Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II. Egan Pierce

with their spree.

      Engaged in conversation upon this adventure, they found nothing of interest' or amusement to attract their notice till they arrived at the warehouse of the London Genuine Tea Company, except merely remarking the grand appearance of St. Paul's, from that situation.

      “Genuine tea” said Bob; “what can that mean—Is tea any thing but tea?”

      “To be sure it is,” said Sparkle, “or has been—anything but tea,"{l} strongly marking the latter part of the

      1 Tea and Coffee—The adulteration of articles of human food

      is a practice of the most nefarious description, and cannot

      be too strongly deprecated, although it has been carried to

      an alarming extent. There is scarcely an article of ordinary

      consumption but has been unlawfully adulterated, and in many

      cases rendered injurious by the infamous and fraudulent

      practice of interested persons. Bread, which is considered

      to be the staff of life, and beer and ale the universal

      beverage of the people of this country, are known to be

      frequently mixed with drugs of the most pernicious quality.

      Gin, that favourite and heart-inspiring cordial of the lower

      orders of society, that it may have the grip, or the

      appearance of being particularly strong, is frequently

      adulterated with the decoction of long pepper, or a small

      quantity of aqua-fortis, a deadly poison. Sugar has been

      known to be mixed with sand; and tobacco, for the public-

      houses, undergoes a process for making it strong and

      intoxicating; but the recent discovery of the nefarious

      practice of adulterating tea and coffee, articles of the

      most universal and extensive consumption, deserves

      particular reprehension.

      Tea has been adulterated by the introduction of dried sloe

      leaves; the practice is not very new, but its extensive

      adoption, and the deleterious properties ascribed to them by

      physicians, have been, at length, successfully exposed by

      the conviction of many of the venders, so, it is hoped, as

      to prevent a repetition of the crime. The sloe leaf, though

      a spurious commodity when sold as tea, might afford a

      harmless vegetable infusion, and be recommended to the poor

      and frugal as a cheap succedaneum for the Chinese vegetable.

      The establishment of the Genuine Tea Company on Ludgate-hill

      originated in the recent discoveries, promising to sell

      nothing but the Unadulterated Tea, and it is sincerely to be

      hoped has done some good.

      sentence as he spoke it: “horse-beans have been converted to coffee, and sloe-leaves have been transformed into tea; hog's lard has been manufactured for butter; an ingenious gentleman wishes to persuade us Periwinkles{1} are young Lobsters; and another has proposed to extract sugar, and some say brandy, out of pea-shells! London is the mart for inventions and discoveries of all kinds, and every one of its inhabitants appears to have studied something of the art of Legerdemain, to catch the eye and deceive the senses.”

      “Wonderful!” exclaimed Bob.

      “Not more wonderful than true,” continued Sparkle; “invention is always on the stretch in London. Here we have cast-iron Bridges{2}—a cast-iron Sugar-house—

      1 Sparkle appears to have been rather sceptical on the

      subject of Periwinkles being young Lobsters, though the

      opinion is not very new. A gentleman, whose indefatigable

      research appears to be deserving of encouragement and

      support, has recently issued the following advertisement,

      inviting the curious and the learned to inspect the result

      of his discoveries, which seems, at least, to warrant

      something more than conjecture.

      “J. Cleghorne having in his possession some specimens which

      prove, in his opinion, a circumstance before suggested, but

      treated by the scientific as a vulgar error, any known

      naturalist willing to view them, by noticing by letter,

      within a week, may have J. C. attend with his specimens. The

      subject is a curious change in the formation of Lobsters

      from various species of the Winkle, the Winkle being

      considered the larva;.

      The only advantage J. C. desires from the communication is,

      the credit of advancing his proofs, and the stimulating

      further enquiry.—A line addressed to J. Cleghorne,

      Architectural Engraver, No. 19, Chapman-street, Black-road,

      Islington, will have immediate attention.”

      It is sincerely to be hoped that proper notice will be taken

      of this advertisement, for in times of general scarcity like

      the present, such a discovery might be turned to great

      national advantage, by the establishment of proper depots

      for the cultivation of lobsters, as we have preserves for

      game, &c.

      2 Cast-iron has become an object of general utility. The

      Southwark or New London Bridge consists of three arches, the

      centre of which is a span of 240 feet, and the other two 210

      feet each; the Vauxhall Bridge consists of nine arches, over

      a width of 809 feet; and it is a fact, that a Sugar-house is

      building with cast-iron floors, window-frames, and rafters,

      to prevent fire. Cast-iron holds fire and resists fire; but

      it is probable that all its properties and powers are not

      yet discovered, and that we may some day or other witness

      the ascension of a cast-iron balloon inflated with steam!

      coaches running, and barges, packets, and sailing-boats navigated, by Steam{1}—St. Paul's, as you perceive, without its ball—smoke burning itself, and money burning men's consciences.”

      “Well done, Sparkle!” cried Tom; “your ideas seem to flow like gas, touch but the valve and off you go; and you are equally diffusive, for you throw a light upon all subjects.”

      Bob was now suddenly attracted by a full view of himself and his friends at the further end of Everington's{2}

      1 Steam—Here is a subject that evaporates as we approach;

      it soars beyond finite comprehension, and appears to be

      inexhaustible—every thing is done by it—machinery of every

      kind is set in motion by it—a newspaper of the most

      extensive circulation in the kingdom is printed by it, and

      the paper supplied sheet by sheet to receive the impression.

      Tobacco is manufactured, and sausage-meat cut, by steam—

      nay, a celebrated Vender of the latter article had asserted,

      that