A Journey to London in 1840. 1'51 



shew the familiar and affectionate footing on whicli we are. Nor 

 is this all. I contributed two very important articles on the 

 Literary and Scholastic Institutions of Scotland and on her 

 religious history and state for his Statistical Account of the 

 British Empire, and I am at present engaged along with him 

 both on his Universal Gazetteer and on the Dictionary of Arts, 

 Science, and Literature, which is about to appear. Under all 

 these circumstances it may at once be predicated that my meet- 

 ing with Mr M'Culloch was of the most agreealile kind and that 

 my welcome was most cordial. 



While lunch was being prepared he showed me not only 

 through his house but through all the rooms belonging to the 

 Stationery Office, which is under the same roof. The house once 

 belonged to a rich nobleman, and is about the size of four houses 

 in George Street, Edinburgh, but of a totally different form, being 

 longer and not so high. No more than three-f<nirths of it are 

 required for the Stationery Office. The part of the building that 

 is used for the dwellingdiouse is at the top, with the exception 

 of the drawing-room, which is on the middle floor. Mr M'Cul- 

 loch's study, a splendid apartment, is on the same floor. His own 

 business room, as comptroller, is also on the middle floor, and it 

 is used as the dining-room on great occasions. The family 

 accommodation is excellent and ample, the only peculiarity being 

 that the kitchen is on the highest or third floor, beside the other 

 family apartments, but \'ery inconvenientl}- situated for answering 



ilinncr and did not know of her being in artlado mortis, else I 

 should have remained at hand. I communicated with Mrs 

 M'Culloch early next morning, and went to make the proper 

 arrangements immediately after breakfa.st. Everything devolved 

 on me, with the assistance of the ladies. We delayed the funeral 

 so long as to allow Mr M'Culloch time to come down if he so could. 

 He came accordingly, and thus showed all becoming respect to the 

 memory of his venerable parent. He and the ladies attended service 

 with me on the subsequent Sunday in Buccleuch Church. Sermon 

 bad — very bad. Mrs Dempster had made a will at Wigtown in 

 September, 1829, leaving Mr M'Culloch, her eldest son, sole 

 -executor, but burdening her estate with the payment of £10 for 

 mournings to her youngest son, Edward ; also an annuity to him 

 during his natural life of £30 sterling, a sum most beneficial to him 

 but too large for her property, which altogether was not found to 

 •exceed £600 sterling. 



