SECRETARY'S REPORT. 231 



from Esther in tapestry, and on the ceiling, Catlierinc, the 

 queen of Charles the Second. It contains much beautifully 

 carved wood work by Gibbon. The Guard Chamber contains a 

 great many interesting relics, such as the old armor of king 

 John of France, taken at the battle of Poitiers, and David of 

 Scotland, both imprisoned here in the reign of Edward the 

 Third, Henry the Eighth's shield, and many others. St. 

 George's Banqueting Hall is two hundred feet long, and thirty- 

 four wide, with a Gothic ceiling, portraits of sovereigns, throne- 

 chair and chair of state, innumerable escutcheons of knights, 

 and many otlier objects of interest. Then come the Ball Room, 

 the Throne Room, tlie Waterloo or Grand Dining Room, full 

 of portraits of men who figured at Waterloo, the Grand Vesti- 

 bule, the Grand Staircase, with Chantry's statue of George 

 the Fourth, the State Ante-room, with Yerrio's Banquet of the 

 Gods in the ceiling, and Reynolds' George the Third. 



Ruben's Room is full of the works of that great artist, 

 mostly of the size of life. Here is also a chair made of the wood 

 of auld kirk Alloway . The Council Chamber, the King's Cabinet, 

 the Queen's Closet, with silver tables, George the Fourth's state 

 bed, &c. Near this is the queen's Drawing-room, and the Yan- 

 dyke Room, and many others. The queen's private apartments, 

 and the room where Prince Albert died are pointed out by the 

 attendants, but the public are not admitted. 



St. George's Chapel, built by Edward Third, and rebuilt by 

 George the Third, contains many monuments of interest. 

 Henry the Sixth and Henry the Eighth are buried in vaults 

 beneath. Edward the Fourth is also buried under a tomb of 

 iron-work, and George the Third lies buried in the mausoleum 

 at one end. 



About five millions of dollars have been spent in repairs and 

 restorations of the Castle during the last forty years. 



After passing through the Castle, I availed myself of an 

 invitation Avhich had been procured for me by Lord Powis, to 

 visit the farms and dairy-house of the late Prince Consort. 

 Those are the home farms which supply the Castle, but since 

 1849, when the prince became tenant of them, they were 

 under his control. The intelligent foreman took pains to show 

 us all parts of the buildings, the stock, the operation of tlie 

 steam-engine used for threshing, grinding, cutting straw, roots, 



