In all the rooms I saw people of the poorer classes, some of whom seemed
to view the objects intelligently, and to take a genuine interest in
them. A poor man in London has great opportunities of cultivating
himself if he will only make the best of them; and such an institution as
the British Museum can hardly fail to attract, as the magnet does steel,
the minds that are likeliest to be benefited by it in its various
departments. I saw many children there, and some ragged boys.
It deserves to be noticed that some small figures of Indian Thugs,
represented as engaged in their profession and handiwork of cajoling and
strangling travellers, have been removed from the place which they
formerly occupied in the part of the Museum shown to the general public.
They are now in the more private room, and the reason of their withdrawal
is, that, according to the Chaplain of Newgate, the practice of garroting
was suggested to the English thieves by this representation of Indian
Thugs. It is edifying, after what I have written in the preceding
paragraph, to find that the only lesson known to have been inculcated
here is that of a new mode of outrage.
December 8th.--This morning, when it was time to rise, there was but a
glimmering of daylight, and we had candles on the breakfast-table at
nearly ten o'clock. All abroad there was a dense dim fog brooding
through the atmosphere, insomuch that we could hardly see across the
street.
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