For what special traits are the people of Birmingham noted ? SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK A visit to a duke's estate. Describe a walk along an English country road. Look up and write a brief story of the life of Oliver Crom- well. CHAPTER IV CASTLES AND COLLEGES Counties — Rural England — Warwick — Old Wall — Streets, Houses, and Signs — St. Mary's Church — Where the Families of Washington and Franklin lived — Warwick Castle — Kenilworth Castle — Guy's Cliff — An English Sum- mer Resort — "The Left is the Right" — Shakespeare's House — Memorial Building — Anne Hathaway's Cottage — The Avon — Oxford — King Alfred — Oxford University — Dress of Students — Life and Games — Christ Church — Great Tom — Quadrangles — " Halls " for Women Students. One of the first lessons a traveler in England learns is that the country is divided into forty counties, the largest of which is Yorkshire in the northeastern part, and the smallest Rutlandshire in the eastern part. The former is a little larger than the State of Connecticut, and the latter is about twice the size of the District of Columbia. These counties correspond to our states rather than to the counties into which our states are divided. Each county has its county-town or capital, its courts, and a governing body called the County Council. As the Eng- lish people speak of "going up to Lancashire," or " down to Kent," much as we speak of going to Ohio or Florida, we must keep the counties in mind if we are to follow the boys and girls in their travels. " What counties have we been in already?" inquires one of the boys, after we are settled in the train speed- ing southward from Birmingham. " Lancashire, Cheshire, and Warwickshire," replies one of the party. " We have not seen much of the last, for Birmingham is just inside a corner of it ; all the rest is rural." " Are Scotland, Ireland, and Wales divided into coun- ties, too ? " asks another. 36 CASTLES AND COLLEGES "Yes, Ireland has thirty-two counties, and Scotland, which groups hers into the Counties of the Highlands, the Lowland Plains, and the Lowland Hills, has the same number. Wales has twelve counties." " Altogether, then, there are 1 16 counties in the Brit- ish Isles ? " " Yes, and we are now traveling in one of the most interesting — Warwickshire in the Midlands. On this ENGLISH SHEEP AND LAMBS ride we shall see what a large part of rural England looks like. See what beautiful roads there are ! Look at the quaint cottages with their thatched roofs ! And the sheep ! So many more than one sees in America ! And yet three sevenths of the wool used in England comes from Australia." " England raises a good many horses," remarks one of the boys, pointing to a drove that can be seen from the window. WARWICK 37 " But we do not see so many pigs as in our country," declares one of the girls. " No, not so many ; and yet the best hams and bacon in the world are raised here. England raises fewer sheep, horses, cattle, and pigs than some other countries, but what she does raise are among the best in the world." The train has now arrived at Warwick, the capital of Warwickshire, and the quaint old city and its people at once interest us. Warwick is indeed very, very old. It is still partly sur- rounded by the ancient wall that was built as far back as the ninth century. The old, old houses open di- rectly upon the narrow streets, and beside the door of each dwelling a bell and chain indicate the means by which a visitor may announce his presence. Strange signs over the doors of the shops and inns greet us as we walk along the streets. "Forage stores" indicates that hay and grain are for sale. ' A " Livery and Bait Sta- ble " invites people to feed their horses, and a " Coal Merchant and Haulier " promises to provide " coals." The names of the hotels are delightfully odd: "The Simple Briton," "The Green Man Inn," "Queen's Head," "Malt and Shovel," "Rose and Crown," THE EAST GATE, WARWICK 38 CASTLES AND COLLEGES " Star and Garter." One of the girls reads aloud a rhyme which she has found in a London newspaper : — I 'm amused at the signs As I pass through the town. To see the odd mixture — A " Magpie and Crown," The " Whale and the Crow,'" The " Razor and Hen," The "Leg and Seven Stars," The " Scissors and Pen," The "Axe and the Bottle," The " Tun and the Lute," The " Eagle and Child," The " Shovel and Boot." Indeed, so quaint and old in every way is this English town that, as we walk about its streets, we seem to be living in another century. Of course we visit St. Mary's Church, in the crypt of which are the tombs of many famous men, and near which an old ducking stool, in which scolding women were tied and ducked, is still to be seen. From the bel- fry of this church the curfew bell was rung in the days when all England must be abed by nine o'clock. At the side of the chancel is a cell which was reserved for sol- diers who came home lepers from the crusades. It is pathetic to see the little hole in the wall through which they watched the service, — forbidden to be with their friends because they were "unclean." It is with the greatest interest that we learn that the family of George Washington came to America from Northamptonshire, a county adjoining Warwick, and that from there, also, came the ancestors of Benjamin Franklin. Sulgrave Manor was the home of the Washington fam- ily, and Eckton that of the Franklins. We have not been long in Warwick before we make WARWICK CASTLE 39 a memorable visit to the famous old castle of the Earl of Warwick. The great wall inclosing the grounds was originally built as a defense for the ancient earls and WARWICK CASTLE their followers, but it is now crumbling in many places. Passing down the long, beautifully shaded entrance, we are lost in admiration of the perfectly kept lawns, with their artistic groupings of trees old and new, and their spreading beds of flowers. The family of the earl is not at home, and the whole place is wrapped in a silence that is broken only by the harsh screams of many pea- cocks. The ancient moat that once used to protect the castle from its enemies contains no water now, and the portcullis, or huge grating that used to bar out intruders, is seldom lowered. As we look upward at its great iron spikes, we can faintly imagine what its fall must have meant years ago to the men who were trying to fight their way into the castle. High up in the tower of the castle, we see the little slits between the stones through 4 o CASTLES AND COLLEGES which the archers used to shoot their arrows at the besiegers. A guard, resplendent in a blue and gilt uniform, con- ducts us through the rooms of the castle We find our- selves now in stately halls where ancient armor, bows, and spears are hanging from the walls ; now in regal sleeping rooms where kings and queens were once guests ; now in spacious drawing and dining rooms, and, again, in galleries containing paintings by famous artists. In one of the galleries, the guard throws back his shoulders and pointing to a portrait of King Henry VIII KENILWORTH CASTLE says, " 'Ere we 'ave a picture of 'Enry the Heighth has a child." We do our utmost to keep back our smiles, but one of the boys whispers, " Is that old English, or is it new ? " Five miles from Warwick are the ruins of Kenilworth Castle, where Queen Elizabeth loved to be. In her day, GUY'S CLIFF 41 immense artificial ponds adjoined the grounds and great tournaments were held here. The massive, crumbling walls are grand even in their decay, but it is long since any one has been able to live in the great building, which covers several acres. Every one of the party who has not read Scott's " Kenilworth " declares he will do so as soon as he returns home. Not far from Warwick is Guy's Cliff, the place made famous by its connection with Guy, Earl of Warwick, of early days, who slew the dun cow and other monsters. This doughty earl went on the crusades to the Holy Land. Upon his return, he and a few of his followers dug caves by a little stream near Guy's Cliff, and there they lived for years as hermits, fed by Countess Felice, the wife of the earl, who did not know who the holy men were until, on his deathbed, the earl sent her his ring. One of the boys says, when he hears the story, " I think the earl would have been a holier man if he had told his wife, when he first came back, that he was alive and well. It was not right to make her suffer as he did." Beside a little pond near Guy's Cliff is an old stone mill built in the days of the Saxons. Its old wheel and gray walls have stood there nearly a thousand years ! We try to imagine what that means, as we stand listen- ing to the gurgling stream flowing from the pond. Near Warwick, too, is Leamington, a beautiful summer resort famous for its mineral springs. Here every house is built near the street, but almost every one (as is the case with most English houses) has a garden extending far back in the rear. Lawns and gardens are seldom seen in the front of houses, as is so frequently the case in America. These Leamington gardens are delightful places, with their thickly planted shrubs, trees, and flowers, and their beautiful walks. 42 CASTLES AND COLLEGES Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare, how- ever, is to many Americans the most interesting place in Warwickshire, if not in all England. The distance from Warwick is only eight miles ; and as we think of the STRATFORD-ON-AVON smooth English roads, the happy idea strikes us to go to Shakespeare's birthplace on bicycles. We have not been long on the way when the "honk" of a motor car is heard, and we all turn to the right side of the road. "Get on the right side of the road," calls the chauf- feur, as he draws near. "We are on the right," responds one of the boys. "No, go to the other side, — the left." " But you said the right." "The left is the right." We are all much puzzled until we suddenly remember that the custom in England is to turn to the left, rather STRATFORD-ON-AVON 43 than to the right as in America. We had noticed it when we first visited Liverpool and other cities, but had never had to put it into actual practice before. "Why is Shakespeare's town called Stratford-on-Avon ? Why is n't it just plain Stratford? " inquires one of the girls. " To distinguish it from another Stratford which is in Wiltshire," explains her father. On the way to the little town, we pass the grounds of an estate named Charlecote Park, in which deer are feed- ing, just as they were, no doubt, when (as it is said) the youthful Shakespeare was arrested for poaching there. The house in which Shakespeare was born is still standing. It is said that thirty thousand people come every year to visit it, at least one fourth of whom are Americans. Americans have erected a great drinking foun- tain in the town, thus showing that the poet belongs not only to England, but also to America and the whole Shakespeare's house world. In the rooms of the house are to be seen many relics of the poet, — choice editions of his plays, and other valu- able mementos of his life and works. The room in which he was born is sadly out of repair ; the walls are bare, and the exposed rafters are crumbling ; but it is other- wise much as it was when he first saw the light. In the garden in the rear of the house the trees and flowers men- tioned in his plays are cultivated. The Shakespeare Memorial Building near by is a mod 44 CASTLES AND COLLEGES ern building of stone and red brick. It contains not only a library of choice books written about the poet, but also many valuable paintings, busts and casts. One of the bronze busts was taken from a death mask of Shake- speare which was found in a London rag-shop. There are also statues, which are said to represent respectively Tragedy, History, Comedy, and Philosophy, as well as certain characters portrayed in the plays of Shakespeare. In this Memorial Building there is a theatre, and every spring memorial performances of the plays are given in it. About a mile from Shakespeare's house is Anne Hath- away's cottage. The path used by the poet, on his visits there as a young man, is still pointed out. The quaint cottage, almost covered by vines and shrubbery, is a type of the old English house. There are those who say that Anne Hathaway became a scold some time after she and Shakespeare were married, but no one seems to know very much concerning her except that she was Mrs. ^William Shakespeare. We do not leave Stratford without having a ride, in one of the tiny gondolas, on the little River Avon, which flows into the Bristol Channel ; nor without standing awhile on the bridge to feed the graceful, long-necked, black swans swimming on the water, without any fear of the visitors. Having visited the places of chief importance in this interesting county of Warwickshire, we take the train the following day for the city of Oxford, located on the river Thames. It is the county seat of Oxfordshire, and the seat also of the ancient and world-famous University of Oxford. Upon our arrival, we at once enter a car, or " tram, " which will take us to the university. Near the station is OXFORD 45 a high mound, said to have been made by King Alfred. Many also believe that Oxford University was founded by him, in 972. Even as far back as the thirteenth cen- tury there were three thousand students in attendance at Oxford, and in the early days there were many serious riots between the people of the town and the students. In one of these fights between the " town" and the ''gown," fifty students were killed. All is changed now, and the thirty-six hundred students at Oxford have no- thing to fear from the people of the city. Indeed, Oxford is very proud of its ancient university. The university is composed of twenty-two different colleges or "halls," every one of which is largely independ- ent of the others. Each college has its own governing body, and its own master, principal, or president, — different titles being used in the various colleges. The governing body of the combined colleges is called the senate, and is composed of representatives of all the grad- uates of the different colleges. Nearly all the students live in the college buildings. After dark, and also when they go to chapel, or to lec- tures, or to dinner, they wear a dark blue or a black gown, and instead of a hat they wear a flat square cap which is called a " mortar-board." The sight of hundreds of young men in this garb on the streets is strange and interesting. The most popular time of the year is the week at the end of the summer term, when there are thousands of vis- itors present to see the degrees given and to watch the students in their sports. Another exciting time is " Eights- week," in the middle of the same term. This is the week when the boat-race and the cricket-match occur. The race is rowed on the Thames, over a course of four miles. Hundreds of houseboats, little steamers, and smaller boats of various kinds are at that time filled with people, and 4 6 CASTLES AND COLLEGES ROWING-RACES AT OXFORD the banks are lined all the way with thousands who have come to see the college boys race. The names of some of the colleges are strange to us. Christ Church is one of the largest, yet it never has more than three hundred students. It is called the most fash- ionable of all, but when we go into the dining-hall, we are surprised to see how simple everything is. The long tables are made of plain boards, and there are no chairs, for long wooden benches provide the only seats. On the walls are hanging the portraits of some of the famous graduates ; among them we see those of Cardinal Wol- sey, Gladstone, and Lewis Carroll, who wrote " Alice in Wonderland." The rooms in which the students live, however, are many of them beautifully furnished, and it is the custom to have breakfast served in them. The great bell in the tower over the entrance gate is called " Great Tom " ; every night, at five minutes past nine, it rings 101 strokes just as it has done for hundreds of years. This is the THE COLLEGES 47 curfew, and the college gate is closed five minutes after the bell stops. There are many beau- tiful quadrangles or squares among the dif- ferent colleges, and most of the buildings look, just as they are, very old. The vividly green " meadows" where cricket, football, and tennis are played, the beautiful stained glass windows of the build- ings, the massive square towers, the ivy - clad walls, the broad walks among the trees, the quaint cloisters, where years ago the monks took their daily walks, all remind us of by- gone times. Even the course of study and the customs are all eloquent of the past. Compared with any college or uni- versity in America, Ox- ford seems very old. In Oxford, also, we have the new as well as the old. The six " halls " for women stu- dents were but recently tom tower 4 8 CASTLES AND COLLEGES NEW COLLEGE CLOISTERS, BELL TOWER, AND CHAPEL built, and the privilege for women students to attend the classes or lectures of the university professors, and to take the honors examinations with the men, is also new ; but Oxford does not grant degrees to women, no matter how high their standing has been. In this respect the university clings to its old custom. QUESTIONS What and where are the Midlands of England ? What is a shire or county ? How many has England? For what is Kenilworth famous ? Where was Shakespeare's home? Mention three of his plays. Where is Oxford ? What is a university ? How can American boys, if they desire, study at Oxford ? SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK Describe a visit to Warwick Castle. Describe a tournament in Queen Elizabeth's time. Describe a ride on the Avon from Stratford to Bristol. CHAPTER V THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD Reading — Stations in London — Streets of London — Characteristics of the People — Houses — Guiding the Traffic — Soldiers — Peculiar Expressions — Kew Gardens — Holidays — Covent Garden — Billingsgate — London Fog — Hyde Park — Serpentine — Rotten Row — Boroughs — Size of London — West End. As we take our leave of Oxford we realize that we are now but a comparatively short distance from London, which is to terminate our journey through the Midlands. On the way from Oxford to London, we stop at Reading, a city of seventy-five thousand inhabitants, famous for its great nurseries, which we visit We admire the many varieties of shrubs, and the brilliant flowers of which the English people are so fond. One seed-farm alone con- tains three thousand acres. We also visit the ruins of the Benedictine Abbey, founded by one of the Norman kings in the twelfth century, and containing his tomb. "This can't be London! My ticket reads, 'To Pad- dington!'" exclaims one of the boys when at last the train, after passing through miles of suburbs, halts in a long, low station. His father laughs, as he replies, " It is the Paddington Station in London. Your ticket might read, 'To Paddington,' or ' Euston,' or 'Charing Cross,' or 'Waterloo,' or to any other of the sixteen terminal stations ; but no ticket reads, ' To London.' ' : We are much excited as we start out for our first walk along the streets of the largest city in the world. The people appear much like those we see at home, although they all look more alike than the people of an American city. It is strange to see men going to their offices, even in the morning, wearing silk hats, frock coats, and 50 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD carrying canes. This custom, however, is not so common as it was a few years ago. Silk hats and canes are used even by boys, ten years of age. A good many of the men are stout and hearty, resembling- not a little the pictures of " John Bull " with which some of us are fa- miliar. As we walk along, listening as well as looking, it seems to us that the men speak in somewhat deeper CHARING CROSS tones than do American men, and that all the people talk more quietly than Americans. Although we have been in England so short a time, we have already noticed the marked courtesy of the peo- ple. When we have asked to be directed to this or that place, we have been most politely answered. Every one says " Thank you " (which is frequently shortened to " 'k you ") in return for the smallest favor. The elevator man greets you with a hearty " Good-morning, sir," or bids you a LONDON HOUSES 5» very cordial " Good-night," and when an Englishman steps out of the elevator (or " lift") he thanks the man for his service. All of this is delightful. The old London houses are of brick or stone, and are lacking in many of our improvements, as we learn later when we accept an invitation to the home of a London friend. Steam heat, furnaces, and even stoves, are not common, even in the houses of the better classes. The small fireplaces provide what little heat there is. Hot water, or even running water of any kind, in the upper parts of a house, are unusual luxuries. Most of the new houses are built of " London clay," found alonsf the banks of the Thames. We are told that THE THAMES EMBANKMENT there is a new house for every hour in the year, and the daily increase in population would of itself make a vil- lage of two hundred and forty persons. It is also said 52 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD that if the streets of London were all joined into one, it would extend from New York to San Francisco. In the streets we notice many watering carts, which are unlike ours. Instead of throwing numerous small streams, the square English carts have one large stream which really washes the street. London was the first city to devise a good system for the crowded traffic of her streets. On one side of the A CONGESTED SECTION The building in the background is the Royal Exchange street moves a stream of wagons, cabs, and 'buses, — all going in one direction, — and on the other side is a similar line, moving in the opposite direction. As we cross, we are relieved to find that we need to look for danger from only one direction, and we are very thankful, on this occasion, when, being caught in a THE STREETS 53 crowd, we can take refuge on one of the small raised platforms which are placed at intervals in the middle of the- street for this very purpose. It gives us an added sense of security to find a policeman on duty at every crossing. When he lifts his arm, all vehicles must stop until he motions for them to continue. This system has recently been adopted in our larger American cities. How many soldiers there are ! making bright splashes of color in the crowd, with their scarlet jackets orna- mented with rows of brass buttons. Very neat and trim they are, too ; but the strange little hats they wear strapped to one side of the head — which reminds us for all the world of small tin cups — look very funny. Here is a messenger boy wearing a little military hat just like that of the soldiers. When we visit St. James's Park, in which Bucking- ham Palace, the King's home in London, is lo- cated, we shall see the "horse guards," who, with their horses, "guard" the entrance all the time, look- ing very dashing in their helmets, with long plumes. England has so many col- onies to protect, and so many neighboring coun- tries across the Channel maintain great armies, that she must keep large armies herself. In times of peace, it costs Great Britain a quarter of a billion of dollars a year to support at home and abroad her army of nearly three hundred thousand men. ONE OF THE HORSE GUARDS 54 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD The United States spends about one third as much on her army, although it is only one fifth as large. We notice how frequently the word " royal" appears in the street signs. It is used in England a good deal as we in America use the word "national." During our brief stay in England, we have already learned that the word " royal" has a magic sound for the English, — that they are intensely devoted to their " royal family," and especially to their king. Many of the advertisements, too, are different from those we are accustomed to see in America. Apartments are called "mansions"; candy is "boxes of sweets" ; an auction-sale is an auction-" mart" ; an "agricultural iron-monger" advertises what we call hardware; and "Alight here " is the notice seen in one of the tube stations. The tube or underground railway of London is not unlike the "Subway" in New York or that in Boston. We have already noticed that trolley- cars are not common, but the 'bus or taxicab will take us everywhere, we find, at a small charge. London is especially favored in the number of its parks and playgrounds. Among the more famous of these resorts are Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James's Park, and the Kew Gardens. One of our most interesting days is spent in the beautiful Kew Gardens. In these grounds of many acres are miles of walks and drives winding through a wonderful display of trees, shrubs, and flowers. We enter immense hothouses and see almost every kind of fern or cactus known. In other houses we are interested in the exhibits of pitcher-plants and orchids, and we stop at the great tank where the beautiful flower named for Queen Victoria (Victoria Regia) is in bloom. There is a great Rock Garden, too. On the waters of the pond near by are scores of pelicans and other strange water birds that have been brought PARKS 55 here from all parts of the world. The great Palm House is almost as interesting as the Water Lily House. In the midst of Kew Gardens stands Kew Palace, — once the home of King George III. The rooms, we find, the kew ga: are very plain, but they interest us because in them lived George III, King of England when the American colonies won their independence. Leaving Kew Palace, we enter the splendid Arboretum, with its 178 acres of ground. Here we find trees from many lands ; but we stop longest at the American Garden, and are proud of its magnolias and azaleas. The Winter Garden, some- times called Temperate House, is an immense green- house, where plants that thrive in the temperate zones are kept safely in cold weather. Altogether, we do not wonder that Kew Gardens is one of the most frequented resorts in London — especially on holidays. The enjoyment of the English people in their holi- days — any vacation here is a "holiday" — is very marked, 56 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD and it is a favorite custom to spend them at the resorts so plentifully provided in England. If a visitor is in Lon- don on a national holiday, he wonders what has become of all the crowds, for the streets are as quiet as they are on Sundays, and England keeps Sunday more strictly than any other nation in the world. Early one morning we go to Covent Garden Market to see the wealth of fruits and flowers for sale, and the crowds of marketers. We wish it were possible to see the Market the night before Easter, when, a friend tells us, its appearance is the most brilliant of the year. There are many other busy markets in the city. As we THE THAMES, AT BILLINGSGATE return we pass by Billingsgate, a huge fish market near London Bridge, the disagreeable odors from which scent the air. We cannot hear the loud voices of the fishwives, but some of us remember that the term billingsgate, (meaning coarse or abusive language) originated here. " I want to see a dear old London fog," says one of the girls one morning to the man that manages the lift. A RIDE IN A TAXICAB 57 "It 's the wrong time of year, Miss," he replies. "The fogs come between November and April. Last year, an American lady, who had come to spend the winter at this hotel, said to me one morning just what you said. The very next day, the worst black fog I ever saw set- tled down (you know there is a black fog and a yellow fog), and it lasted four days. Why, Miss, you could not see from one side of a street to the other. It was worse than night. The lady and all the guests were really prisoners in the hotel ; and when the four days were gone, she packed her boxes and left. I fancy she had seen all she wanted of a 'dear old London fog,' and I 'd be glad myself if I never saw another." One day our party engages taxicabs and rides all the afternoon through the streets in the West of London. At Hyde Park, we stop a little while to watch the throngs, walking, riding, and driving, that enter through the many gates. Here we see statues of the Duke of Wellington and other famous men, and huge cannon captured in battle (sometimes the cannon have been melted and cast into bronze statues, such as that of Wellington). We admire, too, the great stretches of lawns, the playgrounds, the beautiful trees, and the place for public assemblies. The Serpentine — an artificial sheet of water, the gift of Queen Caroline, the wife of George II — is specially interesting, because it is one of the places where the little skating which an English winter permits, is enjoyed. Passing by the Serpentine is that very fashionable drive with the peculiar name of Rotten Row. Here almost any pleasant afternoon many of the fashionable folk of the city can be seen driving in their handsome equipages. For many miles our taxicabs speed forward, through streets containing the fine residences of the rich and great. 58 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD Almost every one of these has its garden, even if it is a very small one. At last we reach what seem to be ROTTEN ROW villages separated from one another by open spaces, but still the confines of London have not been passed. ''How large is London ? " inquires one of the boys at last. " The real city of London has a population of about twenty-seven thousand," replies his father. " What do you mean ? London is the largest city in the world ! " "Yes, that is true, but still it is not all the truth. Per- haps you have noticed the names of the boroughs or dis- tricts, — Westminster, Battersea, Lambeth, St. Pan'cras, Shoreditch, or some of the twenty-two other divisions ? When the original London grew beyond its boundaries, different boroughs were made; but a few years ago these were brought together by an Act of Parliament, and now THE GROWTH OF LONDON 59 the London County Council has charge of what is really one vast city. But the names of the boroughs have been retained. You notice, too, that your letters come directed to London W. C; those two letters mean West Centre. They would be directed to London S. W., if we had happened to stay in the South West of London." " W 7 hat is the size of Greater London ?" "More than seven hundred square miles." " Yes, but how many people live in the greater city?" " Over seven millions. That is about as many as live in the entire State of New York. If you stand at Char- ing Cross you will be in the centreof a city that extends fifteen miles in each direction. That is quite different, is n't it, from the little hamlet of huts that probably was 1 Llundain ' when the ancient Britons lived here?" " I have heard people say that England, or London rather, is not growing." " England is not increasing in population as rapidly as the United States is, but London grows rapidly. It began to grow soon after the Romans came, and because of its location on the Thames it soon became an important place. Its greatest growth has been within the last hun- dred years. For instance, in 1700 it contained about seven hundred thousand people, in 1800 there were nine hundred thousand, and now there are more than seven million ! It has doubled its population in the last fifty years ! " Our long and interesting ride in the West End of London is ended. How many famous and splendid places we have passed ! We have seen from the outside the palace of King Edward, the barracks where the soldiers live, the great picture galleries, Westminster Abbey, an4 the Houses of Parliament, as well as many of the houses of the nobility. 60 THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD In the East End of London, which we are yet to visit, the docks are located ; also the Bank, the General Post Office, St. Paul's Cathedral, Chancery Lane, where the lawyers have their offices, Paternoster Row, where the books are published, and Whitechapel, which is largely a Jewish section. QUESTIONS If you buy a ticket to London, what destination will be in- dicated ? Mention three characteristics of the English people that American travelers notice. Mention three great parks of London. What is Rotten Row ? Serpentine ? How large is Old London ? The present city? How is the city governed ? What is a borough ? In what part of London are the following : Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament? SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK Describe a walk in Hyde Park or in the Kew Gardens. Describe an imaginary experience when lost in a London fog. Tell briefly the causes of the troubles between George III and his American colonies. CHAPTER VI PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON Westminster Abbey — Poets' Corner — Houses of Parliament — " Big Ben " — House of Commons — House of Lords — The Throne — St. Margaret's — London Tower — Tower Bridge — London Bridge — Trafalgar Square — Pall Mall — Marlborough House — Famous Streets — The Strand — Charing Cross — Fleet Street — Temple Church — " Old Curiosity Shop " — The Mansion House — Bank of England — St. Paul's Cathedral — British Museum — South Kensington Museum — National Gallery — Tate Gallery — Port of London — Docks — Manufacturing — Causes of London's Greatness. At the earliest opportunity, our young travelers visit Westminster Abbey, in Westminster, the largest of all the boroughs. Many years ago, the ground along the Thames near the Abbey was a swamp, and the spot on which the vast building rests was called Thorney Isle, because so many bushes with thorns grew there. Early in the seventh century a Saxon king built a church here in honor of St. Peter. That building was destroyed by the Danes, but a later king erected another in 985. The Abbey itself was established by Edward the Confessor about the middle of the eleventh century, and it has been rebuilt in part and enlarged many times since. A building so large (its total length is 5 13 feet and the towers are 225 feet in height) and so old is in continual need of repair, and every day workmen can be seen upon scaffolds erected on its walls. Its shape is that of a Latin cross. It is inspiring to stand within, and gaze at the marble columns, at the exquisite alabaster screen behind the altar, at the lofty choir, and the great transepts. The largest rose window in the world is here. Everyday, ser- vices are held, and sometimes the vast building is filled with visitors. Many of England's great men have been buried in WESTMINSTER ABBEY WESTMINSTER ABBEY 63 Westminster Abbey, and we step softly when we recall that beneath our feet are the bodies of many famous people. We see the monuments of Pitt, Warren Hastings, Darwin, Isaac Newton, Isaac Watts, David Garrick, Macau- lay, Thackeray, Dickens, and hundreds of other celebrities. One of the most interesting places is the Poets' Corner, where the ashes of many poets lie, and where we see THE POETS' CORNER many busts of poets who were not buried in the Abbey. Among these are Milton, Shakespeare, and Longfellow. " I am glad England honored us by having a bust of Longfellow placed in the Poets' Corner," says one of the girls. " I think England, as well as America, was honored," responds a boy. In another part of the Abbey, we stand before busts or tombs of many English sovereigns, besides those of famous nobles. In the chapel of Edward the Confessor, 6 4 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON our party stops in front of a quaint old chair of oak. " That is the coronation chair," whispers one of the girls ■ f £4 excitedly. '/ \ "What is that old stone under it?" inquires another ..: _J ■--. * of the party. " The Stone of Scone," explains his father. "It was once the emblem of the Scotch Princes, and it is said to be the stone Jacob used for a pillow. King Edward I brought it to London in 1297, after Scotland had been con- quered by the English." " Was the present King- crowned in that chair?" " Yes, and every English monarch since Edward I has also been crowned in it. On coronation day it is covered with gold brocade. The sword of state and the shield of King Edward III are there beside the chair." Not far from Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Par- liament stand on the banks of the Thames. They cover eight acres of ground and cost over $15,000,000. They are best seen from the river, where their frontage is over nine hundred feet, and they present a very beautiful ap- pearance with their three great towers and many little spires and turrets. When Parliament is sitting, the union flag is flying from the highest tower, the Victoria, in the daytime, while a light shines in the Clock Tower at night. Up in the Clock Tower is a bell which the London THE CORONATION CHAIR PARLIAMENT 65 people call " Big Ben." It is one of the largest bells in the world, and weighs thirteen tons. On a calm day, its heavy deep-toned strokes can be heard throughout the great city. The Houses of Parliament contain a hundred stair- cases, eleven courts, and eleven hundred apartments. In these buildings there are statues of the English rulers, beginning with William the Conquerer, and in almost ■■HflflHBHHiflHlJ^^&yHHiJ _— - m THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT every room are costly paintings and elaborate decora- tions. The two rooms which are of special interest to us are those in which the two " houses " meet — the House of Commons and the House of Lords — which, in away, are like our Congress and Senate at Washington. Through the invitation of a member of Parliament, we are fortunate in being admitted to the House of Com- mons when it is in session. Our first impression of the 66 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON THE HOUSE OF COMMONS room is disappointing, for it is smaller than we had ex- pected. At the right of the Speaker, or President, are the seats of the party in power, and the front bench is occu- pied by the Ministers of the Empire. On the left of the Speaker are seated the men who belong to the Opposi- tion, the leaders occupying the front bench. Directly in front of the Speaker is the clerk's table on which the mace, the symbol of the Speaker's authority, lies when the House is "sitting." On each side of the House of Commons is a room known as a "division lobby." When a vote is taken, members who vote " Aye " pass into the lobby at the Speaker's right, while those who vote " No " go to that on his left, where all are counted. Although the House of Commons consists of nearly seven hundred members, there are seats for only 476; so that, when an exciting bill is being discussed, and all the members are present, many of them must stand. No one has a desk before him, as our members of Congress have, THE LOWER HOUSE 6? and if a member wishes to write, he generally uses his hat for a desk. The Speaker is dressed in a long black robe, and wears a gray peruke that falls below his shoul- ders. We find it all very strange and interesting. The House of Commons is the strongest ruling force in England, having really more power than the House of Lords, or even the King himself. Indeed, it is said that the King of England has less power than the President THE HOUSE OF LORDS of the United States, and some say that the mayor of one of our great cities is a more powerful ruler than is the King of Great Britain. But the House of Commons is strong only because it represents the people; and if the man who is elected does not truly represent those who elect him, he is very soon compelled to give up his place to one who will. In the House of Lords the conditions are different, for every member there owes his seat to his rank. There are 68 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON about six hundred peers or lords. The rule is for the eld- est son to inherit the rank of his father. These peers include the five orders of nobility, — dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons. The room in which the House of Peers assemble is very elaborately furnished, the benches for its five hundred and fifty members being luxuriously upholstered in red leather. Representations of all the kings and queens since the Conquest are to be seen in the twelve stained-glass win- dows, and in the niches between the windows are statues of the barons who compelled King John to grant the Magna Charta which gave the English people many of their most highly prized rights. On the walls and on the beautifully carved ceilings are various emblems and paintings of royal personages. In the House of Lords is the great throne of the Sover- eign of England. It is covered with a gilded canopy, and is a little higher than the throne of the Prince of Wales, which is on its right. On the other side of it is a throne for the Queen. In front of the throne is a small cush- ioned stool, which is the Lord Chancellor's "woolsack." In the days of Queen Elizabeth, when it was believed that wool was the greatest source of wealth, an act of Parliament was passed to prevent wool from being sent out of the country. In order to help the judges and others to keep this fact in mind, woolsacks were placed in the House of Peers. Upon these the judges and the Lord Chancellor were to sit, and the custom continues to this day. Until 1858, the House of Commons, four times every year, used to attend service in state in St. Margaret's Church nearby. Neither the age nor the beautiful windows of this church are so interesting to us as is the fact that Sir Walter Raleigh's body, after his execution in 1618 in ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH 69 front of Westminster Palace, was buried here. The po- etic inscription on the Raleigh window was written by an American, James Russell Lowell, which certainly was fitting, since Raleigh had so much to do with the early days of America. There is also a memorial window to John Milton, the gift of another American ; the Amer- ican poet Whittier wrote the inscription beneath it. Still another window, in memory of Phillips Brooks, reminds us that England and America have much in common. "This is not a tower at all! It's a fort, a castle! Its thirteen towers make it look like an old palace!" exclaims 4 *-l* 'Jfjffi^-JfHf g NE^ UOBBMHF - ■*■■- — *-l 1 ■HP^ayHuNJual • mi ^ ^■'•V - -;; izrj I *Sis .u^-^m'^m'^^^--^^!^ 1 ^' -■ " ' ''"' m | THE TOWER one of the boys the following day, when the party visits London Tower, which, historically, is the most interesting place in all the British Isles. "There is a high wall all around it, and it has a deep moat, too, though there is no longer any water in it." "It is true," laughs the lad's father. "What did you jo PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON expect to see? Just a high tower like the Washington Monument?" "I don't know just what I did expect, but it was not anything like this." The Tower, which stands on the bank of the Thames, is now used as an arsenal, but years ago it was a palace and fortress, and, later, perhaps the most gloomy prison- house in all the world. It covers thirteen acres and looks like a series of connected castles. Of these, the ancient White Tower, built by William the Conqueror, is the largest. " Look at those strange men," whispers one of the girls as she glances at the solemn attendants. "They are old soldiers, dressed in the garb of the yeo- men of years ago," explains the father. "You can see from them just how the men dressed who fought in the days of Henry VIII." "Do you know what those attendants are called?" asks one of the party. "'Beefeaters,'" replies one of the boys promptly. "Why?" "It is a nickname, given them, most probably, because the old Yeomen of the Guard were given beef regularly in their rations when they were on duty." "I want to see the crown jewels," exclaims one of the girls. " But I want to see all the old armor," replies one of the boys. The party accordingly is divided, and while the girls are seeing the wonderful jewels on exhibition in the Wakefield Tower we will go with the boys to the White Tower, to inspect the ancient armor. There we are deeply interested in the various kinds of armor, in the armor of the Normans, which consisted of small pieces ANCIENT WEAPONS 71 of leather, joined like the scales of a fish ; the chain armor, which came in at a later date ; the plates for pro- tecting the arms and legs, which were used still later ; and, finally, the complete armor covering the body, which came into use in the reign of Henry V. " I don't see how a man could do anything in such heavy armor," exclaims one boy, as he points to a figure of a man covered with heavy iron-plate, and seated upon a wooden horse also encased in armor. " Were men stronger than thev are now ? " "No," replies his father. "Probably they did not move very quickly." Crossbows, longbows, spears, battle-axes, swords, knives — all the rude means by which men sought to slay one another years ago, are seen, and the fact that many of these very pieces had been used in battle makes them doubly interesting. The suit worn by a knight in the tournaments in Queen Elizabeth's time is perhaps the most interesting of all. When at last they rejoin their friends in the Bloody Tower, where the two young princes were said to have been murdered by the order of Richard III, the boys are glad to listen to the description of the crown jewels given by the enthusiastic girls. " It is the most wonderful sight ! " says one. " In a great glass case we saw the crown with which Charles II was crowned. You know robbers stole it once, but the king got it back again. Then we saw Queen Victoria's crown, which has been changed and worn by King Ed- ward VII. Why, there are over twenty-eight hundred diamonds in it, three hundred pearls, and I can't tell you how many other precious stones ! Oh, I never saw any- thing like it. The Prince of Wales's crown — just pure gold and not a stone in it — is there, too." 72 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON " Did you see the famous Koh-i-noor diamond ? " asks her brother. " Yes, I did," she declares. " It 's the largest diamond in the world. And I saw the Coronation Bracelets, and Royal Spurs, St. Edward's staff, made of solid gold, and the royal sceptre. There were all the insignia of the Orders of the Garter, the Bath, the Thistle, St. Patrick, the Star of India — and I don't know how many others. They are all in a huge glass case in a strong iron cage. I never saw such beautiful jewels before." ''Some of them you dzdu'tsee," says herfather, smiling. " You saw only a model of the Koh-i-noor, for the origi- nal is kept in Windsor Castle. Some of the crowns and some of the other things are simply reproductions, too, for the crown jewels were sold when Charles I was exe- cuted. A good many of them are real, though, so you did see some things worth while." We decide to visit the Tower Bridge and London Bridge before we return to our hotel, and on our way we try to recall as many names as possible of famous peo- ple who have been prisoners in the Tower of London. Among them are Sir Thomas More, Lady Jane Grey, and Sir Walter Raleigh, who were beheaded. " It is interesting," says one of the girls thoughtfully; "but I am glad we haven't any such place in America. It is bad enough to think we hanged witches and whipped Quakers." We leave the Tower, and soon are crossing the Tower Bridge, one of the newest of the twenty bridges that span the Thames. It is a half mile in length, and we are told that fifty thousand people daily cross on its foot- walk, and twelve thousand wagons on its carriage-way. London Bridge, however, is the oldest and still the most important of all the bridges. The present structure A FAMOUS BRIDGE 73 is a little farther up the river than were those that pre- ceded it, — and when the first London Bridge was built no one knows. The lamp-posts on it are made of cannon England has captured in war. Nearly twice as many foot- passengers and wagons cross on this bridge as on the Tower Bridge. We stand awhile amid the throngs passing over Lon- don Bridge, and watch the thousands of boats on the LONDON BRIDGE river, and listen to the roar of the traffic ; we look away to the great city and see the Tower, Billingsgate, the dome of St. Paul's, and the great warehouses on the Surrey side of the river, and we are glad that we are here to see it all. As we depart, one of the girls begins to hum — London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down, London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady. The following day the party again separates, because 74 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON the boys are eager to see the Bank of England and the business part of the city, while the girls, whom we will follow, prefer to visit the streets where the shops are located. The porter of our hotel whistles for a taxicab, and one quickly appears. Near every hotel .and at many other places, a space in the streets is reserved for a cer- tain number of cabs and other vehicles, and the driver of each kind recognizes the whistle or call that summons him. Here we are at the famous Trafalgar Square, with its lofty monument to Lord Nelson, the brave admiral who won the battle off Cape Trafalgar, in 1805, but lost his own life. The victory, as we know, was gained by the Eng- lish fleet over the combined navies of France and Spain. TRAFALGAR SQUARE The Emperor Napoleon had planned to invade England, and these two fleets were to protect his great army when it should cross the English Channel. But the army did not land, for Nelson destroyed the ships. His famous NELSON'S MONUMENT 75 message to his sailors just before the battle, " England expects every man to do his duty," has become a watch- word among the English people. The Nelson Monu- ment was erected by the grateful people of England in 1843. On its pedestal are four great crouching lions of bronze, modeled by Landseer, the famous painter of PALL MALL animals. We are particularly interested in its reliefs in bronze, because they were made of the French cannon which Nelson captured. There are other statues in this famous square and two great fountains, with their large basins, in which small boys are sailing little boats. We drive through Pall Mall (commonly pronounced Pell Mell), famous because it has more clubs than any other street in London. Besides these clubs there are many costly residences. The name Pall Mall is said to have come from an Italian game introduced into England when Charles I was king, and played here before the 7 6 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON fields had given place to busy streets. We pass Marlbor- ough House, one of the beautiful buildings erected by the famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren. It was built in 1710 for the first Duke of Marlborough — a palace once kept up with so much magnificence that King George ("Neighbor George," the duke termed him) was not able to surpass it in St. James's Palace, where he lived. It is now the home of the Prince of Wales. We ride through the crowded little street called Hay- market ; along Piccadilly, which extends for a mile or more, through Hyde Park to Piccadilly Circus, and at once turn PICCADILLY CIRCUS into busy Oxford Street, on which many of the finest shops are located. Here we find that, while many things are as expensive as they are at home, dresses, silks, linens, furs, jewels, and laces are very much cheaper than in America, and we are told that this is because of the lower wages CROWDED STREETS 77 paid to English workmen and because of the American protective tariff. Having made additional purchases in that busy shop- ping centre, Oxford Circus, at the junction of Oxford and OXFORD STREET Regent streets, we reenter our taxicab. The skill of the driver in picking his way through the crowded traffic here is wonderful. Bond Street, New Bond Street, New Ox- ford Street, Tottenham Court Road, and other well-known streets are seen before the girls return to display their purchases to the rest of the party. Meanwhile the experiences of the boys have been not less interesting, and they are eager to describe the sights they have seen. "We climbed to the top of a 'bus at Trafalgar Square and rode up the Strand," begins one of the boys. "You never saw such a crowd ! It did n't seem as if there was room for another 'bus or another man. We saw Charing Cross Station, where the trains leave for Dover and the 78 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON Continent. We drove along the Strand, passing a good many of the London theatres. We saw the church of St. Mary le Strand, on the very spot where the maypole used to be placed on May Day." " Why is the street called the Strand ? " asks one of the girls. " It really is the ' strand ' or bank of the Thames, al- though you can't see the river from it now. When it was just the bank of the Thames, the houses of the nobility THE STRAND used to be there, and their gardens stretched clear down to the river." "From the Strand we kept on into Fleet Street. It almost seemed as if we could see Dr. Johnson, Oliver Goldsmith, and other old bookworms going into the fa- mous old tavern ' Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese/ to dine to- gether. Then we went on to the 'Old Curiosity Shop,' which they say is just as it was when Dickens wrote the sad story of ' Little Nell.' After that, we saw the Temple TEMPLE CHURCH 79 FLEET STREET Church that stands right in the middle of the street. That was where the Knights Templars used to meet before they started on the Crusades. Oliver Goldsmith, who wrote So PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP the 'Vicar of Wakefield/ is buried in the little church- yard of the Temple Church. Sometimes the heads of crim- inals who were executed here in those old days were stuck on spikes near this place. " When we passed St. Paul's Cathedral, we rode into Cheapside and went along the Poul- try — " "Along what?" laugh- ingly demands one of the girls. "Along the Poultry, though now there aren't any chickens for sale there. The whole street seems to be given up to jewelers. Pretty soon, we came to the Man- sion House, which is the place where the Lord Mayor of London lives. He is elected only for a year, so he does not live there very long. Right opposite the Mansion House is the Bank of England. This is one of the sights of London. It is only one story high, although it is spread out over a good deal of ground, and there is not a window in the outside walls." "How is it lighted?" inquires one of the party. "Through the courts inside the building. More than a thousand persons work there, and in the vaults there is more than $100,000,000 in gold and silver all the time. It is the only bank in England which can issue paper money, and about $125,000,000 is in circulation all the time. Just as soon as a bank note comes back to the bank it is canceled, although it is kept five years in case it should be needed in some law trial. All the printing of the bank is done inside the building. In the weighing office THE BANK 81 we saw the machines for weighing coins, each of which can weigh thirty-three sovereigns a minute." " We went on through Lombard Street, Threadneedle Street, and some others that are lined with banking THE iMANSION HOUSE houses. Banks of almost every known country have branches there. It's not hard now to understand why London is the most important financial city in the world." The girls are so much interested in what the boys had seen that they decide the next day to visit these same places themselves. As they are returning from the Bank of England, they stop to visit St. Paul's Cathedral, which is in the oldest part of the city. This famous cathedral is sometimes called the "monument of Sir Christopher Wren," its architect, who received the small salary of' $1000 a year while it was being erected. It was com- pleted in 1 7 10, at a total cost of $4,250,000. The money 82 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON was raised by taxing all the coal that was brought into London. "The building is so large and so old that when we climbed the steps in front and entered it, it seemed as if we were in another world," explains one of the girls, when the party is reunited at dinner. "In the crypt we saw where Wellington, Nelson, and other famous men are buried. St. Paul's has a painters' corner, just as West- minster has a poets' corner, and memorial tablets to ar- THE BANK OF ENGLAND tists who have become famous can be seen in the floor or on the walls. We saw those of Landseer, Reynolds, Turner, and a good many others, but the one that most interested us was that of the American artist, Benjamin West. "We climbed the 260 steps up to the Whispering Gal- lery, and it was well worth the climb. If you whisper on one side of the wall, the person on the other side can hear you, although he is 108 feet from you in a straight line. IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM 83 St. Paul's is a wonderful place, and we are going there to service some day." The next morning, the entire party having decided to go to the British Museum, we enter our cabs and drive to Great Russell Street. The vast buildings of the Mu- seum are dark from smoke and fog. There are many halls to be visited, in each of which is a special collection of rare THE BRITISH MUSEUM and valuable objects. We go from hall to hall, stopping for a time in the one which contains numberless precious man- uscripts. Here are autograph letters of nearly every Eng- ish monarch since the days of Richard the Lion-Hearted. The autograph of Queen Victoria was written when she was a little girl four years of age, and seems to us the most interesting of all. There are also autographs of famous men, authors' manuscripts, and old charters dating back to the 84 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON time of the Danes (not the least of which are original copies of Magna Charta). We examine curious specimens of early printing, first editions of famous books, and see some manuscripts that were written in the earliest days of the Christian Church. In another hall, we find relics of the Romans in England. In others, we see copies or originals of the sculptures of the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Assyrians, and many other ancient nations, feeling as we look at them almost as if we were back in those ancient times. In still other halls are most interesting collections showing how people in different parts of the world live, dress, carry on war, and hunt. The exhibit relating to the American Indians is larger and more complete than any similar collection in America. The American collection in the Museum includes the countries of Mexico, Central America, South America, Canada, and Alaska. This seems strange to us, until we stop to think that Mexico is as much in America as is the United States. The variety and number of the exhibits in the Museum almost bewilder us. There are collections illustrating the religions of every land, and the early days of Christianity. We look at so many gems, vases, and works of art from all over the world and from every period of history, that our heads swim. Perhaps the most interesting of all the exhibits is that containing the Elgin Marbles. These are sculptures made in the days of ancient Greece, for the Parthenon at Athens. Lord Elgin bought them from the city of Athens for $350,000, selling them to England in 1 8 16 for half that sum. We are glad of the opportunity to see these specimens of the Greek sculptors, the great- est the world has ever known. Altogether, the British Museum is a wonderful place, and a great aid to students, SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM 85 who find there many specimens that cannot be seen any- where else in the world. The day following our visit to the British Museum, we make a trip to the South Kensington Museum, which has the finest collection in the world of what is sometimes called ''applied art." Tapestry, fine pottery, rare laces, ivory, gold and silver work, porcelains, pictures — all these and many more are on exhibition. The girls are much in- terested in these things ; but the scientific building, which contains models or originals of locomotives, and engines that have been used since steam was first applied to mod- ern machinery, appeals more to the boys. Here is "Puff- ing Billy," the first locomotive, which was used in the mines at Newcastle-on-the-Tyne in 181 3. Here is the original printing-press used by Benjamin Franklin, and the first mower and reaper ever made. Here is the "hobby-horse" made in France and introduced into Eng- land in 18 18, — the forerunner of the bicycle. A man who rode a hobby-horse pushed with his feet against the ground to drive it forward. The earliest forms of printing and cotton machinery, of typewriting-machines, boilers, elec- trical appliances, and steamboats — all are here; so that it is long before our boys can be induced to leave. When they do depart, they declare they are coming back soon to see more of the wonderful collection. On the first stormy day, we make our first visit to the famous picture galleries of London. Facing Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery, standing where, in early days, were the "mews" or stables of the king. In the nu- merous rooms of the great building are shown the British, the Italian, the French, and other schools of painting. There are many wonderful pictures here, but the collec- tion in the Tate Gallery, which we next visit, is still more interesting. Although we have never seen the original 86 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON THE NATIONAL GALLERY pictures before, many of them are familiar through en- gravings which we have seen in America. We easily re- cognize such famous modern pictures as The Doctor, The Boyhood of Raleigh, The Northwest Passage, and The Horse Fair, as well as the pictures of horses and dogs by Landseer and Rosa Bonheur. The boys insist upon visiting the Port of London, but they go alone, for the girls declare that they are more interested in parks and galleries. The Port of London really begins at London Bridge, and does not end until the mouth of the Thames is reached. London exports about one quarter of all the goods sent out of the British Isles, and imports one third of all incoming goods, so it is easy to understand why the narrow Thames is such a busy stream. Yet, great as is the tonnage of the Port of London, it is not so great in an entire year as that which passes Detroit, Michigan, in the Detroit River, in the eight months in which navigation is open on the Great Lakes. THE DOCKS 87 The London Docks, covering one hundred acres, cost $20,000,000 when they were made, more than a hundred years ago. We are told that more than three thousand men are at work here every day. Enormous warehouses and storage cellars are all about' us. The high chimney over there is called the "King's Tobacco Pipe," perhaps because years ago all the impure tobacco and tea that were brought in were burned up in the furnace con- nected with it. To the London Docks are brought the products of every land. Numberless bales, huge casks, great piles of hides, are on every side of us, and the wonder is how so much trade can be carried on. Some of the other best known and busiest docks are the East India, West India, and Millwall, and they, too, cover hundreds of acres. At the Royal Victoria and Albert Docks, which are nearly three miles in length, we stop to watch a huge hydraulic crane which can lift fifty-five tons at a time. On the return journey, the boys cross under the Thames through the Blackwall Tunnel, one of several under the river. Some of them say, however, that they should have preferred to go by Regent's Canal, which crosses the northern part of the city, joining another canal that opens a waterway extending all the way from London to Liverpool. We learn that nearly everything that you can think of is manufactured in London, but its chief products are beer, glass, leather, carriages, sugar, biscuits, and jam. Jam is of especial importance, for almost every English- man has jam or marmalade served at his breakfast ! " What is it that makes London so great a city ? " in- quires one of the boys that evening, as we sit talking over the day's experiences. 88 PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON " You have seen enough of it to answer your own question," remarks his father. "What do you think?" " It has the most fertile country in England around it." " Yes, and it is the centre of all the roads and rail- roads. That makes it the natural trading-centre." " It is close to the seas and mainlands of Europe." " Yes, London is the natural centre of the trade of the world. It is commerce which makes a city great." " But there must be a great many poor people in London," says one of the girls. " That is true, also. In spite of London's wealth, there are more than a hundred and forty-five thousand paupers in the city, and of those who die in the United Kingdom, one in every forty is buried in a pauper's grave." QUESTIONS What is "Big Ben'"? Where is the throne of the English sovereign ? The coronation chair ? Mention five famous men buried in Westminster Abbey. What is the Poets' Corner ? Mention three important streets of London. For what is each famous ? What and where is Trafalgar Square ? What is the Tower of London ? For what is it famous ? Mention two of London's best-known art galleries. Mention four manufacturing industries of London ; also three of its great docks. Mention four causes of the greatness of London. Compare London with New York. SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK Describe a visit to the House of Commons or to the British Museum. Describe a walk across London Bridge. Describe a visit to the Bank of England, to St. Paul's Cathedral, or to Westminster Abbey. CHAPTER VII PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON Excursion on the Thames — Characteristics of the Thames — Greenwich — The British Navy — Woolwich — Hampton Court — Richmond — Windsor Castle — Eton College — Anthem of Harrow — Schools for Girls. Our stay in London has come almost to an end. We no longer feel that we are strangers in the great city. The throngs of people, the dark-hued buildings, the crowded streets with their peculiar names, the long even- ing twilight, have all become familiar to us. In our even- ings we are studying the map of southern England, through which we are next to travel, and planning our route from city to city. Already we have engaged our rooms in some of the hotels, because we are aware that in summer time England is full of tourists. Before we start on our long journey, however, we de- vote a few days to some of the interesting places near London. Early one morning we go down to London Bridge and board a steamer bound westward on the Thames, which will take us to Hampton Court, the largest royal palace in the kingdom. There is a crowd about the booking-office that acts quite like an Ameri- can crowd, every one eager to be the first to secure his tick- ets. On the little side- wheel steamer we find that one trav- els by " classes " just as on the cars. " I have been in America," says an Englishman who is seated beside one of the boys. " Which do you call your most beautiful river ?" "The St. Lawrence." " I have seen that. It is quite attractive. But you will find the Thames much more beautiful. We call it the ' Silver Thames.' " 9 o PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON " It looks as if the silver had been oxydized or bronzed," replies the young traveler with a laugh, as he looks at the muddy stream. Indeed, the Thames near London is not very much like "silver." The tide is low now, and our boat moves slowly for fear of running aground. Along the banks we can see many boats fast in the mud, and they must wait for the tide to rise before they can be floated. We pass under the great Westminster Bridge, and the view of the Houses of Parliament from the river is more impressive than any we have had of them. As we go on, we see that both banks of the river are lined with massive buildings. Solid walls keep the waters from wearing the soil away. Immense warehouses are looking down upon us. Even when we are several miles from our starting-point, the sombre walls seem always to be following us. Our boat stops frequently, and at some of the piers crowds are awaiting our arrival. Many have baskets in their hands. It is plain to us that the ride on the Thames is a favorite one for those who have a holiday. We hear Hampton Court and Windsor frequently mentioned, and we are aware that some of our fellow passengers are also going where we plan to go. " The Thames may be busy, but I can't see that it is beautiful," laughingly says one of the boys to the Eng- lishman who had spoken before. " We are too near London, and too near the mouth of the Thames for the river to be beautiful yet," replies the stranger. " If you should take a trip up the river from London, and should go, for instance, by steamer as far as Oxford, you would find the water clear enough, and you would pass magnificent estates, with green meadows sloping to the banks, fine old trees, and pas- tures dotted with sheep and herds of cattle. If the day THE THAMES 91 chanced to be like this, it would not be difficult to im- agine what the Thames was like when it was the scene of water-pageants and contests of various kinds, in the days when Henry VIII was king. On your way to Oxford you would pass Henley, where we have our annual boat- races in July. What a sight that is ! To say nothing of the races themselves, the river with its throng of boats, decked with bunting, its house-boats, steamboats, and pleasure yachts, and the banks lined with men and women in their gayest summer clothes — all make the scene a lovely one, I assure you." " I should enjoy all that ! " says a boy enthusiastically. "The Thames is a wonderful river! " continues our informant warmly. " It has a double tide which is felt eighty miles upstream. Its basin is the most fertile in England and the largest also, for the course of the Thames is two hundred and fifteen miles. Of course, it is much smaller than your great rivers in America. At London Bridge, it is only three hundred yards wide, and even at its mouth it is but six miles from one side to the other. But the fields and gardens, the stately homes, and the thriving towns that are found along its course, make it the most important river in the kingdom — and the most beautiful. Without the Thames and its basin, London would be quite impossible. Then, too, as it opens directly on the great harbors of western Europe, its commerce is tremendous ! Every year fifty thousand vessels come up the river." At last we arrive at Hampton Court. It is an impos- ing pile of red brick and stone, standing in the midst of great parks and well-kept grounds. Think of a building containing a thousand rooms ! Yet this is true of Hamp- ton Court, which was founded by Cardinal Wolsey and presented by him to his sovereign, Henry VIII. Oliver 9 2 PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON Cromwell at one time occupied the building, but no king has lived in it since George II. We learn, however, that HAMPTON COURT many rooms are now occupied by men of rank who have been pensioned by the King. We are conducted through some of the rooms, and feast our eyes, on wonderful wood-carving, costly tapes- tries, trophies and weapons of all kinds. Everything has a history ! We stop to look at Queen Anne's bed, and at the canopy that once was over the royal throne. We pass through the magnificent state apartments, and ad- mire the portraits of former court beauties and famous men, as well as the pictures of historic scenes and deeds, hanging on the walls and painted on the ceilings. It is all very fascinating. We feel that we should like very much to walk about the garden, as we look out at the beautiful beds of flowers and the winding paths. The im- mense park of a thousand acres, with its hundreds of deer, its pools of curious fishes, and its majestic trees planted GREENWICH 93 by royalty, also tempts us. But our time is limited, and we hurry on to visit the remains of the ancient royal manor house at Richmond near by. It is late in the evening when we return by train to London. Another day we make an excursion to Greenwich. Here we visit the Royal Naval College, where the fu- ture officers of the British Navy are trained. In order to protect her great commerce and her vast empire, Great Britain has a navy which she plans to keep larger than the combined navies of any other two powers. The Home Fleet is in six divisions for the protection of the British Isles. In addition to this great force, there are other fleets, called the Channel, the Atlantic, the Medi- terranean, the North American and West Indian, the Eastern (assigned to the coasts of China, Australia, Cape of Good Hope, and the East Indies), and the West Coast of North America. Naturally we find in the buildings of the Royal Naval College, and in the quadrangle on which they stand, busts or statues of famous English naval officers, that of Nelson being the largest. Here, too, we see the guns that were used in the fight off Cape Trafalgar, or taken in various other sea-fights. We learn that there is a school here for the sons of British sailors. We visit the school, and are told that a thousand boys are enrolled; but we cannot find that anything is done for the daugh- ters of the seamen. On the top of a hill in Greenwich Park is the Royal Observatory. This is the meridian from which the Eng- lish astronomers make their calculations, and from which "longitude east and west from Greenwich " is computed. A short distance from the Observatory is the Magnetic Pavilion. We are here at one o'clock and we see the large colored ball that every day is lowered there to in- 94 PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON dicate the correct time for all England. We all set our watches and declare it is high time for luncheon. We stop also at Woolwich, but, greatly to our disap- pointment, we learn that visitors are not admitted to the Royal Arsenal — an immense establishment that covers nearly a square mile. More than twenty-five thousand men are employed here in making guns, cartridges, tor- pedoes, ordnance, and other material used in war. A permit, however, is granted us to enter the grounds and buildings of the Royal Military Academy, where cadets are trained for the Royal Artillery. The next morning, we start in automobiles for Wind- sor Castle, situated in the town of Windsor, on the WINDSOR CASTLE Thames, twenty-two miles up the river from London. We are all excitement, for Windsor Castle is perhaps the most magnificent home of any king in the world. On our way we alight at the little village of Stoke Pogis. What a queer name! But we are becoming some- what used to the strangeness of English names by this WINDSOR 95 time. Here we visit the grave of the poet Gray in the quaint old churchyard — the scene of his famous " Elegy," called by many the most perfect poem ever written. As we near the town of Windsor, a picture that we shall never forget dawns upon us. High up on Castle Hill, looking down upon the river, stands the noble Wind- sor Castle, in the midst of terraces and gardens, its lofty Round Tower rising in the centre between the Upper and the Lower Ward. No more lovely site for a castle could be imagined. Windsor Castle was first built by William the Con- queror. The present structure shows no trace of the style of architecture of his time, for successive kings have enlarged and changed it, one building a new tower or two, another a gateway, another a chapel, another adding new buildings, until it has entirely lost its original appearance. The last change or " restoration" was completed by Queen Victoria, who was carrying out plans begun by her uncle. It was done on a most magnificent scale, at a cost of $4,500,000, so that the castle, inside and out, is a mar- vel of luxury and splendor. Having climbed to the top of the Round Tower, we are well repaid by the wonderful view of the Thames valley, with its winding river, great meadows, beautiful homes, and thriving villages, spread far below us. Leaving the tower, we visit in turn the chapels, coun- cil-rooms, ballrooms, and library of the castle — all rich in statues, mosaics, gildings, rare pictures, and costly furnishings. We also have a peep at the plate-closet, with its wonderful treasures of silver and gold plate. In the gorgeous state apartments, we learn, the rulers of other lands are entertained when they pay visits of state to England, 96 PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON Deeply impressive as is the magnificence of Windsor Castle, its history is far more so, for it is bound up with that of all the royal families of England. As we stand on the terrace, we recall that here Queen Elizabeth used to walk, and that she hunted in Windsor Forest which lies in the distance. As we loiter in the library, we re- member that here Queen Anne was having a cup of tea with a friend, when the news of the great victory of Blenheim was brought to her. On the opposite bank of the Thames from Windsor Castle, is one of the most famous public schools of Eng- land, — Eton, sometimes called Eton College, a visit to which we greatly enjoy. The English "public" schools are not free like our schools of that name; on the con- trary, they are decidedly expensive to attend. We wonder why they are called " public," and when we enter the school-grounds, we question one of the masters. He in- forms us that it is difficult for Americans to understand just what the English mean by the word. In a general way, he says, the public schools (which were chartered by the government) are so called to distinguish them from schools that are owned and conducted by private parties. Rugby, Harrow, Winchester, and a few others in various parts of England, are all famous public schools. Eton consists of a large number of buildings clustered together, many of which are new and handsome. But the older ones are far more quaint and attractive to us. Some are very old indeed, for Eton was founded by Henry VI in 1440, — more than fifty years before Colum- bus discovered America. A boy who enters Eton lives with perhaps forty other boys in a master's house. The boys in the lowest form or class are about twelve years of age. At about eighteen PUBLIC SCHOOLS 97 IN THE QUADRANGLE AT ETON the Eton boy graduates and goes up to one of the col- leges at Oxford or Cambridge. Some of the boys of the Sixth Form (or graduating class) are selected to be monitors. They are the leading spirits, and include the captain of the school football team, the captain of the cricket team, and those who by their scholarship or character are fit to be leaders in the life of the school. In most of the boys' schools in England, the monitors have the right to whip the younger boys, if they are not obedient to the school rules. Drinking, smoking, absence from the school grounds, and telling a lie are the four great offences. Beating a boy with a rod is called "caning" him, and a "birching" is a beating with a bundle of birch twigs. Every one of the younger boys is a "fag" of some one of the monitors, and must do his errands, bring him his breakfast, and look after the beds and fires in his rooms. The monitor may step out of his 9 8 PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR LONDON room into the hall and in a loud voice call, "Boy!" or "Fag!" The fags run quickly at the call, and the last to arrive is "it." Fagging is a remnant of feudalism, and American boys would not submit to it if the plan should be tried in our schools. More than a thousand boys are usually in attendance at Eton. The work done is hard. An English boy does &** 4 8 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY THE VALE OF AVOCA they saw great herds of sleek cattle. Next to Cork, the little town of Tipperary, located in the Golden Vale, is the largest butter market in the island. Their deepest interest was aroused when they went to the famous Rock of Cashel, a bold, rocky height that stands alone in the midst of dark green pasture lands, a few miles from Tipperary. On this great rock, they saw the ruins of a cathedral, a chapel, and some large build- ings, which were used by monks hundreds of years ago. They climbed the steps of the quaint round tower, and all stopped to admire the great stone cross, which is of special interest to tourists because it is one of the few remaining original Irish crosses. Our travelers were in- formed that the ruins on Rock Cashel are among the finest in Europe, and that doubtless some of them date back to the days of the Druids, long before St. Patrick came to Ireland. The next day the party expects to start for Wales ISLE OF MAN 249 across the Irish Sea. Some of our boys, however, are so eager to stop at the Isle of Man, the largest island in the Irish Sea, that they decide to spend a day in visiting it. We will, therefore, accompany them, while the other members of our party remain in Dublin awaiting our re- turn. After a short voyage northward we arrive at the Isle of Man, — a quaint little land, only thirty miles long and THE ROCK OF CASHEL ten miles wide, inhabited by people called Manxmen, who really are Irish, or Celtic. Although they largely govern themselves and have their own judges, the island itself belongs to England. The political constitution of the Isle of Man is said to be the oldest in Europe. As we travel about, we see ranges of high hills in which are lead, cop- per, silver, and iron mines, as well as many slate quar- ries. In the valleys are some fertile fields; but without 250 FROM DUBLIN TO LAKES OF KILLARNEY the mines, the hardy race would find it difficult to sup- port its population of fifty-five thousand. The only city we visit is Douglas, the capital, which has a population of twenty thousand. Although the Manxmen are within sixteen miles of the shores of Scotland, and within thirty of the English coast, they proudly cherish their own peculiar customs and language. Even their cats, we find, are unlike those of the mainland, for they do not have any tails. The day after the return of our boys from their brief trip to the Isle of Man, our party is ready to leave Ire- land. We sail from the port of Dublin, — Kingstown, — to Holyhead in Wales. The voyage requires less than five hours, for the distance is only sixty-five miles, and we have to take a fast boat. "There is one crop raised in Ireland which we have not studied," says one of the men, as we stand on deck looking back at the Irish coast. "What is that?" inquires one of our boys. "John Barleycorn! The Irish have been oppressed and heavily taxed. They have a right to complain. And yet their taxes are only $45,000,000 a year, while they pay $70,000,000 a year for drink! That is a big bill for any country to pay. A land like Ireland, least of all, can afford it." " Perhaps if the people were not so poor their drink bill would not be so large," suggests some one. What did he mean ? " Ireland's appeal for help has received very generous responses," continues the man who had spoken of the poverty of the land. " Large sums of money every year are sent home from America by the Irish men and women who have become Americans. Were it not for this fact, the poverty would be even more dire than it now is. The IRISH-AMERICANS 251 love of Erin is strong wherever her sons are found." Does this mean that Ireland is dearer to the Irish in America than is the United States ? An Irish-American once answered this question by the Yankee method of asking another : " Does a man love his wife less because he has also a mother? " QUESTIONS Locate and compare Dublin and Belfast. What American cities have the same population as these two cities ? Mention three famous Irish poets, orators, generals, states- men. What are the chief industries of Dublin ? What is Irish pop- lin ? With what part of England does Dublin do the most busi- ness ? Why ? What is peat ? Where was the home of the Irish kings ? Locate Limerick, and mention three of its leading industries. Mention two " vales " of Ireland. For what is each famous ? Where are the Lakes of Killarney ? How many are there ? Why is there more poverty in the South of Ireland than in the North ? What is the chief crop ? Why is the population of Ireland less than it was fifty years ago? Locate Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, the Rock of Cashel. For what is each best known ? Mention four characteristics of the Irish. SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK A day in an Irish village. Look up and tell briefly the story of the life of some famous Irish orator or poet. A visit to Blarney Castle or to the Isle of Man. CHAPTER XV in st. david's land Holyhead — Size of Wales — Hills and Valleys — Carnarvon — Prince of Wales — Mt. Snowdon — Bettys-y-Coed — Welsh Festival — Conway — Llandudno — Northern Wales — Merthyr-Tydfil — Cardiff — Swansea — Southern Wales — Carmarthen — St. David's — St. David's Head — Homeward Bound. The afternoon is fair, and our voyage from Kingstown to Holyhead is thoroughly enjoyable. The swift steamer is soon out of sight of land, and for five hours we are tossing on waves that sometimes are more troublesome than those on the broad Atlantic, because the cross-cur- rents here make the sea " choppy." The boat is filled with passengers. As we move about the decks, we meet many Americans who are on their way home. September is the month when most of the tourists from the States are returning to America. The first sight of any part of Wales is that of the long- point of land that projects far out into the water and makes Holyhead an excellent harbor. A great lighthouse, its grounds and whitewashed buildings inclosed by walls which also are whitewashed, like many similar structures in the British Isles, glistens before us in the light of the setting sun. Soon we land at the busy little seaport town of Holy- head, which is the terminus of the great railway route between London and Dublin. We watch our fellow pas- sengers rushing for the long trains on the dock. Some of the travelers are pale, and plainly show they have not enjoyed crossing the Irish Sea. There is no time for de- lay, however, for the trains are fast expresses for London, and do not wait for people to recover from seasickness. In great bundles of twenty or more, trunks are being WALES 253 lifted by a crane from the hold of the steamer. Bustling porters are transferring them to the baggage cars. We stop to watch the busy scene. In a little while, we enter our hotel, which is a part of the station itself. In the evening we do not leave the hotel. There is a blazing fire of Welsh coal on the grates in our rooms, and we are glad to watch its flames and listen to one of the boys as he reads aloud to us the story of Wales. We learn that Wales is now a tiny land, much smaller than it was before the English pushed its borders west- ward. To-day a line drawn from the mouth of the Dee straight southward to the Bristol Channel would very nearly form the eastern border. In all Wales there are only seventy-four hundred square miles. The famous little country is a trifle smaller than New Jersey. "I don't understand why Wales ever could have been a separate country, it is so small, and then it really is a part of England. How did the people ever have a land of their own ? " inquires one of our boys thoughtfully. " In the first place, it is a land of steep high mountains," replies his father. " In the narrow little valleys the old Welsh, or Celtic, people found places of refuge which they easily held against invaders. Then, too, the hills are bleak and barren and the moors are not very fertile. The inducement for outsiders to come was not very strong. At best, such lands could not support many people." " But Wales is a busy land now." " Parts of it are very busy. The hills in the North and South contain coal, iron, and slate. Where these minerals are, there, too, we find people working the mines. There has come of late a great change from the lonely life and the poverty of the days when the Celtic chieftains ruled the struggling tribes that lived among the hills. The wild beauty of the Welsh mountains, the rocky coast, and the 254 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND many attractive summer resorts, have brought people to Wales in recent years in increasing numbers. " " What have the Welsh been best known for ? " " For their sturdy and earnest ways. They are the real Britons. The English, as you know, are largely Saxons. The Welshmen are a serious people, like most of those -: : : v -•- | y - «3« 1 V A WELSH CAMP-MEETING who live among the hills. They have furnished some ora- tors, and are an active and energetic race." In the morning we walk about the streets of Holyhead. The people we meet are quiet in their manners. When we speak to them, we sometimes find it difficult to under- stand their replies, even when these are in English. There are so many consonants in the Welsh words that the language sounds strange to us, but it is not unmusical. We see some familiar names on the signs of the stores. Among these names, Davis and Jones are most numerous. The streets are irregular, and are attractive only because PRINCE OF WALES 255 theyare quaint. We find that the town of Holyhead is on a tiny island of the same name, lying up snugly against Anglesea, another and much larger island. Holyhead Island is rocky and barren, but Anglesea, we notice, as we ride through it in the train, is a flat country, and on its level pastures we see many cattle feeding, — not so many of the black Irish and Scotch breed as of the English breeds. Our train is bearing us swiftly to Carnarvon, and soon we are passing over the bridge that crosses the Menai Strait, the narrow strip of water which divides Anglesea from the mainland. After a short journey, we arrive at Carnarvon, where we shall remain until the following morning. We walk through quaint, narrow, old streets to the castle which the English king, Edward I, began away back in 1283. We can see why a fort was needed here, and what a strong place it must have made it in early days. Our party are interested in the grim walls, more than seven feet thick, and in the high turrets and towers, of which there are thirteen. The guide informs us that the first Prince of Wales, Edward II, was born here in 1284, in the Eagle Tower. We quote some English historians who maintain that the little prince did not first see the light at Carnarvon. Our guide is insistent, however, and declares that " the Welsh ought to know better than the English." We do not dispute him. He also relates stories of the terrible sieges and fierce fightings that occurred here when Edward I was trying to conquer the Welsh warriors. How shrewd King Edward was, after he won his victory ! When the Welsh pleaded for a ruler who should be one of their own people, King Edward I pre- sented to them his little son, Edward II, who had been born in Wales during the war. To this day, the eldest 256 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND son of the King of England is called the Prince of Wales. Our guide, however, explains that the Welshmen now are loyal to England — " the only serious protest being that which was made when the Englishman advocated that the old Welsh language should no longer be taught in the schools of Wales." The next day we start for Mt. Snowdon, riding through a region of high hills and narrow valleys, which form a MT. SNOWDON strong contrast to the level lands of Anglesea. Snowdon is 3590 feet high, the highest peak in Great Britain south of Scotland. On our way we pass many hills in which the slate quarries have made great gashes like scars on the hillsides. The quarries are numerous. The few villages we pass are clustered about them. Population is not dense in this part of Wales. When we arrive at our destination, we find that Mt. SNOWDON 257 Snowdon really consists of five peaks. We learn, too, that the name of the mountain is not altogether accurate, for the snow line is eight hundred feet higher than its sum- mit. In summer, the hillsides are bare of snow. We are informed that there are several different routes and ways of ascent. We select ponies and donkeys for our party to ride. As we begin our ascent* our guide points out places of special interest in the distance. We try to pronounce the words after him, but we stumble over Crib- y-Ddysgyl and Clogwyn-du'r-Arddu and other names of neighboring peaks. The pathway we are following is not so difficult as some, and we slowly and steadily make our way upward, hoping the clouds will not hide our view when we arrive at the summit. The ponies are hardy and the climb is not diffi- cult for them. Between two and three hours are required for the ascent, and when we arrive at the end of our jour- ney we are rejoiced because the day is clear. As soon as we have had our luncheon in one of the summit hotels, we set forth to see the wonderful view. Below us, on Snowdon itself, we see great ridges and hollows in the sides of the mountain that remind us of waves. Far away, we behold the distant waters of the sea. To-day we can see even the Isle of Man. We gaze at the summits of the high hills all about us. Even the highest seem quite low as we look down upon them. There are many little lakes before us, their waters glistening in the sunlight. The guide declares that he can see the Wick- low Hills in southern Ireland, seventy miles distant. W 7 e accept his word, for we are not able to distinguish clouds from hilltops, so far away. For two hours we walk about the wild summit of Snowdon, feasting our eyes on the rugged grandeur of the scene about us. The experience is one that we shall 258 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND never forget, and we understand now why Wales is so proud of this mountain, as well as of the range of which it is a part. The descent of the mountain is more trying than our climb in the morning. When we arrive at our hotel in the valley, we are not long in retiring for the night's rest. We stop for a day only at Bettws-y-Coed (the "chapel BETTWS-Y-COED in the woods "), the best loved spot in Wales, — at least artists, anglers, and summer visitors love it best. Here the cliffs and hills, the walks and roads, the trees and flowers, all add to the beauty of the deep valley. The porter of our hotel informs us that not far away the Welsh people are having a festival, in which some of the ancient Welsh customs are being celebrated. When we arrive at the place, we hear the singing of the national airs. The Welsh are especially fond of singing. The CONWAY 259 • w w\ . ^£^■3 J : : Mr? ^ 0\ fjjafS' 1 * "" ^■* lp COSTUMES OF WELSH WOMEN quaint costumes of some of the women make the scene very picturesque. Yet how serious all these people are, even in their festivities ! After a short journey on the following morning, we stop at Conway. Here we visit the castle that is said to be the most beautiful in Wales. Our guide conducts us through the great banqueting hall, of which the roof and floor have crumbled and fallen. We try to picture to our- selves the scenes of long ago, when nobles and knights feasted — in the rude fashion of the age — in this great room one hundred and thirty feet long. Interesting as the place is, we are glad that we live in a time when men no longer throw under the table the bones and remnants of their feasts, and that knives, forks, and spoons are now used. We inspect the courts, the chapel, and the towers. We listen while our guide relates the story of the siege of King Edward I in this very castle. He tells us that the Welsh warriors would certainly have captured the 260 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND king and his followers if the river Conway had not sud- denly subsided, so that the king's army safely crossed to his rescue. In the afternoon we resume our journey. We stop at Llandudno, the favorite seaside resort on the Welsh coast. Thousands of people are here for their holidays, — mostly from the busy manufacturing towns in the North of England. The beach, we find, is wide, and cov- LLANDUDNO ered with gravel, not with sand. Here, too, we notice that the bathhouses are drawn by horses down into the water for the bathers to step out of conveniently. We walk leisurely on the long piers, stopping to watch some of the games. What throngs of people are on the walks ! As we look at them, we realize that we are in a foreign land. We stop and join the crowd in front of a Punch and Judy show. We all smile when we hear Punch call : NORTHERN WALES 2 6i "'I there, Judy, bring up the babby ! Hi don't hintend to call agane ! " High on the nearby promontory of Great Orme's Head, we drive on roads that circle the hillside. On the summit, high above the waters, we look out over a mar- velous stretch of sea and shore, of bays and rocky head- lands. Farbelowusweseethousandsofmovingpeoplewho have come to this attractive resort for rest and change. In the North of Wales, the slate industry is of chief importance, we have learned, although farm products are largely raised. Here, too, are many famous summer re- sorts, which add to the income of the people. Near the Dee are coal-mines and mines of zinc, lead, and china stone. Upon these and the few other local industries, the people depend mostly for support. But the region is thinly in- habited, and its chief features are the beauty of the hills and of the wild coast. The next day, when we start southward, we discover more evidences of successful labor. When we approach Merthyr- Tydfil, we find it a busy city. It is evening when we arrive. The city seems almost on fire, so great is the glow from its myriad iron furnaces. We are surprised when we are told that the iron from the nearby mines, although its presence gave rise to the iron industry about a hundred years ago, is so hard to work that most of that which is used is brought from other places. After luncheon the following day, we resume our jour- ney southward. We find on our ride to Cardiff that al- most every village we pass is either a mining or manu- facturing place. The country is wild and impressive. We look up at steep, frowning hillsides. The swift mountain streams are beautiful. The villages, however, are more busy than picturesque. Soon we pass through a fertile and attractive valley, in which we see thousands of sheep 262 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND LANDSCAPE IN WALES pasturing. At last we arrive at Cardiff, the largest city of Wales. Here one hundred and seventy thousand people live. The city reminds us of the busy towns in the North of England. We devote our first day to driving about the city. We visit Cardiff University, — a college which has six hundred students, — and the Technical School, where there are seven times as many boys studying as in the college. How earnest the students are in their work ! We next drive to the great docks of Cardiff, that cover one hundred and twenty-four acres. We are amazed to find that the docks extend along the little river Taff all the way to the Bristol Channel, two miles away. We watch a host of men loading coal. Think of it ! — nearly twenty million tons of coal shipped from Cardiff in a single year ! But that is not nearly so much as Car- diff itself uses in her foundries and mills. CARDIFF 263 We have learned to expect to find iron works near coal- mines, In Cardiff there is no exception to the rule. Iron mines are near by, and iron works and manufactories, we find, are so numerous that in the tonnage of exports, Car- diff leads even London, and is first among the ports of the world. In the value of its exports, however, Cardiff drops far back in the list. We are surprised when we are told that the tin mines we have visited in Cornwall and Devonshire send most of their output here. This fact explains to us why Cardiff and Swansea have the largest tin-plate industries in the world. One of the strange things we learn at the docks is that large quantities of palm oil are brought here from the west coast of Africa to use in the tin-plate industry. This oil is required as a "flux" in making tin-plate. We are amazed at the depth of the docks. As we look down, we see that the tides have left their marks for thirty- three feet on the walls. We recall what we learned at Bris- tol a few weeks ago, however, that the tides in the Bristol Channel are higher than anywhere else in Europe. We spend two busy days in Cardiff before we depart on our ride to Swansea, the second city of Wales. On our way we pass through many more villages than we found in the northern part of the little country. We are not sur- prised at this, because we have already learned that more than one third of the people of Wales dwell in the busy section near the Bristol Channel. We notice, too, how steep the hills are, and how narrow the valleys. We pass through one valley where the pos- sibility of making roads over the steep hills that shut it in seems hopeless. We inquire of the guard on our train how the people get out of this narrow pass. He informs us that those who dwell on one side of the hill have deal- ings with Cardiff, and those who have homes on the op- 264 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND posite side do their trading in Swansea. As the distance from Cardiff to Swansea is only about forty miles, in less than two hours we are entering the city of one hundred thousand inhabitants. As we approach, we see that a heavy cloud rests over the place. A metallic odor penetrates even the car in which we are riding. In response to our queries, we are told by our guard that the cloud rises from the copper works of the city. Our first visit after our arrival is to some of the cop- per foundries. Our guide informs us that the output of copper is seldom less than twenty thousand tons a year. When he adds that nearly all the ore is brought to Swan- sea from Cornwall, and even from distant lands, it seems at first almost as if our explanation of the industries of the cities we have visited is at fault. « Why is the copper brought here ? " we inquire, in sur- prise. " Because coal is cheap, and there is so much of it here. I can take you to two hundred and fifty coal pits without going more than fifteen miles inland." So the cheapness of fuel, and the possession of a good harbor, sometimes do as much to build up a city as its lo- cation near the materials it uses in its factories. At Swansea we find, too, that more tin-plate is made than anywhere else in the British Isles. But the tin itself is mostly brought from the mines of Cornwall and from other places. The easy transportation by water and the cheapness of fuel explain why tin, as well as copper, has had so much to do in building up Swansea. Aside from its busy factories and immense docks, there is little in Swansea to cause us to remain longer, so we soon resume our journey. We ride westward along the shore of the Bristol Channel, passing places with names IN SOUTHWESTERN WALES 265 we cannot pronounce. Nor do we understand the guard when he announces them. The names of the stations can be seen, however, and we read those of Llougher, Llan- elly, Kidwelly, and others, all busy little seaports. At Carmarthen we change cars. It will be two hours before our train arrives. We decide to walk about the little city of ten thousand, and see the remains of the old walls built by the Romans. Later we follow the broad walk that leads to the little river (Towy) near by. Here we see among the boats on the river some that are very strange to us. They are round and small, and their light frames are covered with horsehide. They are almost as hard to balance as a birch-bark canoe. We are told that they are one of the most ancient forms of British boats. When our train carries us through the southwestern corner of Wales, we recognize in the names of the sta- tions we pass many that we have seen in the vicinity of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As we dart swiftly through these places, we are reminded that many of the Welsh, when they came to America, settled in Pennsylvania, in the vicinity of its greatest city. Our party now goes on to St. David's, a little village near the extreme southwestern point of Wales. The coun- try around us is bleak and desolate. Here is the cathe- dral in which lie the ashes of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. We are eager to visit the spot. This cathedral, we find, is not so imposing as are many similar structures we have seen in the British Isles ; but it is interesting, however, because it is believed to be the most important building of its kind in Wales. While our guide conducts us through the nave and transepts, he points out the shrine of St. David, and re- lates many of the marvelous legends that cluster about 266 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND the name of the patron saint of Wales. He tells us of the wonderful cures St. David wrought, even when he was a baby. He recites stories of his courage and of his great learning. From them we learn that St. David's name in Welsh was Dewi, and that he lived, in the early part of the sixth century. He was a great man and good, and the people of Wales cherish his memory as fondly as the Irish cherish that of St. Patrick. We walk a mile and a half to the towering, rocky cliff of St. David's Head, which is cut off from the mainland by a stone fort so old that no one knows when it was built. From a height of a hundred feet above the sea we look down upon the tossing waves of the broad Atlantic. The sails of vessels not far away glisten in the sunlight. Trails of smoke in the distance mark the passing of busy steamers. Far beyond them all is America and home! We listen to the waves far below us beating out their music on the great rocks. Strange birds are circling about, their weird cries forming an accompaniment to the music of the sea. Not a human being is near us. In our last hours in Wales, we have only our thoughts for company. When at last we turn away, we are eager to start on our homeward way. The sight of the Atlantic has reminded us of our own country. At Fishguard, the terminus of one of the short cross- ings from Ireland, we find a luxuriously appointed train awaiting us. Soon after we take our seats in our com- partments, we begin our swift journey back to London. Darting through busy towns which we have already seen, through level valleys and under dark mountains, our train knows neither stop nor rest. Only a few hours pass before we are again in London, — though not to stay. In the morning following our arrival we secure two four- HOMEWARD BOUND 267 wheelers. Their tops are speedily covered with our trunks. Inside the carriages, steamer rugs and parcels crowd us, but we do not complain. We are starting for home ! At Waterloo Station we find our train for Southampton, where we are to sail for America. The crowd of passen- gers are mostly Americans. Apparently, all are as eager as we to start. We enter the steamer train as soon as our baggage is on board, and in a brief time we are moving. The train is swift, but not too fast for our desires. We dart through regions familiar to us, though now they are tinted with the colors of October, not of July, At Winchester, we smile as we recall the old trenchers we saw in the school there. We obtain a fleeting glimpse of the old castle, and of the tower of the beautiful cathe- dral. Soon these are left behind us. In less than an hour our train draws alongside the steamer which is awaiting us at the docks of Southampton. There is even more excitement among the passengers than when we sailed from New York. The faces of men on the dock express their interest in the departing trav- elers, but all are strangers to us. We hand our small bag- gage to the waiting stewards, we hasten to inspect our rooms, and then try to secure places at the tables in the dining-saloon. By the time all this has been accomplished, the great boat is leaving the dock. Old England is behind us. Before us is Young America — our own dear country. What are we to carry home ? Some articles that we have bought, photographs and souvenirs we have secured of well-known places, but, best of all, many delightful memories and a great respect and admiration for the people of the British Isles. 268 IN ST. DAVID'S LAND QUESTIONS Locate Wales. Compare its size with that of England, Ohio, New Jersey. Why was Wales so long independent ? Who is its patron saint ? Who is now the Prince of Wales ? When, where, and why was the title first given ? Where are the Welsh summer resorts ? Why are they popu- lar? Locate Cardiff and describe its leading industries. Where is Swansea ? For what is it famous ? Why are tin and copper brought to Swansea to be manufac- tured ? Why is Welsh coal in demand ? Compare Cardiff with New- castle. What and where is St. David's Head ? What is the highest mountain in England and Wales ? What important rivers of England rise among the Welsh hills ? SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK Describe your experience at a Welsh singing festival. Describe a visit to a Welsh coal-mine. Write about a climb to the summit of Mt. Snowdon, or a visit to a famous castle in Wales. APPENDIX CONTRASTS AND COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE UNITED STATES i. In natural scenery there is little in the British Isles to be compared with the mountains, rivers, and plains of the United States. There are no mountains like the Rockies, no bodies of water like the Great Lakes, no rivers like the Mississippi, St. Lawrence, and Hudson. 2. In places of architectural and historical interest, in museums, cathedrals, and castles, in public buildings, parks, and gardens, the British Isles easily surpass us. England's age is so much greater than ours that she has had time to develop and build. Nature has done more for the United States. The hand of man has done more for the United Kingdom. 3. In extent of country, the United Kingdom seems to Ameri- cans almost tiny. The United States (omitting Alaska) has an area of 3,025,500 square miles ; while that of the United Kingdom is about 121,000 square miles — about one twenty-fifth the size of our country. No other great power has so small an area. Her popula- tion, however, is about half that of the United States. 4. The greatest wealth of the United States is taken from the land. Farming is important in the British Isles, but the population cannot be supplied by the products of the soil. Hence commerce and manufacturing are leading industries. 5. The people of the United Kingdom are more alike than in our country, where so many nationalities are found. 6. Natural causes have made the cities of the British Isles, par- ticularly in England, spring up near one another. In our country, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, and San Francisco are far apart. In the north of England, how- ever, we find that Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Leicester, Derby, Warwick, Halifax, and many other cities are within a circle not more than one hundred miles in diameter. 7. In America, people are quick to take hold. In England they are slow to let go. Age, custom, and tradition count for much more with the English than with us. The United States is enterprising. 2 7 o APPENDIX The United Kingdom is tenacious. Our country is keen, the other is sure. In our land, quickness is greatly in demand ; in the other, patience and persistence are more highly regarded. Originality, invention, initiative, seem to be the distinguishing traits of Ameri- cans; while the qualities most common to English people are thoroughness, permanence, and carefulness. 8. Opportunity is greater in the United States than in the British Isles. Too often, in Great Britain, a boy must of necessity follow his father's occupation. Land is owned by fewer people, and population is crowded far more than amongst us. England is great, and has a great past. The United States is great, and has a great future. An English boy thinks of what England has done and is doing; an American boy thinks of what America is doing and will do. AREA OF THE BRITISH ISLES The area of the British Isles is 121,376 square miles, divided as follows : — England 50,867 square miles. Scotland 30,405 square miles. Wales 7,442 square miles. Ireland 32,360 square miles. Isle of Man > so2 square miles . Channel Islands ) J l England and Wales, in shape, resemble a triangle whose greatest length from apex to base is about 350 miles, and which varies in breadth from 100 to 350 miles. The extreme length of Scotland is 286 miles. In breadth Scotland varies from 33 to 160 miles. The greatest length of Ireland is 290 miles, and its greatest breadth is 175 miles. POPULATION The present total population of the British Isles is estimated at about 45,000,000, England being four times as densely populated as either Scotland or Ireland. The latest official census figures (1901) show the population of the various countries to be about as fol- lows : — England and Wales about 33,000.000 Scotland about 4,500,000 Ireland about 4,500,000 Adjacent Islands about 1 50,000 APPENDIX 271 CHIEF CITIES AND TOWNS, WITH POPULATION England Greater London 7,323,327 Liverpool 753,203 Manchester 649,251 Birmingham 558,357 Leeds 477, 107 Sheffield 463,222 Bristol . . • '• 372,785 West Ham 31 5,000 Bradford 292,136 Newcastle 277,257 Hull 271,137 Nottingham 260,449 Leicester 240,172 Salford 239,294 Portsmouth 21 1,493 j Bolton 185,358; Croydon 157,698 Sunderland 1 57,693 Oldham 142,407 Blackburn 135,961 Brighton 129,967 Gateshead 128,393 Derby 127,583 Norwich 1 22,84 1 Southampton 122,196 Plymouth 122,113 Birkenhead 1 19,830 Preston 11 7,799 South Shields 1 15,535 Halifax n 1,018 Burnley 105,1 10 Middlesbrough 103,511 Wolverhampton 103,318 Stockport 102,339 Walsall 97,778 Northampton 96,405 Saint Helens 93,812 Scotland Glasgow 859,715 I Paisley 90,305 Edinburgh 350,524 j Leith 84,689 Aberdeen 178,210 j Greenock 71,783 Dundee 168,616 | Perth 35,196 Ireland Belfast 349> I S° Dublin ..*.. 290,638 Cork 76,122 Londonderry 39,892 Limerick 38,151 Waterford 26,769 Wales Cardiff 191,446 Swansea. Merthyr Tydfil 122,545 | 97,8io 1 The figures of population are taken from the Statesman's Year Book for 1909, excepting those of Merthyr Tydfil, which are from the latest census of Great Britain. 5o In the Lowlands. Clyde 98 Tweed 96 Nith 60 272 APPENDIX PRINCIPAL RIVERS With their length in miles. England Scotland Thames 215 In the Highlands. Severn 158 Tay no Great Ouse 156 Forth 100 Trent i47jSpey 96 Wye 135 j Dee 87 Ouse 1141 Don Nen 100 Tees 79 Tyne 73 Dee 70 Mersey 68 Wear 65 Avon (Bristol) 62 Humber 1 38 Ireland The Shannon River is 225 miles long. Other rivers in Ireland are small, and if they are navigable, it is only for a short distance. Among them are the Liffey. the Boyne, the Lagan, the Lee, and the Foyle. LAKES England In the northwest of England, among the Cumbrian Mountains, is the famous " lake district." In the valleys of these mountains are fourteen lakes from one to ten miles long. The largest are Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston Water, Bassenthwaite Water, and Derwentwater. Scotland In Scotland are many lakes, mostly small. The largest is Loch Lomond, twenty-four miles long. Others are Loch Shin, Loch Katrine, Loch Ness, and Loch Maree. Ireland Ireland contains many lakes, some of which form chains of water linked to one another by connecting rivers. Lough Neagh is 1 The Humber, although a short river, is exceedingly important because of its tributaries, the chief of which are the Trent and the Ouse. APPENDIX 273 the largest inland lake on the British Isles. It covers an area of 153 square miles. Other Irish lakes are Killarney, Lakes of the Shannon, and Lakes of the River Erne. CHIEF PRODUCTS OF THE BRITISH ISLES Minerals l Coal 236, 1 28,936 tons Iron ore 14,590,703 tons Pig iron 9,608,068 tons Live Stock 2 Sheep 29,210,035 head Cattle 11,691,955 head Pigs 3,580,740 head Horses 2,110,024 head The wool produced by the sheep amounts, annually, to 131,000,000 pounds. Vegetation ' Oats 3,500,000 acres Barley 1,500,000 acres Wheat 1,500,000 acres Potatoes 1 ,200,000 acres Turnips 2,300,000 acres Grass, other crops, and pasturage 33,500.000 acres THE BRITISH EMPIRE The British Empire comprises one fifth of the surface of the earth. One fifth of all the people on the globe are under British do- minion. In India, the empire includes a country larger than Europe (without Russia). Classified, the British Empire, in addition to the United Kingdom, embraces the following lands : — Gibraltar Malta Europe \ Cyprus Channel Islands Isle of Man 1 Statistics of 1905. - Statistics of 1906. 274 APPENDIX Asia, Ceylon (including dependencies) The Straits Settlements Federated Malay States Hong-Kong and Wei-Hai-Wei Borneo (in parts) Labuan (in parts) Africa. In the West In the South and Southeast Gambia Sierra Leone Gold Coast Colony Lagos Southern Nigeria Northern Nigeria (Protectorate) Cape Colony Basutoland Bechuanaland (Protectorate) Transvaal Orange River Colony Natal Rhodesia Protected Territories in East and Centre (known as the East Africa Witu, Uganda, Zanzibar, Nyasaland, and Somaliland Protectorates) Seychelles Islands Mauritius Island North America. Canada Newfoundland Jamaica Turks and Caicos Islands Bahamas Leeward Islands Windward Islands Barbados Trinidad Tobago South America. British Guiana British Honduras Ascension Islands Falklands (including dependencies) St. Helena Island APPENDIX 275 Australasia Australia Tasmania New Zealand Fiji Islands Parts of New Guinea Islands in the South Sea (Protectorate) INDEX Abbotsford, 169, 170. Aberdeen, 179, 180, 181. Aberfoyle, 195. Africa, 120, 228. Albion, 10S. Alderney, 117. Alfred, 45, 126. Ambleside, 163. American Indians, 84, 172. Anglesea, 255. Annapolis, 107. Anne, 92, 96. Anthem of Harrow, 99. Antwerp, 148. Archbishop of Canterbury, 107. Archbishop of York, 107. Argyle Street, 201. Arizona, 137. Army, 53. Arnold, Thomas, 146. Arthur, 125, 126, 133, 136. Arthur's Seat, 174. Athens, 84, 172. Athlone, 236. Atlantic City, 103, in, 112. Australia, 36, 93, 120, 243. Avalon, Vale of, 133. Avon River, 140. Ayr, 204, 205. Ayrshire, 204. Baggage, 16. Ballock, 196. Baltic Sea, 158, 178. Bank of England, 18, 60, 81. Bank of Ireland, 211, 226. Bannockburn, 195 Barlass, 178. Barrow, 247. Bath, 140, 141. Bath, Roman, 28. Battersea, 58. Battle, hi. Battle Abbey, in. Beefeaters, 70. Belfast, 208, 210-218, 224, 229. Belfast, Lord Mayor of, 211. Belfast University, 211. Belgium, 216. Bells on shipboard, 7. Benavie, 188. Ben Lomond, 196. Ben Nevis, 188, 189. Ben Venue, 196. Bettws-y-Coed, 25S. Big Ben, 65. Billingsgate, 56, jt,. Birds in mid-ocean. 9. Birkenhead, 24. Birmingham, 23, 32, ^3, 35, 156. Blackwall Tunnel, 87. Blarney Castle, 244-246. Bleak House, 104. Blenheim, 96. Bloody Tower, 71. Bond Street, yy. Bonheur, Rosa, 86. Book of Kells, 226. Bowness, 162, 163. Boyne, Battle of the, 222, 223. Bradford, 156, 157. Breweries of Dublin, 229. Brian Boru, 219, 231. Brighton, in, 112. Bristol, 23, 139, 140, 200. Bristol Channel, 139, 149, 262, 263. British Isles, number of, n. British Museum, 83, 84, 172, 216. Broadstairs, 103. Brooklyn Bridge, 176, 206. Brooks, Phillips, 69. Brown, Tom, 146. Bruce, Robert, 169, 179, 195. Buckingham Palace, 53. Burns, Robert, 175, 202, 204, 205. Byron, 99. Calais, 108. Caledonian Canal, 187, 188. Cam River, 144. Cambridge, 97, 144, 145. Canada, 119. Cantaber, 144. Canterbury, 107. Canterbury, Archbishop of, 107. Canterbury Cathedral, 107. Canterbury Pilgrims, 107. Canute, 120. Captain, powers of, 6. Cardiff, 261-263. Carlisle, 161, 165, 166. Carlyle, Thomas, 198. Carmarthen, 265. Carnarvon, 255. Caroline, 57. Carroll, Lewis, 46. 278 INDEX Cars, 25. Carse o' Gowrie, 179. Cashel, Rock of, 24S. Castle Hill, 95. ' Cattle, Kerry, 222, 235. Chancery Lane, 60. Channel Islands, 114-118. Charing Cross, 49, 59, 77, 105. Charlecote Park, 43. Charles I, 27, 75. Charles II, 222. Chatham, 106. Chaucer, 107. Cheshire, 26, 27. Chester, 23, 25-27, 29. Chester Cathedral, 29. Cheviot Hills, 165. China, 206, 228. Christ Church College, 46. Christ Church (Dublin), 227. Clapham, 101. Cleopatra, 216. Clogwyn-du'r-Arddu, 257. Clyde, Firth of, 204. Clyde River, 197, 199-203, 217. Coal, 160. Cobden, Richard, 22. Columbus, 96. Compartments in cars, 25, Connaught, 219. Conway, 259. Conway River, 260. Cook, Captain, 134. Cork, 243-246. Cornwall, 136-138, 152, 263, 264. Coronation chair, 64. Cotton, manufacture of, 20. Counties, 35. County Council, 35. Covent Garden Market, 56. Cowes, 121, 122. Crib-y-Ddysgyl, 257. Cromlechs, 233. Cromwell, 28, 92, 222. Crown jewels, 71. Crusades, 120. Cumbrian Hills, 146. Curfew, 38. Damascus, 216. Danes, 23, 61, 130, 219. Darwin, 63. David I, 169. Dee River, 27, 28, 261. Dee (Scotland), 181. Delfthaven, 120. De Quincey, Thomas, 22. Derby, 23, 153, 154, 156. Derry, 222. Detroit, S6. Detroit River, 86. Deva, 27. Devonshire, 134, 263. Dickens, 63, 103, 104. Docks, London, 87. Docks, Millwall, 87. Docks, Royal Albert and Victoria, 87. Docks, West India, 87. D6"n River, 181. Douglas, 250. Douglas, Catherine, 178. Dove Cottage, 163. Dover, 23, 102, 103, 105, 107-109. Dover Castle, 108. Downpatrick, 208, 209. Downs, 1 10T Drake. Francis, 134. Drink bill of Ireland, 250. Drogheda, 222. Druids, 130. 210, 248. Dryburgh Abbey, 170. Dublin, 224-230. Dublin, breweries of, 229. Duke of Marlborough, 76. Duke of Wellington, 22, 57, 82, 224. Duluth, 20. Dundee, 178, 179. Dundee Law, 179. Dunfermline, 194. Dunloe, Gap of, 241, 242. Dumbarton, 196-198. Eagle Tower, 255. Earl of Kenmare, 239. East End, 60. East India Docks, 87. Eaton Hall, 29-32. Eddystone Lighthouse, 135. Edinburgh, 171-176, 201. Edinburgh Castle, 173, 174. Edinburgh University, 172. Edward I, 64, 255, 259. Edward II, 195, 255. Edward III, 64. Edward VII, 59, 71. Edward the Confessor, 61, 63. Elgin, Lord, 84. Elgin Marbles, 84. Eliot, George, 104, 145. Elizabeth, 40, 71, 96, 134. Ellen's Isle, 196. Emmet, Robert, 224. English Channel, ill, 114. Eton College, 96-99. Euston, 49. Exeter, 134. Fags, 97. Father Mathew, 224. Father Prout, 244. INDEX 279 Fife, 179. Fingal's Cave, 190, 191. Fin MacCoul, 220, 221. Firth of Clyde, 204. Firth of Forth, 174, 177. Fish, value of annual catch, 150. Fishguard, 266. Fishing Banks, 1S0. Fitz-James, 196. Fleet Street, 78. Folkestone, 109. Forth Bridge, 176. Forth, Firth of, 174, 177. Fort William, 188. Fox, 99. Franklin, Benjamin, 3S. Gaelic words, 225. Garden of England, 105. Garrick, David, 63. Garrowgate Street, 201. General Post Office, 60. George II, 57, 92. George III, 55. Giant's Causeway, 191, 219, 220. Girls Day School Co. Limited, 101. Girton College, 145. Gladstone, W. E., 29, 46, 99. Glasgow, 193, 194-203, 217, 222. Glastonbury, 132, 133. Glencoe, Pass of, 192, 193. God Begot House, 126. Golden Hind, 134. Golden Vale, 236, 237, 246-248. Goldsmith, Oliver, 78, 79, 225. Grampian Hills, 179. Grattan, 224. Gravesend, 103. Gray, 95. Gray's Elegy, 95. Great Grimsby, 149. Great Orme's Head, 261. Great Pump Room, 141. Great Russell Street, 83. Great Tom, 46. Greenwich, 93. Greenwich Park, 93. Grey, Lady Jane, 72. Guernsey, 114-116. Gulf Stream, 7, 138. Guy's Cliff, 41. Halifax, 155. Hamburg, 148. Hampton Court, 89, 91, 174. Harold, no. Harp, 231. Harrow, 99. Harwich, 148. Hastings, no. Hastings, Battle of, no, in. Hastings, Warren, 63. Hathaway, Anne, 44. Hawarden Castle, 29. Heather, 163, 188. Hebrides, 189. Henry V, 71. Henry VI, 96 Henry VII, 132. Henry VIII, 40, 70, 01, 132. Highlands, 168. Hobby-horse, 85. Holland, 216. Holyhead, 252, 254, 255. Holyrood Palace, 174. Hook of Holland, 148. Hops, 105. Horizon, 10. Horse Show, 230. House of Commons, 65-67. House of Lords, 68. Houses, 29. Houses of London, 51. Houses of Parliament, 59, 64, 65. Hugo, Victor, 116. Hull, 158, 171. Humber River, 158. Hyde Park, 54, 57. India, 120, 206, 227 Indians, American, 84, 172. Inverness, 187. Iona, 191, 192. Ireland, Lord Lieutenant of, 228. Irish kings, 231. Irish lace, 212. Irish melodies, 231. Irish Parliament, 226. Irish Royalists, 222. Irish Sea, 206, 229. Irwell River, 20, 22. Isle of Man, 249-251. Isle of Wight, 112, 121, 122. James II, 222. Japan, 206, 227. Jaunting cars, 212, 213. John o' Groat, 185. Johnson, Dr., 78. Jonson, Ben, 226. Joseph of Arimathsea, 133. Kells, Book of, 226. Kenil worth, 40, 41. Kenmare, Earl of, 239. Kensington Gardens, 54. Kent, 105, 107. Kerry cattle, 222, 235. Keswick, 163, 164. Kew Gardens, 54, 55. 280 INDEX Kew Palace, 55. Kidwelley, 265. Kiel Canal, 158. Killarney, 23S-240, 242, 245. Killarney, Lakes of, 240, 241. Kilmarnock, 204. Kingstown, 229, 250, 252. " King's Tobacco Pipe," 87. " King's Tragedy,"' 1 78. Kirkcaldy, 177. Kirkwall, 1S2. Knight Templars, 79. Knox, John, 174. Kohinoor, 72. Lace, Irish, 212. Lady of the Lake, 196. Laeghaire, 231. Lake Champlain, 196. Lake District, 146, 162, 163. Lake George, 163, 196. Lakes ot Killarney, 240, 241. Lambeth, 58. Lancashire, 35, 229. Landseer, 82. So. Land's End, 138, Lame, 206. Leamington, 41. Lee River, 244, 245. Leeds, 21, 152, 157. Leicester, 21, 152, 153. Leinster, 219. Lerwick, 182. Lewis, 189. Liberty, statue of, 3. Liffey River, 229. Limerick, 236-238. Linen, 210, 211, 213-216. Little Nell, 78. Liverpool, 14-17. 20, 21, 121, 199. Lizard, 138. Llandudno, 260. Llanelly, 265. Llougher, 265. Llundain, 59. Loch Katrine, 176, 195, 196. Loch Lomond, 196, 197. Loch Ryan, 206. Lockhart, 171. Locomotives, 25. . Lombard Street, 82. London, 49-60, 87-89, 102, 103, 171, 266, 267. London Bridge, 56, 72, 73, 86. London Clay, 51. London County Council, 59. London Docks, 87. London fog, 56, 57. London houses, 51. London, Lord Mayor of, 81. I London, Port of, 86. London, Tower of, 69-72. Londonderry, 221. 222. Longfellow, 63. Long Island, 139. Long Range, 240. Lord Elgin, 84. Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 228. Lord Mayor of Belfast, 211. Lord Mayor of London, 81. Lord Nelson, 74, 75, 82. Lough Leane, 241, 242. Lowell, 69. Macaulay, 63. MacGillicuddy Reeks, 241. Maclan (Macdonald), 193. Macroom, 242. Magna Charta, 84. Magnetic Pavilion, 93. Maidstone, 106. Malta, 131. Man, Isle of, 249-251. Manchester, 20, 21, 22, 199. Manchester Canal, 22. Mansion House, 80. Margate, 103, 104. Marlborough, Duke of, 76. Marlborough House, 76. Martyrs' Monument, 175. Mary Queen of Scots, 174, 226. Mathew, Father, 224. Mayflower, 120, 135. Maypole, 78. Melrose, 168. Melrose Abbey, 169. Menai Strait, 255. Merchant of Venice, 105. Mersey River, 15. Merthyr-Tydfil, 261. Michigan, 137. Middle Lake, Killarney, 240, 241. Midlands, 36, 49. Millwall Docks, 87. Milton, 63, 69, 226. Money, 18, 19. Montana, 137. Moore, Thomas, 225, 231. More, Sir Thomas, 72. Mt. Snowdon, 256, 257. Munster, 219. Napoleon, 22, 74. National Gallery, 85. Navy, 93. Needles, The, 121. Nelson, Lord, 74, 75, 82. Nelson Monument, 75. Nevada, 137. New Bond Street, ■/■/. INDEX Newcastle, 159-161. New Forest, 122. Newfoundland, 119. Newfoundland, Banks of, 3, 7. Newhaven, 109. New Mexico, 137. New Oxford Street, 77. Newport, 122. Newton, Isaac, 63, 226. New Zealand, 22S. Nore River, 247. Norfolk, 148. Northamptonshire, 38. North Channel, 206. North Sea, 150, 15S, 180, 185, 187. Norway, 158, 171. Norwich, 150, 151. Nottingham, 20, 101. Oban, 189, 192. O'Connell, 224. Old Curiosity Shop, 78. Orkney Islands, 181, 182. Osborne House, 122. Ouse River, 157. Oxford, 44-46, 49, 90. Oxford Circus, 77. Oxfordshire, 44. Oxford Street, 76. Oxford University, 46-48, 97. Paddington, 49. Pall Mall, 75. Parliament, Houses of, 59, 64, 65. Parliament, Irish, 226. Parliament, Scottish, 172. Parthenon, 84. Pass of Glencoe, 192, 193. Paupers, 88. Peat, 233. Pennine Hills, 153. Pentland Firth, 181. Perth, 177, 178. Philadelphia, 199, 265. Phoenicians, 137. Phoenix Park, 224, 225. Piccadilly, 76. Piccadilly Circus, 76. Pilgrims, 120, 135. Pitt, 63, 99. Pittenweem, 177. Plymouth, 23, 120, 134, 135. Plymouth, Mass., 120. Pocahontas, 103. Poets' Corner, 63. Pomona, 182. Port of London, 86. Portland, Oregon, 118. Portsmouth, 112-114. Potatoes in Ireland, 234. Poultry (street), 80. Prince of Wales, 76, 255, 256. Princes Street, 1 73. Prout, Father, 244. " Puffing Billy," 85. Purple Mountain, 240. Queenstown, 3, 12, 14, 244. Raleigh, Sir Walter, 68, 72. Ramsgate, 103. Reading, 49. Regent's Canal, 87. Reynolds, Sir Joshua, 82. Richard II, 8t„ 120. Richmond, 93. Roadsteads, 109. Rob Roy, 196. Rochdale, 155. Rock of Cashel, 248. Roderick Dhu, 196. Roman bath, 28. Romans, 27. Rossetti, 178. Rotten Row, 5; Round Table, [36. Round Tower, 95. Royal Albert and Victoria Docks, 87. Royal Avenue, Belfast, 211. Royal Dockyard, 106. Royal Naval College, 93. Royal Observatory, 93. Royal Yacht Squadron, 121. Rugby, 23,96, 146-148. Ruskin, 163. Russia, 216. Rutlandshire, 35. Sackville Street, Dublin, 224. St. Andrew, 177. St. Andrews, 177, 179. St. Columba, 192. St. David, 265, 266. St. David's Head, 266. St. Enoch's Station, 204. St. George's Channel, 14. St. Helier's, 117. St. James's Palace, 76. St. "James's Park, 53, 54. St. Margaret's, 68, 69. St. Mary's Church, Warwick, 38. St. Mary le Strand, 78. St. Oran, 192. St. Pancras, 5S. St. Patrick, 208-210, 231. St. Patrick's Cathedral, 227. St. Patrick Street, Cork, 244. St. Paul's Cathedral, 60, 8c, 82, 176, 203. St. Peter Port, 1 1 5. 282 INDEX Salisbury, 23, 129. Salisbury Plain, 143. Sandy Hook, 3. Sark, 117. Sauchiehall Street, 201. Saxons, 41, 130. Scandinavia, 184. Scilly Islands, 139. Scone Palace, 177. Scone, Stone of, 64. Scott, Sir Walter, 169, 170, 202. Scottish Museum of Science and Arts, 172. Scottish Parliament, 172. Scottish Regalia, 174. Senlac, no. Serpentine, 57. Severn River, 140. Shakespeare, 42, 43, 63. Shakespeare Memorial Building, 43. Shandon Bells, 244. Shannon River, 236, 237. Sheffield, 154, 155. Shelley, 99. Shelters at Dublin, 228. Sheridan, 224. Shetland Islands, 181 -184. Shipbuilding, 218. Shoreditch, 58. Sitric, 227. Snowdon, Mt., 256, 257. Soar River, 152. Soldiers, 53. Somersetshire, 131. Souter, Johnnie, 205. South America, 120, 200, 227. Southampton, 114, 120, 121, 125, 267. South Kensington Museum, 85. Spain, 232. Speedwell, 120. Spithead, 112. Staffa, 190, 220, 221. Staten Island, 3. Steamships, 2, 4, 8, 9. Stirling, 194. Stirling Castle, 194, 195. Stonehenge, 129, 130, 233. Storm at Sea, 10. Strait of Dover, T09, 112. Strand, yS. Stratford-on-Avon, 42. Stroud, 155. Suffolk, 148. Suir River, 247. Sunday, 56. Swansea, 263, 264. Taff River, 262. Tam O'Shanter, 205. Tara, 231. Tate Gallery, 85. Tay River, 177, 179. Temple Church, 79, 80. Tennyson, 122, 171. Thackeray, 63. Thames River, 44, 59, 86-89, 9 T > 9°> 102, 103, 106, 143. Thousand Islands, 163. Threadneedle Street, 82. Time, change of, 5. 6. Tintagel, 136. Tipperary, 248. Tottenham Court Road, yy. Tower, Bloody, 71. Tower Bridge, 72, 73. Tower Clock, 64. Tower, Eagle, 255. Tower of London, 69-72. Tower, Wakefield, 70, 71. Towy River, 265. Trafalgar Cape, 74, 93. Trafalgar Square, 74, yy, 85. Trent River, 159. Trinity College, Cambridge, 144. Trinity College, Dublin, 225, 226. Trongate Street, 201. Trossachs, 176, 195. Turner, 82. Tweed River, 168, 170. Tynemouth, 161. Tyne River, 161. Ulster, 219. Ultima Thule, 184. United Kingdom, 11, 12. Unst, 182. Upper Lake, Killarney, 240. Vale of Avalon, 133. Vale of Avoca, 247. Vicar of Wakefield. 80. Victoria, 83, 95, 122. Victoria University, 22. Wakefield Tower, 70, 71. Wales, story of, 253. Wallace, William, 171, 197. Warwick, ^y, 39. Warwick Castle, 39. Warwickshire, 35, 37, 44. Washington, George, 38. Washington Monument, 70. Waterford, 246, 247. Waterloo, 22. Waterloo Station, 49, 267. Watts, James, 203. Wellington, Duke of, 22, 57, S2, 224. Wesley, 137. Wessex, 125. West, Benjamin, 31, 82. INDEX 283 West End, 59. West India Docks, 87. Westminster, 58. Westminster Abbey, 59, 61, 63, 64, 177. Westminster Bridge, 90. Westminster, Duke of, 30. Westminster Palace, 69. West Point, 107. Whispering Gallery, 82. Whistler, 198. Whitby, 23. Whitechapel, 60. White Tower, 70. Whittier, 69. Wick, 185. Wicklow Hills, 224, 257. Wight, Isle of, 112, 121, 122. William the Conqueror, 65, 70, 110, in, 154, 161. William III, 193, 222. William of Wykeham, 127. William Rufus, 123, 166. Wiltshire, 43. Winchester, 125, 267. Winchester Abbey, 127. Winchester Cathedral, 127. Winchester School, 127. Windermere, 162. Windsor, 90, 91. Windsor Castle, 94-96, 174. Windsor Forest, 96. Wolsey, Cardinal, 46, 91. Wolverhampton, 34. Woolsack, 68. Woolwich, 94. Worcester, 23. Worcester, Mass., 24. Wordsworth, 146, 163. Wren, Sir Christopher, 76, 82. Wye River, 162. Yarmouth, 149, 150. "Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese," 78. Yeoman, 70. York, 23. York, Archbishop of, 107. Yorkshire, 35, 157, 161. ($be RiUersiDc press CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS U . S . A m 10 i One copy del. to Cat. Div.