inct. By degrees he begins
to understand its localities, the ground plan becomes intelligible and
he can take it all in at a view. The map is a large one; it is a chart
of the world. He knows the capes and the bays; he has sailed round them,
and knows their relative distance, and at last becomes aware of the
magnitude of the whole. Object after object becomes more familiar. He
can estimate the population; he compares the amount of it with that
of countries that he is acquainted with, and finds that this one town
contains within it nearly as great a number of souls as all British
North America. He estimates the incomes of the inhabitants, and finds
figures almost inadequate to express the amount. He asks for the
sources from whence it is derived. He resorts to his maxims of political
economy, and they cannot inform him. He calculates the number of acres
of land in England, adds up the rental, and is again at fault. He
inquires into the statistics of the Exchange, and discovers that even
that is inadequate; and, as a last resource, concludes that the whole
world is tributary to this Queen of Cities. It is the heart of the
Universe. All the circulation centres here, and hence are derived all
those streams that give life and strength to the extremities. How vast,
how populous, how rich, how well regulated, how well supplied, how
clean, how well ventilated, how healthy!--what a splendid city! How
worthy of such an empire and such a people!

What is the result of his experience? _It is, that there is no such
country in the world as England, and no such place in England as London;
that London is better than any other town in winter, and quite as good
as any other place in summer; that containing not only all that he
requires, but all that he can wish, in the greatest perfection, he
desires never to leave it._

Local description, however, is not my object; I shall therefore, return
to my narrative.

Our examination of the Tower and the Tunnel occupied the whole day, and
though much gratified, we were no less fatigued. On returning to our
lodgings, I found letters from Nova Scotia. Among others, was one
from the widow of an old friend, enclosing a memorial to the
Commander-in-Chief, setting forth the important and gratuitous services
of her late husband to the local government of the province, and
soliciting for her son some small situation in the ordnance department,
which had just fallen vacant at Halifax. I knew that it wa