last night i arrived here, making the time from liverpool in five hours and a half. my location is between buckingham palace and trafalgar square. i am on the second floor, in the trafalgar hotel, on trafalgar square. the queen, when in london, resides at this celebrated palace. it is in st. james’ park. this july 28th, london is the world’s bazaar. the crystal palace is the acquafortis of curiosity that gives the arcadial polish to london’s greatness. this is the place where every country is trying to make a pigmy of some other. in this great feast of genius no country is fairly represented. the united states has many articles of arts in the palace that are not what she has ever prided herself on as her arts. one of our ordinary steam boats would have astonished the natives beyond the admiration of all the trumpery that we ever contemplate carrying to a world’s fair. i was, indeed, ashamed to see the piles of india rubber shoes, coats and pants, and clocks that stood out in bas relief in that part of the palace appropriated to the american arts and sciences.—pegged shoes and boots were without number. martingales and side saddles, horse shoes, ploughs, threshing machines, irrigators, and all the most worthless trash to be found in the states. i saw everything that was a prevailing disgrace to our country except slaves. i understood that a south carolinian proposed taking half a dozen haughty and sinewy negroes to the fair, but was only deterred from that proposition by the want of courage to risk six fat, strong healthy negroes to the chances of escape from slavery to freedom. in the centre of this beautiful and most splendid palace, was a band of music not to be surpassed by any band for discoursing sweet melody. close to this music was a beautiful fountain, throwing sprays upward like the heaves of a shark; and round about this fountain were seats for ladies and gentlemen to take refreshments together. this palace resembles, in a great degree, “paradise found;” there is also some sparrows inside yet, that the falcons did not run out when those twenty thousand took possession some months ago. these little birds light about among this gay crowd as if they were on one of our wild prairies, lighting among the still gayer tribe of flora. two or three tried to light on a spray of water, but could not make it go. i see two sitting on a piano, whilst one is trying to get an equilibrium on the strings of a harp. the piano now opens and a noblemen is seating one of the most handsome women there i have seen in england. i said to a young englishman, that is indeed a handsome woman. he said yes, she is generally pronounced the handsomest woman in london. i enquired her pedigree and found that it was the benevolent duchess of sutherland; like a humming bird, from one “sweet flower” to another her alabaster-like fingers darted from the bassiest note to the flutiest. the pianos were generally enclosed like a separate tomb with railings a yard from the pianos. after her highness had played out “god save the queen” and brought an audience round the railing, as if they really came to protect the “queen of beauty,” she played a thrilling retreat as if her intention was to convey the idea that she must retreat or be captured. the piece played, she rose straight up and gazed around upon the recruits she had drummed up with the air of a successful adventurer throughout the world; she moved along this immense crowd of various classes like a swan in a showery storm. whilst all was in commotion, she seemed more herself. the noble gallant seemed to be quite conscious that the lady he was gallanting was the duchess of sutherland.
on the outside of the crystal palace is a small, fairy-like house, erected for prince albert and her majesty the queen of england to lunch in when they visit the fair. it is said that the prince planned it himself. in this pretty little house is enough furniture of various beauties to make an ordinary fair itself.
the police regulations about this fair are admirable. there is no question that can be asked about this affair but will be properly and intellectually answered by any policeman. they are intelligent men and seem to take an interest as well as pride in this great fair.
