The Mighty Docks. 
5 
fairylike Regent Street. I accordingly pass them all by, bult yet can- 
not refrain from lingering a moment on the establishments that prove-l 
of the greatest interest to me and bore most striking testimony to the 
wealth of English industry and trade,— the different docks and ship- 
yards. After visiting St. Paul's, Westminster, in fact all the more re- 
markable buildings, and admiring the Parliament Houses now in course 
of erection, I turned my steps to the northern side of the Thames and 
showing at the entrance of St. Catherine’s Docks the necessary pass with 
which T had been provided, was allowed to enter. In the huge 
warehouses, fire-proof vaults, and on the ground there lay heaps of our 
northern produce. When in the year 1823, the alteration in the hitherto 
bonded-warehouse system was introduced, several private individuals 
combined to form a joint stock company and erected these docks, Urns 
taking the remedy into their own hands, as they could not submit to the 
high duties charged by the London Docks previous to actual sale. 
19. From here I hurried on to London Docks in Wapping, commenc- 
ing with the small ones, and ending with the larger. They were estab- 
lished in 1S02, cover a floor-space of more than 20 acres which they en- 
close in a square, and are accordingly divided into Sou.tli, West, North 
and East banks. Huge sluices lead to the compact Thames flowing past. 
Immense warehouse sheds, under which the packing of goods coming in 
can be remedied, and the merchandise piled up in rainy weather are 
drawn up around the banks, A paved carriage Toad, running at' the back, 
divides them from the long row of fire-proof vaults of which the 
large 'tobacco one consists of four continuous floors one altove the 
other. The cellars of this mighty warehouse might well tie the most 
interesting and largest that Europe has to show, and were a stranger 
to venture in without a guide he would certainly have as little chance 
of finding the exit as Theseus did that of the Labyrinth, — unless he had 
tied the end of the guiding thread onto the entrance gate. These cel- 
lars can hold more than 100,000 casks of wine: the complicated path- 
ways are generally lighted up. Each of the four banks has its especial 
number, every number its own head-office with its officers, inspectors 
and cellar-men who again are collectively subject to a Central Office 
and controlled by it. At certain hours of the day the signal for opening 
the entrance is given for the subordinate and higher officers, as well as 
for the labourers, who are only allowed in after their names are called 
out. The same thing takes place of an evening when work is conclud- 
ed: except during working hours no labourers, etc. are Idt in or out. On 
completion of the day’s work and calling of the roll, the buildings are 
watched by guards on the outside. Tim captain of pn incoming ship is not 
even allowed to sleep aboard his vessel. When the ship ar- 
rives, all the sailors are discharged and do not see their boat until she 
goes to sea again. To the left and right of the large entrance-gate of the 
Docks stand the Customs Office and the Excise Office. 
20. After gazing in awe at these huge areas with their strictly reg- 
ulated activities T wandered a mile farther down to the West-India 
Docks situate at Poplar. In general they correspond structurally with 
those of the London Docks, and only differ from the latter in that they 
fall into two divisions, of which one is intended for inward, and the 
other for outward bound (Export Dock) ships. I likewise found here 
