JOURNAL 127 



occupied his shop last year, nor does he care who lives 

 next door to him and why should he ? He cannot 

 direct a stranger beyond the street in which he resides, 

 and confesses that he has not seen the interior of St. 

 Paul's or the Colosseum. He cannot tell whence comes 

 the stone with which the street is paved, or how the 

 bricks are made of which his house is built. He is not 

 aware of the rapid decomposition of the oolite of which 

 the public buildings are formed, nor does he consider 

 that while streets in London are thrown down and re- 

 built every fifty years, those of Aberdeen last for 

 centuries. London to him is the world, and all beyond 

 is extramundane. Now all this, and much more, arises 

 simply from circumstances ; and Dr. MacCulloch, who 

 accuses the Hebridians of want of skill in agriculture, 

 speaks as foolishly as I should do were I to accuse the 

 Londoners of want of observation. 



Thursday. 



The principal business transacted to-day was the 

 inspection of the Museum of Mr. Langstaff, surgeon, 

 Basinghall Street. It is contained in a small building 

 at the back of his house, and in two apartments of the 

 latter. He says there are upwards of 7000 articles. 

 The pathological collection is excellent and, according 

 to his account, the case of every preparation is 

 accurately detailed. In comparative anatomy there 

 is a very considerable series. He has also a great 

 number of reptiles and insects in good condition. 

 The morbid structures are excellent. The skeletons 



