es and
fountains. In order to-shield myself from the rain, and to enjoy the view
of the grand square before me, and of the Parliamentary Buildings in the
distance, I took refuge upon the portico of the National Gallery of
Paintings. Here I incidentally met and formed the acquaintance of the
brother of Miss Rosie Hersee, a songstress, who had lately made herself
popular in this country. After accompanying me through the Art Gallery, he
changed his programme for the afternoon, and had the kindness to spent the
balance of the day with me, showing me through the Houses of Parliament
and Westminster Abbey. The tourist should constantly be on the lookout for
some suitable companion who is well posted at the place that he proposes
to visit. Without such a person to point out things and explain them, one
will miss more than he sees. I had just taken leave of a gentleman who had
given me considerable assistance, but whose course so differed from my
programme, that I was in fear of losing time should I accompany him
longer. My new companion was a short-hand reporter of one of the London
papers, and thoroughly acquainted in Westminster.

The Houses of Parliament.

This is one of the largest buildings ever erected continuously in
Europe--perhaps the largest Gothic edifice in the world. It stands upon
the bank of the Thames, occupying the site of the old Royal Palace of
Westminster, burnt down in 1834, and covers nearly eight acres. This
building has 100 staircases, more than two miles of corridors, and 1,100
apartments! The cost of erection was some $14,000,000, or a little more
than that of the Capitol of the United States.

Having procured tickets we entered by the Royal Entrance under the
Victoria Tower, one of the most stupendous structures of the kind in the
world. It is 340 feet high and seventy-five feet square. The entrance
archway is sixty-five feet high, and the vault is a rich and beautiful
grained roof of elaborate workmanship, while the interior is decorated
with statues of her present Majesty, supported by Justice and Mercy, and
the statues of the patron saints of England, Scotland and Ireland.

The first apartment that we entered, was the Robing Room. From this room,
after the ceremony of robing, her Majesty on her way to the Throne passes
through a magnificent hall 110 feet long, forty-five feet wide and
forty-five feet high, called the Victoria Gallery. It contains two
magnificent frescoes of events in the