62 Notes for the Month. [JAN 



ground within ten years after it was finished: and the new Custom House 

 fell in, we believe, within eight years after its completion. The theatres 

 and the churches, are the only buildings which seem to last any 

 competent time ; perhaps this is because the first are generally burned 

 down before they have time to tumble down ; and for the last, (being- 

 only in requisition once a week,) when they are once up, there is but 

 little wear and tear to endanger them. 



A new Monkey. The London Weekly Review says, in describing the 

 " Chimpanza," an enormous ape, recently discovered in Southern Africa 

 " This enormous monkey inhabits the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Its 

 height is sometimes greater than that of man ; it has a small beard and 

 mustachios ; and is exceedingly pugnacious. It lives, in some measure, 

 in society ; at least, numerous individuals of the species congregate together, 

 to plunder the negroes and carry off their wives. It builds itself a hut, 

 makes love to the negresscs, and drives away those who approach its 

 dwelling, by pelting them with stones. Several young ones have been 

 tamed, and found to possess great imitative talents" 



We had never read an exact account of this curious monkey before ; 

 but we are much mistaken, (now we see the description,) if we have not 

 met some of the last-mentioned specimens the " tamed ones," with the 

 "imitative talents" within the last six months, about the "West end 

 of the town." 



" March" of Assimilation : from the " John Bull's Second Visit to 

 Paris." " The glories of France, for English travellers" (says a tourist, 

 just returned,) " are departing. The national peculiarities, on both sides, 

 are softening down : the ultra French tastes are giving way, and the 

 ultra English prejudices ceasing to be laughed at : there are no cries of 

 // est Anglois ! now, and crowds running to look, when a London alder- 

 man asks the " chemin " to the " Bull-vards," or the " Pally Royal." 

 Calais is almost an English town more English,. I dare say, than ever 

 it was in the days of the Edwards or Henrys : the postilion that drove 

 me the first stage towards Abbeville, had not larger boots on than those 

 of our own life-guards. At the third stage, I fell into the hands of a 

 vieille moustache, (the former driver had been a young man,) in whom the 

 ancien costume was still complete a cocked hat, a queue, and boots that 

 you might have taken a double Hop into, for a wager, at fourteen feet 

 distance standing. But we are amalgamating ! Every thing is " a la mode 

 d'Angleterre." English carriages English " blacking" English bread 

 and I saw one imitation of a piece of English roast beef: if there is not 

 a war within the next ten years, we shall not have much taste for French 

 quarrels any more. Some points of the alteration I don't like: the inns, 

 in particular, are getting very "English:" that is to say, the apartments 

 tolerably clean ; but the'wine and cuisine excessively detestable ! I never 

 ate a viler dinner in my life, or was poisoned with viler beverages, than 

 at Quillac's, at Calais, this last time the very champaign was 

 undrinkable ! and the inns (even those of Calais) used to be fairly good. 

 Still our countrymen visit. The trip is short : you get to France as 

 quickly as you get to Cheltenham or Bath ; and rather a little longer rag 

 of " travelling " reputation attaches to it. Regularly as the mail comes 

 in to that very horrible town, Dover, you see the " single " wayfarers, 

 creeping out of the vehicle, into the " Ship " or the " Royal Hotel;" with 

 all the ill temper becoming to a night passed without sleep (and in a 

 stage coach) behind and a prospect of a blowing passage before well 



