He left Birmingham for London at half-past six o’clock in the evening of June 23rd. “At about three o’clock in the afternoon of the next day we entered London, amidst the thunder of carriages and the buzz of people. * * * * * “In the afternoon I went to see the Exhibition of Paintings at Somerset House. Of the landscapes, Turner’s pleased me most: there was one, a most beautiful painting, called ‘The Rebuilding of Carthage.’ Turner is almost the only man who attempts to paint the sun. It is done in this picture with great success. It quite dazzled my eyes to look at it. The reflection of the sun’s rays upon the water was remarkably fine. The Exhibition closed this evening for the season. I stopped as long as I could.” The same evening he went to Drury Lane and saw Kean. The after-piece was very bad. “I should have thought that a London audience would not have sat to hear such stuff.” On leaving the theatre he “walked about the streets to see the illuminations for the late victory at Waterloo.” “_Margate, July 3rd, 1815._—We went to see the steam-boat come in from London. It is worked by means of two wheels, resembling water-wheels, one of which is placed on each side of the vessel, and about a-half sunk in the water. It comes from London and returns three times in each week. It generally performs the voyage in about twelve hours. In the best cabin there is a handsome library, draught-boards, &c. It is surprising to see how most people are prejudiced against this packet. Some say that it cannot sail against the wind if it is high; but when it entered the harbour the wind and tide were both against it, and the former rather rough, yet I saw it stem both.” “There was,” he said, “a great crowd, and much enthusiasm, though carpers predicted failure, and sneered at ‘smoke-jacks.’” He visited Canterbury. In mentioning the destruction of Thomas a’Becket’s tomb, he writes:— “There are, indeed, few monuments which were erected prior to the Reformation but what are defaced some way or other. It is surprising that people should be so bigoted against bigotry.” On his return to London he was introduced to the painter West:— “We went to his house this morning, and saw some hundreds of paintings, all by West. How proud must he feel in walking through his gallery to see so many proofs of his own industry! While we were looking at the paintings Mr. West came by. I was introduced to him, and had the honour of conversing with him for some time.... He is a fine old man, upwards of seventy years of age.” Soon after his return home he obtained an appointment. His father might a second time have written “preferment goes on among us.”