Metropolitan or Underground Railways.

An important artery of 'intramural' traffic is afforded by the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Railways. These lines, which for the most part run under the houses and streets by means of tunnels, and partly also through cuttings between high walls, form a complete belt (the 'inner circle') round the whole of the inner part of London, while various branch-lines diverge to the outlying suburbs. The Midland, Great Western, Great Northern, and other railways run suburban trains in connection with the Metropolitan lines. The Metropolitan Railway Company now conveys about 81 million passengers annually, or upwards of 11/2 million per week, at an average rate of about twopence per journey. Over the quadruple part of the line, between Farringdon street and Moorgate street, 1406 trains run every week-day. The stations on the underground lines are the following (see Railway Map):

Mark Lane, for the Tower of London, the Mint, Corn Exchange, Billingsgate, and the Docks.

Aldgate, Houndsditch, corner of Leadenhall and Fenchurch Streets, for Mincing Lane, Whitechapel, Minories, and the East End. From Aldgate the line is extended to Aldgate East, St. Mary's (Whitechapel), and Whitechapel (Mile End), whence the District Company's trains run on to Shadwell, Wapping, Rotherhithe, Deptford Road, and New Cross, on the East London Railway. Through-trains now run between New Cross and many of the District and Metropolitan stations.

Bishopsgate, near the Liverpool Street (Great Eastern; subway) and Broad Street (North of London) stations. Moorgate Street, close to Finsbury Circus, 5 min. from the Bank, chief station for the City.

Aldersgate Street, Long Lane, near the General Post Office and Smithfield Meat Market (branch-line to the latter, see p. 26); change for. Ludgate Hill, Crystal Palace, and London, Chatham, and Dover Railway.

Farringdon Street, in Clerkenwell, 1/4 M. to the N. of Holborn Viaduct, connected with Holborn Viaduct and Ludgate Hill stations (see p. 34); trains to and from the latter (London, Chatham, and Dover Railway) every 10 min.

King's Cross, corner of Pentonville Road and Gray's Inn Road, connected with the Great Northern and Midland Railways.

Gower Street, near Euston Square (North Western) Terminus and about 1/2 M. from the British Museum.

Portland Road, Park Square, at the S.E. angle of Regent's Park, 1/2 M. from the S. entrance of the Zoological Gardens (by the Broad Walk); omnibus to Oxford Circus (1 d.) and Charing Cross Station (2 d.) in connection with the trains.

Baker Street, corner of York Place, another station for the Botanic and Zoological Gardens. A little to the E., in Marylebone Road, is Madame Tussaud's (p. 44). Railway omnibus to Piccadilly Circus (1 d.).

BRANCH LINE to St. John's Wood Road (for Lord's Cricket Ground), Marlborough Road, Swiss Cottage, Finchley Road, West Hampstead, KilburnBrondesbury, Willesden Green, Kingsbury-Neasden (with the extensive works of the Metropolitan Railway), Harrow, Pinner, Rickmansworth, and Chesham (the last extension opened in July, 1889).

Edgware Road, Chapel Street.

BRANCH LINE to Bishop's Road, Royal Oak, Westbourne Park, Notting Hill (the last two stations are both near Kensal Green Cemetery), Latimer Road, Shepherd's Bush, Hammersmith (trains every 1/4 hr.); also to Turnham Green (Bedford Park Estate), Gunnersbury, Kew Gardens, Richmond (trains every half-hour, from Bishop's Road to Richmond in 28 min.) From Latimer Road branch-line to the left to Uxbridge Road, Addison Road (Kensington; for Olympia, p. 44). Earl's Court, and Brompton (Gloucester Road), see below; trains every 1/2 hr. Omnibus to Kilburn.

Praed Street (Paddington), opposite the Great Western Hotel and the Paddington Station.

Queen's Road (Bayswater), N. side of Kensington Gardens.

Notting Hill Gate, Notting Hill High Street, for the E. part of Notting Hill.

Kensington High Street, Kensington, 1/3 M. from Holland House and Park.

Brompton (Gloucester Road).

BRANCH LINES to West Brompton, Addison Road, Earl's Court, Putney Bridge, Wimbledon (new extension-line, opened in June, 1889), Acton, Ealing, Kew and Richmond, etc.

South Kensington, Cromwell Road, for South Kensington Museum (3 min. to the N.), Natural History Museum, Albert Hall (subway, see p. 271), Albert Memorial, and the Imperial Institute..

Sloane Square, near Chelsea Hospital, station for Battersea Park. Victoria, opposite Victoria Terminus (London, Chatham, and Dover and Brighton Railways), with which it is connected by a subway, and 1/4 M. from Buckingham Palace.

St. James's Park, Tothill Street, near Birdcage Walk, to the S. of St. James's Park, the station for the Panorama of Niagara.

Westminster Bridge, Victoria Embankment, at the W. end of Westminster Bridge, station for the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, etc.

Charing Cross, for Charing Cross, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, and West Strand. Temple, between Somerset House and the Temple, below Waterloo Bridge, station for the new Law Courts, Somerset House, and the London School Board Office.

Blackfriars, Bridge Street, adjacent to Blackfriars Bridge, connected by a covered way with the St. Paul's Station of the London, Chatham, & Dover Railway, and near Ludgate Hill Station (p. 34). From Westminster to Blackfriars the line runs below the Victoria Embankment (p. 113).

Mansion House, corner of Cannon Street and Queen Victoria Street, station for St. Paul's. Omnibus to Liverpool Street Station. Cannon Street, below the terminus of the South Eastern Railway, the station nearest the Bank and the Exchange.

The Monument, at the corner of Eastcheap, station for the Monument, London Bridge, the Coal Exchange, and the new Electric Railway Subway under the Thames.

Trains run on the main line (inner circle) in both directions from 6 a.m. to nearly midnight, at intervals of 5-10 min. during the day, and of 15 min. before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

The stations generally occupy open sites, and are lighted from above, many of them being roofed with glass. At night some of them are now lighted with electric light. The carriages are comfortable and roomy, and are lighted with gas. The booking-office is generally on a level with the street, at the top of the flight of stairs leading down to the railway. The official who checks the tickets points out the right platform, while the tickets themselves are marked with a large red O or I (for 'outer' and 'inner' line of rails), corresponding with notices in the stations. After reaching the platform the traveller had better enquire whether the train for his destination is the first that comes up or one of those that follow, or consult the telegraph-board on which the destination of the 'next train' is indicated. It may, however, be useful to know that the trains of the 'inner circle' have one white light on the engine; trains between Hammersmith and New Cross have one white and one blue light, between Hammersmith and Aldgate two blue lights, and between Richmond and Aldgate two white lights. The terminus towards which the train is travelling is also generally placarded on the front of the engine. Above the platforms hang boards indicating the points at which the different classes of carriage are drawn up; the first-class carriages are in the middle of the train. The names of the stations are called out by the porters, and are always painted at different parts of the platform and on the lamps, though frequently difficult to distinguish from the surrounding advertisements. As the stoppages are extremely brief, no time should be lost either in taking seats or alighting. Passengers leave the platform by the 'Way Out', where their tickets are given up. Those who are travelling with through-tickets to a station situated on one of the branch-lines show their tickets at the junction where carriages are changed, and where the officials will indicate the proper train. Comp. the time-tables of the companies.

The fares are extremely moderate, seldom exceeding a shilling even for considerable distances. Return-tickets are issued at a fare and a half. At first, in order to make himself acquainted with the Metropolis, the stranger will naturally prefer to make use of omnibuses and cabs, but when his first curiosity is satisfied he will probably often avail himself of the easy, rapid, and economical mode of travelling afforded by the Metropolitan Railway.

11. Steamboats.

The VICTORIA STEAMBOAT Company, established in 1888, practically commands the whole route from Hampton Court towards the west to Southend and Sheerness on the east. On this great length of river, with all its sinuosities, there are about 45 piers or landingplaces, the larger half of which are on the north or left bank. Above Vauxhall Bridge are Nine Elms, Pimlico, Battersea Park, Chelsea, Wandsworth, Putney, Hammersmith, Kew, Richmond, Teddington, and Hampton Court. Between the bridges, as the reach between Vauxhall Bridge on the west and London Bridge on the east is sometimes called, are the piers at Millbank, Lambeth, Westminster, Charing Cross, Waterloo, Temple, Blackfriars, St. Paul's Wharf, and two at London Bridge (one on each bank). Below all the bridges are Cherry Gardens (in no sense corresponding with its name), Thames Tunnel, Globe Stairs, Limehouse, West India Docks, Commercial Docks, Millwall, Greenwich, Isle of Dogs, Cubitt Town, Blackwall, Charlton, Woolwich, North Woolwich, Erith, Greenhithe, Rosherville, Gravesend, Southend, and Sheerness, where the Nore light-ship is reached, and the estuary of the Thames expands into the German Ocean. Some of the larger steamers from London Bridge extend their trips to Margate, Ramsgate, Clacton-on-Sea, Waltonon-the-Naze, Harwich, and Ipswich.

Steamers ply every ten minutes between London Bridge and Chelsea, calling at intermediate stations (fares 1/2-2d. according to distance), every 1/2 hr. between Greenwich and Westminster (fare 3d.), and every 1/2 hr. between Chelsea (Cadogan Pier) and Kew (fare 6d.). The longer trips (fares 6d.-3s 6d.) are advertised from time to time in the newspapers. The steamers may also be hired for excursion-parties at prices ranging from 101. to 651. per day.

On Sundays and holidays the fare is raised for most of the shorter trips. Although the steamers cannot all be described as comfortable, they at any rate afford an excellent survey of the traffic on the Thames 'below bridge' and of the smiling beauties of its banks 'above'.

12. Theatres.

The performance at many of the London theatres begins about 7.30 or 8 and lasts till 11 p.m.; but the latter part of the representation is apt to be more of a fatigue than a pleasure.

London possesses 65 theatres and about 500 music halls, which are visited by 325,000 people nightly or nearly 100,000,000 yearly. A visit to the whole of the theatres of London, which, however, could only be managed in the course of a prolonged sojourn, would give the traveller a capital insight into the social life of the people throughout all its gradations. Copies of the play are often sold at the theatres for 6d. or 1s. each, enabling the spectator to appreciate the performance more thoroughly. At some of the better theatres all extra fees have been abolished, but many of them still maintain the objectionable custom of charging for programmes, the care of wraps, etc. French (late Lacy), 89 Strand, is the chief theatrical bookseller.

The best seats are the Stalls, next to the Orchestra, and the Dress Circle. On the occasion of popular performances tickets for these places are often not to be had at the door on entering, but must be secured previously at the Box Office of the theatre, when an extra fee of 1s. for booking is sometimes charged. The office always contains a plan of the theatre, showing the positions of the seats. Tickets for the opera and for most of the theatres may also be obtained at Mitchell's, 33 Old Bond Street; Lacon & Ollier, 168 New Bond Street; Ollivier, 38 Old Bond Street; Hays, 4 Royal Exchange Buildings; Keith, Prowse, & Co,. 48 Cheapside, 218 High Holborn, Langham Hotel, 148 Fenchurch Street, 2 Army and Navy Buildings, Victoria Street, and Hôtel Métropole, Northumberland Avenue, Charing Cross; Cramer, Regent Street; Austin's Ticket Office, St. James's Hall, Piccadilly, and elsewhere, at charges somewhat higher as a rule than at the theatres themselves, but occasionally lower. Single box seats can generally be obtained at the door as well as at the box-office, except when the boxes are let for the season.

Those who have not taken their tickets in advance should be at the door half-an-hour before the beginning of the performance, with, if possible, the exact price of their ticket in readiness. (This is scarcely ever necessary in regard to the dearest seats.) The ticket-office is usually opened half-an hour before the commencement of the performance. All the theatres are closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day, and many of them throughout the whole of Passion Week.

Evening dress is not now compulsory in any of the London theatres, but is customary in the stalls and dress circle and de rigueur in most parts of the opera-houses during the opera season.

The chief London theatres are the following, but many of them are closed in August and September.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE, or OPERA HOUSE, corner of Haymarket and Pall Mall. This theatre, originally erected by Vanbrugh in 1705, was burned down in 1789, rebuilt by Novosielski the following year, and extended by Nash and Repton in 1816-18. The interior was again destroyed by fire in December 1867, but since then the theatre has been entirely restored. Italian operas are performed here. Private boxes from 11. 1s. to 101. 10s.; stalls 12s. 6d., first two rows of dress circle 10s., other rows of dress circle 7s. 6d., first circle 5s. & 6s., second circle 3s. & 4s., pit 2s. 6d. Doors open at 7.30; performance commences at 8p.m. Winter season at reduced prices. Often closed.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, or COVENT GARDEN THEATRE, on the W. side of Bow Street, Long Acre, the third theatre on the same site, was built in 1858 by Barry. It accommodates an audience of 3500 persons, being nearly as large as the Scala at Milan, and has a handsome Corinthian colonnade. This house was originally sacred to Italian opera, but is now used for promenade concerts in autumn and as a circus in winter. Boxes 21/2-7 guineas, orchestra stalls 21s., amphitheatre stalls 10s. 6d. and 5s, amphitheatre 2s. 6d. Performance commences at 8 or 8.30 p.m. Operas have also been given here at 'theatre' prices i.e. about 50 per cent. lower than those just mentioned. In winter, stalls 6s., stage stalls 4s., grand circle 2s. 6d., balcony stalls 2s., promenade 1s. Doors open at 7.30, performance commences at 8 p.m.

DRURY LANE THEATRE, between Drury Lane and Brydges Street, near Covent Garden, where Garrick, Kean, the Kembles, and Mrs. Siddons used to act. Shakspeare's plays, comedies, spectacular plays, English opera, etc. Pantomime in winter. Stalls 10s., dress circle 7s. & 6s., first circle 5s. and 4s., balcony 3s., pit 2s., gallery 18., second gallery 6d. No fees. Begins at 7.30p.m. The vestibule contains a statue of Kean as Hamlet, by Carew, and others.

LYCEUM THEATRE, Strand, corner of Wellington Street. Shakspearian pieces, comedies, etc. (Mr. Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry). Stalls 10s. 6d., dress circle 6s. 6d., upper circle 4s., pit 2s., gallery 1s. Performance begins at 7.30 p.m. No fees.

HAYMARKET THEATRE, at the S. end of the Haymarket. English comedy. Stalls 10s., dress circle 7s., first circle 4s. & 5s., upper circle 2s., gallery 1s. Begins at 7.45 p.m. No fees.

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE, King Street, St. James's Square. Comedies. Stalls 10s. 6d., dress circle 6s. 6d., boxes 4s., pit 2s. 6d., gallery 1s. No fees. Commences at 8 p.m,