SECRETARY'S REPORT. 187 



Through the kindness of a member of the Board I had been 

 favored with letters to the Earl of Powis, who preceded the 

 late Prince Albert, as President of the Society, and who must 

 still be a member of the Council, and able hj give me the 

 fullest and most trustworthy information. As soon as practi- 

 cable, therefore, I called upon his lordship, who received me 

 very cordially and told me lie had already, having been 

 informed of my arrival, sent me a complimentary ticket to the 

 exhibition to the care of the American minister, Mr. Adams. 



It was, of course, gratifying to know that my visit had been 

 anticipated, and that I should have every possible facility of 

 attending and studying so extensive and magnificent a display 

 of the stock and products of Great Britain as the Royal Society 

 would naturally make in the great capital of the kingdom. 

 The next step was to the American minister's. From Berkeley 

 Square to Portland Place is not far, and I'll walk. Walking is 

 the truly democratic style of locomotion, and the chief objection 

 to it is that it takes time, and in a great strange city it is very 

 poor economy when there is any thing important to do. 



I soon found myself armed not only with my invitation to 

 the Cattle Show, but with tickets to Windsor Castle, Woolwich 

 Dock-yards, Hampton Court Palace, and other prominent 

 places, and felt at once that I had something to do and that 

 the best way would be to set myself about it. " Stand not 

 upon the order of your going, but go." Starting off like the 

 man with a full conviction that something was to be done — " a 

 big thing " — and that he was the man to do it, it was not long- 

 before the eye rested upon a mysterious placard posted round 

 the streets, in very big letters, beginning with the very pertinent 

 query, "How are your poor feet?" That's the question. 

 Struck suddenly with an idea of the importance of self-exami- 

 nation, it occurred to me that a " one horse shay," called here 

 a " Hansom," of which there are always plenty in the streets 

 of London, would be more conducive to reflection than a walk 

 interrupted l)y the attractions of so many shop-windows. The 

 fare in these Hansoms is sixpence a mile. The seat of the 

 driver is on top at the back, so that he is above and behind the 

 occupant inside. They are made to bear upon the shafts to 

 such an extent that I could never ride in them with any com- 

 fort, as I always felt as if it must be painful to the poor horse. 



