374 Journey froni Whitechapel to Highgate Archway. [^OcT. 



" Behind me !" I exclaimed, " and I not see it ! — Where ?" — and I 

 turned eagerly round. " It's a good way beliind you/' added the 

 woman ; " I should think a matter of a mile and a half." I now found 

 I had taken the wrong road ; so, making minute inquiries of the old 

 woman as to the right one, I retraced my steps vigorously. At length 

 I came to a bridge, and looking over it, I saw beneath me a wide, dusty 

 road, along which there was a waggon slowly proceeding. I had no 

 doubt it was the bed of some river, which the extreme heat of the 

 weather (for it was a regular dog-day) had dried up, but Avhich in 

 winter time was navigable for boats. The prospect from this bridge 

 was more beautiful than any thing I had ever seen, for I had never been 

 so far from London before. I could see all the way to St. Paul's and 

 the Monument ; and I tried to find out Whitechapel, but I couldn't, 

 because of the smoke. 



Proceeding onwards about half a mile, I arrived at a turnpike, and I 

 asked the man at the gate if I was near the ArcliAvay. — " Do you see 

 that white house ?" said he. — " Yes." — " When you gets to that house, 

 turn sharp round to your left, and tliat will lead you under the Arch- 

 way." ]\Iy heart throbbed violently. " Thank you !" I exclaimed. 

 " Pray, Avhat's the name of that bridge I have just crossed ?" — " That's 

 the Archway, too !" Never shall I forget that moment. " That the 

 Archway !" I thought to myself, " and extending to such a distance as I 

 have yet to go ! What a luxury, on a smoking hot day like this, to 

 walk under its cool shade ! — That bridge, then," I continued, addressing 

 the gate-keeper, " is the beginning, I suppose }" — " Yes, that is the top 

 of it." — " Goodness gracious !" I exclaimed, " if that is the top, what 

 a way off the bottom must be !" — and forward I hastened to find it. But 

 I was never so disappointed in all my life, as Avhen I got there, to disco- 

 ver that there was no arched way at all. Not a bit more (if so much) 

 than there is under the first arch of London Bridge at low Avater. It 

 was very high, to be sure ; and I saAV a lady looking over just where I 

 had, and she looked no bigger than a Uttle girl : but I don't think, for 

 all that, it is any thing like so high as the Jlonument. Still I was glad I 

 had seen it, because it enlarges one's ideas of things, and gives one a 

 knowledge of Avhat other people talk about. Besides, I now know that 

 Highgate Archway is only an arch at Holloway, and the way to Barnet, 

 instead of being, as I had before imagined, something in the shape of the 

 Thames Tunnel, whei-e persons Avalked above ground, under cover, for 

 more than a mile. 



The rest of my journey this day Avas comparatively uninteresting. I 

 dined at a place called the Crown, at HolloAvay ; Avalked in the evening 

 to Islington, where I took a pint of ale at the Angel ; returned home to 

 Whitechapel, by the City Road and INIoorfields, with foui"pence-halfpenny 

 in my pocket ; and begrudging no part of the five-and-sixpence, of 

 which it was the relique, save the fifteen-pence I jiaid for Mr. 

 Thompson's breakfast at ]\Iother Red Cap's. 



