It Is _Very Hot_,
And Poor Hedley Is Quite Knocked Down, But We Took A Little Walk.
_Later_.
- After dinner a good many adjourned to the drawing-room,
Captain and Mrs. Ray, the Strachys, Rutherfords, &c. We had a scientific
experiment with the shadow of the moon. Mr. Ray told a curious story of
a wasp. He saw it advance slowly to a great _spider_, which the
wasp apparently completely mesmerised, and then the wasp carried him off
to a little house he had made, and deposited the spider next an
_egg_, then another _egg_, and again another spider, till
there was a long row alternately, then the larvae awoke to life, and
_lived_ upon the spiders, who remained fat and well-liking, and
apparently alive up to that point. Captain Ray says he believes Mr.
Scott is right in saying that the American side will never be able to
give us warning of storms which will be of any use, for not more than
one in ten of their storms reach us; our storms come from the North and
Mid-Atlantic. Captain Ray fills the same post here that Mr. Scott does
in London, meteorological and weather prophet. Presently a nigger of
fine appearance, with a companion, played the banjo and sung. It was
really very pretty, and we stood at the porch listening, and numbers of
white-robed figures appeared on the opposite side (the young women so
arrayed walk about a good deal these hot nights), and a little crowd
gathered round us. It is surprising how little music and amusement they
seem to have.
Letter No 8.
_Washington, Wormley's Hotel, Monday, 6th._
The weather has been "exceptionally" hot, they say, for the time of
year, Hedley quite unable to do anything. John went up the Monument,
five hundred feet, and I went with Gibson to see the Capitol. The dome
looks pretty from a distance, but the whole thing strikes me as large,
handsome, uninteresting and vulgar; we inspected the Congress Hall and
Senate Chamber. The view from the terrace was fine. At four o'clock
Hedley and I accompanied Mr. Strachy to Arlington Heights, where there
is a large cemetery for soldiers. It was formerly the country home of
General Robert Lee, the hero of the Confederate War. It was intensely
melancholy to drive through the graves of eleven thousand and odd
soldiers, all killed in the second battle of Bull's Run (I believe), two
thousand of them _unknown_, and buried in one grave, mostly young
volunteers who had _just_ joined. Each white stone told the story
of the bereaved families, and the destruction of so much happiness. The
view of the Potomac and Washington is very fine, and one thought
sorrowfully of the poor Lees who gave up their pretty home and _all
else_, for the sake of Virginia, and in vain!
_Tuesday, 7th_. - John and E - - and I went to Mount Vernon,
Washington's residence and tomb. H - - somehow missed us, which quite
spoilt _my_ day. The air in the steamer was delightful, and the
Potomac is mildly pretty. We were left at Mount Vernon, and I was
disgusted with the shabbiness and untidiness of the tomb of the great
patriot; that even in _his_ case such a want of sentiment and
reverence should be shown does not speak well for his countrymen. I
spoke of this to many people afterwards, and they say it is owing to his
family, who would not allow the tomb to be moved. In the evening we
dined with our Minister, Mr. West, at the Embassy. It is a fine house,
and we enjoyed our evening. There were only Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Helier
attached to the Legation, besides ourselves. Miss West now presides over
her father's house, and is very attractive; brought up in a convent in
Paris, and speaks English with a strong accent. Miss West has given me
some letters of introduction to people at Newport. They showed us some
curious beans, which jumped about in an odd way when held over the light
a little while. It is said there is a worm inside, which is influenced
by the warmth.
_Wednesday_. - We meant to leave to-day, but Dick turned up
unexpectedly from Chicago, and we put off going to Philadelphia that we
might start together. We went over the White House to-day, where the
President lives, and saw the blue room in which he receives every one,
rather ugly I thought it, and the bedroom in which President Garfield
was ill, &c. In the afternoon John and E - - went to Baltimore, as he has
scientific acquaintances there, and I don't know when we shall meet
again.
_Thursday_. - Hedley has just returned from Dick's hotel, and says
he does not go to Philadelphia to-day, so we start alone at two o'clock.
Last night two violent showers of rain cleared the atmosphere, and it is
quite cool and pleasant this morning. I heard from Mr. B - - from
Baltimore, and he says he is going to be married on the 15th, and hopes
we will go to pay them a visit on the 16th; however, as the time does
not suit, and I don't know his intended wife, I have declined.
_Friday, 10th, Hotel Lafayette, Philadelphia._
Last night I had the great pleasure of receiving four letters - one from
you, and one from C - - and Mary, and Margaret. We left Dick behind at
Washington, but he arrived last night; the journey was a pleasant one
and the scenery pretty, especially Chesapeake Bay. I hear mosquitos
swarm at Baltimore and so I am glad we did not go there. This is a very
large hotel and I am on seventh floor, No. 750! Close to me is a fire
escape, which I carefully investigated. We got cheated coming here from
the station, and _so did Dick_, to our great triumph! The country
coming here was more English and well populated than any we have seen.
Going up in the lift who should I find there but Dr. Gladstone, one of
our fellow passengers on the "Parisian;" we all laughed.
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