houses and streets no longer existing, will be found in "The Handbook for London, Past and Present," of which a New Edition is being prepared. * Any corrections of errors or omissions will be thankfully received by the Publisher, 50, Albemarle Street. XV. CEMETERIES, KENSAL GREEN, HIGHGATE, &c. XVI. COURTS OF LAW AND JUSTICE XVII. INNS OF COURT AND INNS OF CHANCERY NATIONAL GALLERY-SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM- MUSEUM OF COLLEGE OF SURGEONS-SOANE MUSEUM- XX. THEATRES AND PLACES OF PUBLIC AMUSEMENT 278 PAGE 261 284 Belgrave-sq.; Grosvenor-sq. 301 285 Berkeley-sq.; Portman-sq. 286 289 Trafalgar-square LONDON, the Metropolis of Great Britain and Ireland, which Cobbett called "the great Wen," and Carlyle "the tuberosity of modern civilization," and another writer "a province covered with houses," is situated upon the River Thames, about 50 miles from its mouth; the N. and larger portion lying in the counties of Middlesex and Essex, the S. in Surrey and Kent. The Metropolis includes the cities and liberties of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark, and 36 adjacent parishes, precincts, townships, and places, including among others the extreme points of Hampstead, Islington, Stoke Newington, and Hackney to the north; Stratford-le-Bow, Limehouse, Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich, Charlton, and Plumstead to the east; Camberwell and Streatham to the south; and Kensington, Fulham, Hammersmith, and Putney to the west. The site is generally healthy, the subsoil being, for the most part, gravel. The Fogs which occur in winter, especially in November, are due, mainly perhaps, to the large expanse of water in the Thames being, often at that season, warmer than the air, and giving forth vapour until the air is densely charged. If the atmosphere be still, on such occasions, the smoke from so many thousand chimneys, consuming 5,000,000 tons of coal, is absorbed by the suspended vapour, and at times becomes so thick a cloud as to involve London in darkness even at midday. A moderate wind rising speedily disperses the fog, which has no dangerous unwholesome qualities, however disagreeable it may be. The smoke has been traced, at times, as far as Slough; it was often so dense there that the elder Herschel was unable to take solar observations. § 2. The population of London, that is to say of the 36 parishes included in the census of 1871, was 3,810,744; i.e., greater than that of all Scotland, and more than 2-3rds that of Ireland. It increases at a rate of about 42,000 per annum. London covers an area of 78,000 acres, equal to 122 square miles-more than half the area of ancient Babylon, occupying both sides of the Thames from Woolwich to Hammersmith, and across the river from Hampstead to Norwood. § 3. The annual rental of the Metropolis is about £18,700,000. The Metropolis is supposed to consume in one year 1,600,000 quarters of wheat, 300,000 bullocks, 1,700,000 sheep, 28,000 calves, and 35,000 pigs. One market alone (Leadenhall) supplies about 4,025,000 head of game. This, together with 3,000,000 of salmon, irrespective of other fish and flesh, is washed down by 43,200,000 gallons of porter and ale, 2,000,000 gallons of spirits, and 65,000 pipes of wine. To fill its milk and cream jugs, 13,000 cows are kept. To light it at night, 360,000 gas-lights fringe the streets, consuming, every 24 hours, 13,000,000 cubic feet of gas; while the private consumption of gas in a year amounts to 10,000,000,000 cub. feet. Its arterial or water system supplies the enormous quantity of 44,383,328 gallons per day, while its venous or sewer system carries off 9,502,720 cubic feet of refuse. To warm its people and to supply its factories, a fleet, amounting to upwards of a thousand sail, is employed in bringing annually 3,000,000 tons of coal, exclusive of 2,000,000 tons brought by rail. The thirsty souls of London need have no fear of becoming *See COAL EXCHANGE (page 70), |