After I had inspected this interesting prison, we went to visit the institution for the blind, of which I had heard such a high character. Unfortunately, the hour for the admission of strangers had passed, and notwithstanding all our intreaties, we were denied admission by a handsome girl, who opened the door.
We next visited a small museum, which was pretty much on the plan of those in America, and like most of these establishments, was furnished with a hand-organ, on which they played at certain hours, to induce people to enter. This museum possesses rare stuffed animals, viz. a large ant-eater, and a quantity of foreign lizards and snakes; many living ones of the same kind I had seen in America; they are attached in a very natural manner to moss-covered rocks. It has likewise a collection of foreign birds and shells; garments and weapons of the savages of America, and the Southern Islands; a boa constrictor coiled round and choking a young antelope, &c. A Miss Brown, a young person, born without arms, was to be seen working with her feet in the most ingenious style. She eats not only with her feet, but likewise pours out a glass of wine, and carries it to her mouth without spilling a drop; she mends a pen, and writes very distinctly with her right foot; she threads a needle, sews, &c.
On the 16th of July, at eight o’clock in the morning, I departed from Liverpool in the stage for Birmingham, with the intention of soon proceeding to the continent. The English stages are better closed, and run easier than the American, but I prefer the latter, because their seats are more comfortable. The distance from Liverpool to Birmingham is one hundred and one miles; the turnpike is most excellent, and the road even the whole way. On one side of the turnpike, along the whole length of the road, there is a side-walk for pedestrians; it has a pebbly surface, and is enclosed on both sides with sandstone, to heighten the pavement. Wherever this side-walk is not paved, it is at least smoothed and lined with small sods; at equal distances two posts are driven into the ground, to prevent the passage of horsemen and wheelbarrows. I admired the peculiar care with which the stones destined for the repairs of the highway, are broken into the smallest pieces. With such stones it is easy to make a good road, and the Americans and other nations might well take example from the British, whenever they wish to have a good road, or to repair one. The number of villages that lay upon our route had a very handsome appearance. The dwellings of the farmers are small, but they have a very neat appearance, owing to the straw-thatched roofs, variegated with small windows, the bowers in front of the doors, and the garlands of roses and ivy, which twine gracefully along the walls; the little flower-gardens by the road side, also enhance the charms of these cottages. On the other hand, the towns have narrow streets, and a gloomy, smoky look.
Soldiers are garrisoned in the towns as far as Wolverhampton. This arrangement had been made for some months past, because several large manufactories in this neighbourhood had stopped working, and the famishing artizans had adopted forcible measures in order to procure bread. The country is very well cultivated; mostly with wheat and barley. The wheat appeared already nearly ripe; the straw was however very small, owing to the want of rain. The green and blooming hedges that ran along the fields had a delightful aspect. In comparing the beautiful and large trees of America, with those of this country, I was astonished at the contrast between the two, the latter consisting of low and miserable woodland. However, in the parks and large gardens, several of which I saw, there are many fine trees; but it is on account of these many parks of the nobility, that a great quantity of land remains uncultivated, which, in a country so populous as England, becomes a matter of the highest importance.
Between Newcastle and Stone we passed through a village called Trentham, where the Marquis of Stafford possesses a large castle, situated in an extensive park; to the left of the road stand large square masses of stone, said to be the burial place of the Stafford family. Near the town of Stafford, which is the capital of Staffordshire, the old castle of Stafford is erected on a high hill. Two of its towers are still remaining, several rooms of which are fitted up for a sporting rendezvous. In former times it is said to have been a very important fortress, but was destroyed during the protectorate of Cromwell. Staffordshire is celebrated for its manufactures of earthenware; there are two very respectable establishments of this kind at Newcastle-under-Lyne, the most excellent of which is that of Wedgewood in Etruria, situated two miles from the aforesaid town. We passed several cotton manufactories, and a silk factory near Congleton, a town on the other side of Knutsford, containing six thousand souls.
We crossed at several times to-day two excellent canals, one belonging to the Sankey Navigation Company, and the other to the Duke of Bridgewater. We drove twice under this canal. In Stafford I observed a very decent looking court-house, and upon a hill the central prison of Staffordshire. I also remarked to-day several coal-mines; particularly at the last post between Wolverhampton and Birmingham they are very numerous. For a considerable distance no sign of cultivation was to be seen; nothing was to be seen but coal and iron-works, with steam-machines and colossal chimneys in the form of obelisks, and high flaming furnaces. This district had the appearance of a conflagrated city, several of whose houses were still burning; the sulphurous smell that pervaded the atmosphere, almost took the breath away. As we approached Birmingham, these works began to disappear; we passed through pleasant villages interspersed with charming blooming gardens, and every thing foretold that we were approaching a large and wealthy city. This impression was strengthened on our seeing the citizens returning from the country in their holy-day suits. It was about nine o’clock in the evening, when we reached Birmingham. I took up my quarters in the Royal Hotel, an excellent tavern, where I resided three years previous. In a public advertisement, stating the advantages connected with this establishment, travellers are notified that it is located in the pleasantest part of the town, whereas the finest prospect it presents, opens upon a burial ground, which also answers as a promenade for the inhabitants, and as a playground for children.
In Birmingham three years past, I spent several days; I wished, however, to see several things once more, and therefore sojourned a few days in this city. I went to Mr. Thomason’s show-room, where every thing, manufactured in Birmingham, is to be seen. Several rooms contain uncommonly tasteful plated ware, others trinkets, medals, curiosities, steel ware, guns, works in papier maché, crystals, &c. The well known Warwick castle Vase, I again saw of multifarious dimensions; firstly, of the full size in bronze, for which Mr. Thomason had expressly built a small house adjoining his own; then another of smaller dimensions, likewise of bronze, with the marks and ornaments in silver, or silver-gilt, which must make a very elegant appearance at table. I here likewise saw imitations of the greatest precious stones known, in their exact form, size and colour. This collection, in a very neat box, costs twenty-five guineas.
Mr. Thomason has connected himself with an artist, who, during his residence of many years in Russia, had acquired at Tula the secret of steel working, and was beginning to imitate it here. In his first essay he tried to inlay a silver waiter with steel; in this attempt, however, he did not succeed properly. Should it succeed, the introduction of this invention into England, would be of great importance, as this art being now confined to Russia, is there considered as a very important secret. Mr. Thomason had likewise the politeness to conduct me to an armory; here an immense quantity of various sword-blades was shown me, and also the mode of trying them; they are strained in a machine, by which they are bent to a certain degree, and then unbent; they are then examined, to see if they are not curved, then a block of steel is struck with the flat of the blade, and a wooden one cut with the edge; and if it is proof to this, it is considered sound, and stamped. At this moment, owing to the existence of profound peace, there was little work done in this manufactory, consequently I could not see the sharpening and polishing of the blades, which takes place in a particular workhouse.
In lieu thereof I saw in it the silvering of polished brass wire. This, first of all consists of a piece half an inch thick, which receives a very thin silver covering; it is heated in an oven, seized with tongs, and drawn through different holes, which are cut in pieces of steel, gradually diminishing in size, until they attain the size of a common piece of wire. By this means the wire may be drawn out to the thinness of a hair, and it is remarkable, that it still retains the silver. The tongs are pulled by a patent chain, the links of which are double folded, and for the invention of which, the owner of this establishment has obtained a patent from government. I also visited another show-room, which has only been two years fitted up; it is very splendidly arranged; it has a larger space than Mr. Thomason’s, but is not so richly and well provided.
In the evening I went to the theatre; they exhibited the disagreeable tragedy of Jane Shore, after which we had a tolerable pantomime, called the Village Festival, and it closed with an uninteresting melo-drama, the Woodman’s Hut. In the first piece Miss Lacy, from Covent-garden, personified the character of Jane Shore most capitally, and was well supported by several of the other actors; the piece, however, is abominable in itself, and I can imagine nothing more disgusting than to behold an unfortunate being, struggling on the stage in the arms of death. In this country, however, it is a favourite piece. They endeavoured to produce it on the French boards, but it would not take at all. The theatre is well fitted up: it has a pit, two rows of boxes, and a gallery, which can accommodate a great many spectators; on this occasion it was likewise greatly crowded by a noisy mob. I found in the boxes and pit fewer spectators than I expected, the decorations are well painted, and the interior lighted with gas. The provincial theatres receive generally but little encouragement, and their receipts only increase in summer, when the large London theatres of Covent-garden and Drury-lane are closed, and the celebrated actors there engaged, make a trip to the provinces.