hardly have been heard at all; for the miserable speaker had scarcely begun, (with that minuteness and fidelity, which all observe, when their bodily sufferings are the subject of narration) to relate his complaints, when the Dr. sometimes inspecting the tongue and feeling the pulse, and sometimes not, would cut them short with a prescription, and the apothecary received the irrevocable mandate` to sweat or vomit, bleed or blister, starve or stimulate as the case might be, and it was in vain, that the patient sometimes protested against the treatment, as not adapted to his case, because he could not bear it, or the Dr. had not understood him; the remonstrance was ended by a loud call for "the next," and thus, in half an hour, a score or two of people were done up, and the Dr. hastened to his coach to perform the tour of London, and prescribe for patients of a higher order.

I do not say that he did not do all that the case admitted of; his dispatch was truly admirable, and with such rapid firing, no doubt he must sometimes have hit the mark, but, who, putting it to his own case, would not prefer the kind considerate prescription of any experienced person, even an old woman, if you please, to such giddy haste, however scientific and learned.

MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

It is not many years since a missionary society was formed in London, for the conversion of the heathen to christianity. Amid the confusion and distractions of war and politics, and the engagements of commerce and business and pleasure, there are men in this hurried capital, who find time to think of the heathen, and are willing for their good to contribute both of their time and money.

Through the kindness of Mr. Hardcastle, I found myself this afternoon in such a circle. It was composed of the directors of the missionary society to the number of nearly twenty, assembled at Mr. Hardcastle's apartments and embracing both clerical and lay men, and among them men whose names are well known on the western side of the Atlantic. Their discussions were carried on, conversation-wise, and with very little formality, although with much decorum. Tea was served to the gentlemen in their places. They were occupied with the state of their missions in the South Sea and Pacific Islands, and I listened for two or three hours, with a high degree of interest, to communications, which as they were chiefly confidential, and some of them relating to topics of considerable delicacy, I cannot with propriety divulge. London manners, probably with truth, are commonly said to be cold and repulsive, but the fact appears to be otherwise with the christian community; they appear to be separated from the irreligious world, by a stronger line of demarcation, than with us, and their deportment, both towards each other and towards those strangers in whom they have confidence, is very cordial and even affectionate,* at the same time I am not aware that they are less amiable and obliging in their deportment towards the world at large, than those people who occupy their minds less with religious subjects.

* I was afterwards present again at the meeting of the same board of directors, and both then and on every similar occasion, both public and private,had occasion to verify the truth of the remark in the text.

PANORAMA OF GIBRALTAR.

There are few objects of public exhibition, so splendid and interesting as panorama paintings; it is probable you will find me sometimes among them. They are the triumph of perspective, and absolutely put one in possession of the scenes which they represent.

Few scenes could be more interesting than the rock of Gibraltar and the surrounding objects, of which, I have this day, seen a panorama.

The stupendous and frowning cliffs themselves, with parapets and embrasures cut out of the solid rock; the heavy artillery pointed from them-rising, tier above tier, and peeping out of every rocky nook; the water batteries, less formidable, but more distinctly in view; military life, active and exhibiting its proud array, upon the wharves and promontories; the contiguous coast and country of Spain; the celebrated strait of Gibraltar; the remote coast of Africa constituting the other side of the ancient pillars of Hercules; the vast expanse of the Mediterranean, and the interesting historical associations of the whole scene, and especially those which have been immortalized by the pencil of our countryman, Trumbull ;* such an assemblage of objects, if painted with competent skill, must surely arrest the attention of any man, who has the smallest sensibility to moral or natural beauty and grandeur.

Still, there are those who view such things with indifference, and there are those, also, to whom the beauty and grandeur of landscape and the splendors of the starry canopy are displayed in vain.

*It is scarcely necessary to name this gentleman's celebrated picture of the sortie of Gibraltar.

Adelphi-Distribution of prizes there--Alien office-Cause of its institution-Restrictions imposed on foreigners there--Rudeness of some of its officers-Westminster Abbey-Its solemnity and grandeur--Monuments and inscriptions-Difference of the ancient and modern taste-Incidents-Pidcock's Menagerie.

ADELPHI.

May 28.-By the attention of a friend I received a ticket entitling me to attend the distribution of prizes at the rooms of the Adelphi. At 11 o'clock I repaired to the splendid apartment, where every year they make a public distribution of prizes to those who have distinguished themselves most, in the cultivation of the fine or useful arts, for the encouragement of which their society was instituted. Their rewards are not confined to the elegant arts of painting and sculpture, but are conferred equally on the inventors and improvers of the most humble machines and contrivances for facilitating the most common operations of life. For instance, I saw a machine at the Adelphi, for enabling shoemakers to stand at their work, by which means they may be relieved from the painful and injurious confinement in which they are now compelled to sit.

I derived very little satisfaction from my visit, for the apartments were already so thronged with fashionable people, and with strangers of all ranks, from the Russian ambassador down, that after struggling a long time in making my way into a crowded passage, and after being there pushed, elbowed and pressed, on every side, for an hour, I

found that I was still no nearer to entering the door than at first. I obtained only a very imperfect view of the fine paintings which adorned the walls, and witnessed absolutely nothing of the ceremonies of the day, except the pleasure of a fashionable squeeze, from which, although I had the honor of being shoved by lord and lady, I was sincerely glad to make my escape.

I saw more beautiful women here than I had seen any where else in England.

ALIEN OFFICE.

Two or three days after my arrival in London, I went to the alien office, and presented the credentials with which I was furnished at Liverpool. The alien office is of recent establishment, and was instituted in consequence of the abuse of the almost unrestrained liberty which foreigners had, till then enjoyed in England. It is said that some French emissaries were detected in surveying the principal ports, and in other machinations against the safety of the country. In consequence of this, foreigners of every description are now registered at the alien office in Crown-street, Westminster, and the government possesses a history of them from the moment of their arrival till their departure out of the kingdom. On making my appearance at the office, I was reprimanded in the first instance, for having remained several days in London without reporting myself. I made such excuses however as were accepted; and after writing in a book which they gave me, my name, profession, age, place of nativity and residence in America, business and views in England, and in short, every circumstance which was necessary to exhibit a succinct history of myself, I was next directed, for