-Acquaintance and
travel with a Russian nobleman, who becomes a Catholic priest--the
Pope's Nuncio at the Court to have the Canadian school regulations
for Separate School translated and published in the Bavarian
newspapers; also requested me to be the bearer of a medal to
Cardinal Antonelli. Rome; presentation to, and interview with, the
Pope.

_London--February 22nd, 1845._--Started this morning in company
with a young Russian nobleman (Dunjowski), for the Continent. We
commenced our voyage on the Thames, wending our way amidst shoals
of craft of all descriptions. The most prominent object in the
river was the new "Great Britain" iron steamer; she seemed to
preside Queen of the waters; excelling every other ship, as much in
the beauty and elegance of her form, as in the vastness of her
dimensions. On our left lay Essex, rising gradually at a distance
from the river; the undulating surface presents a high state of
cultivation, variegated by stately mansions, farm-houses, and
villages. On the right lay Kent, remarkable for its historical
recollections. The chalk-hills near Purfleet, the men working in
them, also the lime and sand, attracted my attention as a novelty I
had never before witnessed. We had a tolerable view of Gravesend,
the great thoroughfare of south-eastern England. We passed the
ancient village of Tilbury Fort, and Sheerness. We arrived at
Holland on Sunday morning (about twenty hours from London), but
could not ascend the river to Rotterdam on account of the ice. We
therefore steamed to Screvinning, a village on the sea-shore, about
three miles from the Hague. There were about fifty fishing-boats
lying on the shore, high and dry, with their prows to the sea, as
the tide was out. I was struck with their shortness, breadth,
strength, and clam-like shape of their bottoms, with a portion in
the centre perfectly flat. The speed of these curiously-constructed
crafts is considerable; they sail close to the wind; having boards
at the side as a substitute for a keel. Our mode of landing was
novel. The boats were run aground, when several stout Dutch sailors
jumped into the water nearly waist deep, and each took a passenger
on his shoulders, soon placing him on _terra firma_. I have
travelled in a great variety of ways, but I was never