JOURNAL 115 



on which I found Mr. Murray peripatising. I pro- 

 ceeded eastward with the view of taking a walk into 

 the country, it being a beautiful day, but an omnibus 

 coming up, I went upon it, and was conveyed to 

 Greenwich, of which I visited the magnificent hospital, 

 saw some of the old boys at their dinner, entered the 

 painted hall of King William's building, inspected the 

 representations of naval heroes and battles, and listened 

 for a few minutes to the demonstrations of a respect- 

 able-looking personage with a long white rod, until 

 he began to show that " now, the four corners of that 

 great square represents the h elements," when 1 marched 

 out, entered the park, ascended the hill of the 

 observatory, and after a pleasant walk among the fine 

 trees, emerged into Blackheath. I then proceeded 

 along the road, over Shooters' Hill, and down its 

 eastern side, until I had arrived within two miles of 

 Dartford, when a coach came up, and I got upon it. 

 We arrived at Chatham about six. 



In the whole course of this ride I had abundant 

 opportunity of seeing what I had never seen before, 

 a chalk district. Immense excavations have been 

 made, and the road in many places has been cut deep 

 into the deposit, exposing the strata of chalk, inter- 

 spersed with black flint, and nearly horizontal. 



Beautiful views of the Thames, covered with 

 shipping, occurred at intervals ; and at Rochester the 

 scenery is fine, the Medway, the splendid old castle, the 

 city, the ships in the river, the chalk cliffs, and other 

 interesting objects presenting themselves in succession. 



