London to John O Groat's. 121 



London, for the exhibition of the fat stock for the 

 Smithfield Show. This may be called the Crystal 

 Palace of the animal world. It is the grandest 

 structure ever erected for the exhibition of cattle, 

 sheep, swine, poultry &c. I will essay no description 

 of it here, but it will carry through long generations 

 the name and memory of Jonas Webb of Babraham. 

 He was chairman of the company that built the 

 superb edifice ; also president of the Nitro-phosphate 

 or Blood-manure Company, a fertilizer in which he 

 had the greatest confidence, and which he used in 

 great quantities upon the large farm he cultivated, 

 containing over 2000 acres. 



At the age of nearly sixty-six, Mr. Webb found 

 that his health would no longer stand the strain of 

 the toil, care and anxiety requisite to keep np the 

 Babraham , flock to the high standard of perfection 

 which it had attained. So, after nearly forty years 

 of devotion to this great occupation of his life, he 

 concluded to retire from it altogether, dispersing his 

 sheep and cattle as widely as purchasers might be 

 found. This breaking-up took place at Babraham on 

 the 10th of July, 1862. Then and there the long 

 series of annual re-unions terminated for ever. The 

 occasion had a mournful interest to many who had 

 attended those meetings from year to year. It seemed 



