in the opposite direction descending 2,500 feet in fifty miles. The whole distance from Omaha to San Francisco is 1,914 miles, owned by the Union Pacific, Central Pacific and Western Pacific companies. Many of the works are said to be still very incomplete, the trestle bridges especially being in several places in a very shaky condition. However, the daily service appears to be performed regularly enough, and I have not heard of any serious accidents.

No country in the world has been so well provided with natural facilities for internal navigation as America, in the great lakes and by such rivers as the Mississippi, St. Lawrence, Ohio, Missouri, Hudson and others. All these are navigated by hundreds of steamers carrying passengers and cargo, and admirably adapted in their construction to the special requirements of each stream. The finest of these boats are those plying between New York and Boston, by the Long Island Sound, and those on the Hudson and St. Lawrence. They have three decks, of which the lowest is devoted to cargo, and to the use of the crew and officers of the boat. On the middle deck is a splendid saloon, luxuriously furnished, with most comfortable

sleeping cabins on both sides, which, by the way, are always called 'State-rooms.' The upper deck is used as a promenade. Many of these boats are used as floating hotels by people who desire fresh air, change of scene and pleasant company for days together; newly married couples are especially addicted, it is said, to this kind of life. charges on all these boats appeared to me very moderate, and the style of accommodation is certainly very superior to anything I have ever seen in Europe-on the Rhine, or the Swiss or Italian lakes, for instance.

The

The American telegraphs are not under the control of the Government as with us, and though there is a uniform postage rate of three cents throughout the States, I was astonished to find in such a progressive country that there was no uniform telegraph rate, so that telegraphing is there a very expensive luxury.

Under the head of travelling, it is proper to say something of the American Hotels, of which I had heard much and was greatly disappointed. They are huge establishments, often holding from 500 to 1,000 guests; indeed the 'Union' at Saratoga can accommodate 1,800; but both in cookery and

general comfort are inferior to the best European hotels. They are all on the same, general plan; a large entrance hall contai the office-counter, where rooms are all and bills made out, a railway ticket office letter and post-office, a telegraph office, an、 a book stall. Leading out from the hall are generally a barber's shop, lavatories, a writing room, reading room, and a smoking room with a bar, also billiard rooms. On the first floor are the dining rooms, ladies drawing rooms and private sitting rooms; on the other floors are the bed rooms, plainly but neatly furnished.

The usual hours for meals are breakfast from 7 to 11; early dinner or lunch from I to 3; late dinner from 5 to 7; tea from 7 to 9; supper from 9 to 12. You pay four and a half dollars per day (about 18 shillings) which includes everything except wine and beer, and can eat as many meals as you like. Between the above hours, an extensive bill of fare is provided, from which you choose what you like and have it brought to you in portions, and you are generally expected to order everything you want at once, the result of which is that while you are eating one dish, the others, which are ranged in front of you

in a semi-circle, are getting cold. It is a

barbarous and uncomfortable fashion of dining, but few Americans would sit out a long dinner at a table d'hôte. The bills of fare are comprehensive enough; indeed, a great deal too much so, for if there were fewer dishes provided, there would be more chance of getting them well cooked and served hot; and the worst is that all the hotels at the several towns in the West are as ambitious in their aims as those in New York, charging exactly the same, while you can seldom find anything fit to eat. The meat in the West is lean, tough and tasteless ; little wonder in that when stall-feeding is rarely practised and the cattle. are fed on nothing but coarse prairie grass. The poultry too is very inferior and the game always roasted to death. The pastry as a rule is excellent, so are the soups. Ice cream is always given at dessert and is generally good. I never saw a good floury potato, but the sweet potato is very fair, also stewed `tomatoes, spinach, cauliflowers, lima beans, and above all, the boiled ears of green corn, eaten with butter, pepper and salt. Fish is of course scarce and bad a thousand miles from the ocean; on the Atlantic sea-board you get cod, salmon (pretty good), 'sheep's head' (excel

lent) and quantities of oysters.

These are

greatly inferior in flavour to our natives, and their size takes one somewhat aback at first; but they are cheap and plentiful, and good when fried, stewed or roasted.

The bread is generally good and made in great variety, white bread, brown bread, corn bread (i.e. Indian corn), buckwheat cakes, which are like small pan-cakes and eaten hot with butter and maple syrup. But there is nothing so good as our French roll, muffin, crumpet or tea cake. Butter is generally fair, cheese is rarely eaten, milk always good.

The fruits I saw were peaches (cheap, but generally unripe and very inferior to ours); pears (excellent but dear); apples of many kinds, all good and cheap; grapes of the scented kind; musk melons very good; and that nasty, tasteless fruit, the water melon.

With regard to the beverages, beer is made in several places, but is always thick muddy stuff. English draught ale is sold at sevenpence half-penny a glass and two shillings the pint bottle. Wine is extravagantly dear also, a pint bottle of St. Julien Claret costing three or four shillings, a bottle of Sherry twelve to sixteen shillings, and others in proportion. The American wines, such as still and spark