200 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



NOTICE. 



All the numbers of this Journal areix print ; and 

 may be had from No. I. inclusive— price 3d. each. Also, 

 Parts 1 to 8, price Is. Id. each; post-free, Is. 4d 



As due notice was given to our Subscribers, early in 

 June last, to complete their Sets without delay, it is 

 hoped they have done so, as the Stock is now made up 

 into Sets, and very few " odd " numbers are on hand. 

 The price of the first two Quarterly, and the first Half- 

 yearly Volumes, will remain as before until December 

 26th. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Communications Received.— H. H.— W. S.— C. P,— 

 Chirxjga. Your having given no real name and ad- 

 dress, precludes our being able, though very willing, 

 to write to you ; and to answer your many questions in 

 the Journal would occupy three of our pages at least. 

 You will find much that you want to know, already 

 recorded in our columns. Your birds are,we imagine, 

 St. Helena Avidavats ; they will not breed here, but 

 may be readily tamed.— Emmeline. See page 205 of 

 the present number.— Jane. Yes. — Wiseman. It is 

 merely a freak of Nature. — " Impertinent Corre- 

 spondent." You will find a notice of your letter among 

 our "Original Correspondence." — F. G. — Bombyx 

 Atlas.— Zig-zag.— Forestiera. "VVe quite agree with 

 you. ■ 



To Correspondents. — As we always print one number 

 of the Journal in advance, such of our Correspondents 

 as may not receive replies to their questions in the cur- 

 rent number, must bear in mind that they are not for- 

 gotten We pay marked attenton to all favors. 



KIBD'S OWH JOUENAL. 

 Saturday, September 25, 1852. 



September— the month of rambling, 



TRAVELLING, SIGHT-SEEING, FEASTING, and 



merry -go-round amusements — is fast draw- 

 ing to a close. The days have, for the most 

 part, been fine and attractive ; but their 

 duration is short, and the evenings have 

 become undeniably chilly. Hence, folks are 

 quickly returning to their lawful Harbour of 

 Refuge — " Home." 



We need not disguise the fact, of our 

 having been as busy as any one in flying 

 over the country. " Here to-day, there 

 to-morrow," has been our theme ; and we 

 have enlarged upon it " nicely." Many a 

 kind, hearty welcome has greeted us ; and we 

 have as heartily greeted it. Open houses, 

 and what is far better, open hearts and open 

 arms, have everywhere ^received us gra- 

 ciously ; and we are the better for it both 

 in mind and in body. We are ALL creatures 

 of circumstance, and require a change from 

 time to time to keep us in equilibrio. 



If ours was a Journal established for the 

 sole purpose of writing down Abuses, what 

 a task should we have, to record what has 

 casually come under our notice during the 

 month ! How many have been our hair- 

 breadth escapes from sudden death, and 

 from " moving accidents by field and flood !" 

 They are almost countless. Once we were 

 on board the Satellite (let us give the date, 

 Sept. 2) returning from Gravesend, closely 

 pursued by the Nymph ; both boats fearfully 

 and wickedly over-laden with passengers, 



and racing with all their power to pass each 

 other on the passage. Hereby a collision 

 took place, to the terror of many hundreds, 

 whose shrieks were really appalling. The 

 chimney, too, of the first-named vessel, was 

 red-hot throughout the voyage ; and it had all 

 the appearance (as the heated cinders 

 belched out from its summit), of an eruption 

 of Vesuvius. Glad were we, and all who 

 could do so, to struggle out at the first place of 

 landing — devoutly thanking God for such a 

 " lucky escape." (Memorandum : no more 

 returning home by steam, in the evening, 

 from Gravesend.) 



Then we have been to Southend — where 

 the landing of one parasol is charged 2d. ; 

 one newspaper, 2d. ; one umbrella, 2d. ; and 

 one paper containing a penny bun is charged 

 2d. Occasionally, a Family Herald (ori- 

 ginal price Id.), is, we are told, on landing, 

 charged 2d. We almost forgot, — your 

 cloak, too, is charged 2d. Our kerchief we 

 had the foresight to put in our hat, and so 

 it escaped. These are " pier dues." A 

 gigantic fortress of red-brick at the top of 

 the hill, called an Hotel, completes the 

 " attractions " of this amiable watering 

 place.* We were so delighted with Southend, 

 that we stayed there two mortal hours. We 

 did not call at Purfleet on our way home, 

 and pay sixpence for " leave to land" there ! 



Heme- bay, inhabited by one policeman ; 

 " an intimate friend of his ; " and a nursery 

 maid, who has been " crossed in love," — we 

 have passed by, but not visited. We " hear" 

 it is as attractive as ever, and the policeman 

 ('' new-buttoned") in the enjoymerk of rude 

 health. This is consolatory. We thought 

 we observed him smoking his pipe on the 

 pier head, We may have been mistaken. 

 It must, however, have been either himself; 

 the "intimate friend of his;" or the blighted 

 nursery maid. It matters little which. They 

 have it all their own way — and " shrimps " 

 for breakfast every morning. 



Then we have been to Tonbridge Wells 

 by the rail, — creeping along there, and 

 crawling along back again. A most awfully- 

 conducted " line " this ! and the charges 

 quite " prohibitory" for pleasure - seekers. 

 It seems hard that the public should suffer 

 for other people's cupidity ; but so it is. 

 They take you, too, ten miles out of the 

 regular road, and make you pay heavily for 

 their accommodation. 



* In " Bentley's Miscellany " for the current 

 month, is a very droll article upon our " Water- 

 ing Places." With much keen satire, the writer 

 touches up all the tricks of the " Pier-mongers " 

 at Southend, &c, &c. ; and shows up their ex- 

 tortionate practices very cleverly. It is taken 

 for granted at the " Watering Places," that we 

 Londoners belong to the '' order of the Fleece!" 

 —Ed. K. J. 



