Stationary and the Book-Trade 



thought me of a certain little book, seven inches by four — 

 prepared paper — lead point. I sought my portmanto at 

 the foot of the pillar, brought the volume back to the Cafe 

 du Chem'in de Fer de Lyon^ and began this history of my 

 travels. 



I began it in the hope it might be an amusement to my- 

 self, and a safety-valve for the observations I am accus- 

 tomed to pour into the ears of my travelling companion, 

 when I have one. But it proved more trouble to write than 

 I expected, and, on looking over, seemed deplorably dull. 

 Let us hope it will look rather better in print. 



Moreover, I found an agreeable and instructive fellow- 

 passenger in Major Rawlinson, the arrow-headed character. 

 He almost persuaded me to become an Assyrian, and go out 

 to Bagdad instead of Seville, which, if I had done, the 

 reader should have had an abstruse treatise on 



THE VNIFORM CVNEIFORM ; 



OR, 



ALL THE ALPHABETS OF THE WORLD FROM THE ARROWHEAD. 



By random shott, f.r.s. 



instead of this transpicuous volume, which those that run 

 may read. 



The recital of my exceedingly ordinary and unimportant 

 adventures has therefore slumbered for a few days. 



The railway took us as far as Chalons, whence the Saone 

 steamer carried us forward and placed us to the debit of the 

 city of Lyons. 



In Lyons they did not take me, like Lord Chatham, " to 

 see where the Rhone and the Saone, different as they are, 



49 



