There is still much room for improvement in the arrangements for landing in small boats.

Cabs (see p. 28) are in waiting at most of the railway-stations, and also at the landing-stages. The stranger had better let the porter at his hotel pay the fare in order to prevent an overcharge. At the more important stations Private Omnibuses, holding 6-10 persons, may be procured on previous application to the Railway Co. (fare 1s. per mile, with a minimum of 3s.).

3. Hotels. Boarding Houses. Private Lodgings.

Hotels. Charges for rooms in the London hotels vary according to the situation and the floor. A difference is also made between a simple Bed Room and a bedroom fitted up like a Sitting Room, with writing-table, sofa, easy-chairs, etc., a higher charge being, of course, made for the latter. Most of the rooms, even in the smaller hotels, are comfortably furnished. The continental custom of locking the bedroom door on leaving it is not usual, but visitors should make their door secure at night, even in the best houses. Private sitting-rooms are generally expensive. The dining-room is called the Coffee Room. In some hotels the day of departure is charged for, unless the rooms are given up by noon.

Breakfast is generally taken in the hotel, the continental habit of breakfasting at a café being almost unknown in England. The meal consists of tea or coffee with meat, fish, and eggs, and is charged for by tariff. Tea or coffee with bread and butter alone is, of course, cheaper.

A fixed charge per day is also made for attendance, beyond which no gratuity need be given. It is, however, usual to give the 'boots' (i.e. boot-cleaner and errand man) a small fee on leaving, and the waiter who has specially attended to the traveller also expects a shilling or two. In most hotels smoking is prohibited except in the Smoking Rooms provided for the purpose. An assortment of English newspapers is provided at every hotel, but foreign journals are rarely met with.

The ordinary charges at London hotels are as follows: - Bedroom 3-10s., Sitting-room 5-20s., Attendance 1s. 6d., Breakfast 1-4s., Dinner 2s. 6d.-10s. Lights (i.e. candles or gas) are seldom charged for. Persons who make a prolonged stay at a hotel are recommended to ask for their bills every two or three days to prevent mistakes, whether accidental or designed.

Numerous as the London hotels are, it is often difficult to procure rooms in the Season, and it is therefore advisable to apply in advance by letter or telegram.

The large TERMINUS HOTELS, which have sprung up of late years at the different railway-stations, and which belong to companies, are handsomely fitted up, and have a fixed scale of charges. Rooms may be obtained in them at rates to suit almost every purse. They are, however, more suitable for passing travellers, who wish to catch an early train, than for those making a prolonged stay in London. The following are the chief station hotels:

Great Western Hotel, Paddington Station.
Euston Hotel, Euston Square Station.

Great Northern Railway Hotel, King's Cross Station.
Cannon Street Hotel, Cannon Street Station.

Grand Midland Railway Hotel, St. Pancras Station, Euston Road.
Great Eastern Hotel, Liverpool Street Station.

Terminus Hotel, London Bridge Station.

Charing Cross Hotel, Charing Cross Station.
Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria Station, Pimlico.

Holborn Viaduct Hotel, Holborn Viaduct Station.

The South Western Railway station at Waterloo is still in want

of a terminus hotel.

Other extensive hotels belonging to companies are:

Alexandra Hotel, 16-21 St. George's Place, Hyde Park Corner.
Langham Hotel, Portland Place, a great American resort.

Grand Hotel, Charing Cross, on the site of Northumberland House (p. 141).

Hôtel Métropole, Northumberland Avenue, a large new house, elaborately fitted up; table-d'hôte breakfast 3s. 6d., plain breakfast 2s., table d'hôte dinner (6-8.30) 58., R. from 3s. 6d., A. 1s. 6d.

Hôtel Victoria, Northumberland Avenue, opened in 1887, a still more extensive establishment than the Métropole, in a similar palatial style.

Buckingham Palace Hotel, Buckingham Palace Gate.
Westminster Palace Hotel, Victoria Street, Westminster.
Hôtel Windsor, Victoria Street, Westminster.

Inns of Court Hotel, High Holborn, grand entrance from Lincoln's Inn Fields.

First Avenue Hotel, Holborn, lighted throughout with the electric light ('pension' 15-25s. per day).

Some of the first-class hotels at the WEST END only receive travellers when the rooms have been ordered beforehand, or when the visitors are provided with an introduction.

Claridge's Hotel, 49-55 Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, long considered the first hotel in London, and patronised chiefly by royalty, ambassadors, and the nobility, is very expensive. Other wellconducted hotels of a similar character are the Albemarle, 1 Albemarle Street; the York, 9-11 Albemarle Street; Pulteney's, 13 Albemarle Street; Buckland's, 43 Brook Street. At No. 2 Albemarle Street is Berles' Private Hotel.

At the W. end of Oxford Street, in Hyde Park Place, near the Marble Arch (p. 251), is the Hyde Park Hotel. In Piccadilly, at the corner of Berkeley Street: Berkeley Hotel (No. 77; 'pension' 10s. 6d.). Bath Hotel, 25 Arlington Street. In Dover Street : Brown's Hotel (No. 21); Cowan's Hotel (No. 26); Batt's (No. 41); Holloway's (Nos. 47, 48). Sackville Hotel, 28 Sackville

Street.

The following, in Jermyn Street, Piccadilly, are all good: British Hotel (No. 82); Waterloo Hotel (No. 85); Brunswick Hotel (Nos. 52, 53); Cox's Hotel (No. 55); Rawlings's (Nos. 37, 38); Cavendish (No. 81).

Park Hotel, 10 Park Place, St. James's Street, is a comfortable family house.

Near Bond Street are the following: - Almond's Hotel, Clifford Street; Burlington, 19 and 20 Cork Street; Coburg Hotel, 14 Carlos Street, Grosvenor Square; Thomas's Hotel, 25 Berkeley Square; Bristol Hotel, Burlington Gardens.

In or near Regent Street: Hôtel Continental, 1 Regent Street; Edwards's Hotel, 12 A George Street, Hanover Square; Marshall Thompson's Hotel, 28 Cavendish Square; United Hotel, 24 Charles Street; Ford's Hotel, 13 Manchester Street, Manchester Square; Limmer's Hotel, 2 George Street, Hanover Square. Hotel, 95-99 Great Portland Street, Portland Place.

Portland

Queen's Gate Hotel, 98 Queen's Gate, near Hyde Park. South

Kensington Hotel (opened in 1887), Queen's Gate Terrace.

Cadogan Hotel, 75 Sloane Street, Cadogan Place, near Hyde Park. Bailey's Hotel, Gloucester Road Station.

Norris's Hotel, 48-53 Russell Road, Kensington, facing Addison Road Station.

All these West End hotels are good in every respect, but their terms are high: Bedroom 3s. 6d.-10s., Breakfast 3-4s., Dinner 5-10s., Attendance 1s. 6d. Charges for the best rooms are equally high at the terminus hotels, but the attendance is inferior. Hotels in the CITY:

De Keyser's Royal Hotel, New Bridge Street, Blackfriars, conducted in the continental fashion, is well situated; R. and A. 5s. and upwards, B. 2-3s., table d'hôte (at 6 p.m.) 4s., 'pension' 12-20s. Foreign newspapers provided.

Near St. Martin's le Grand (General Post Office): Castle and Falcon, 5 Aldersgate Street, R. & A. 3s. 6d., B. 2s., D. 3s. 6d. Manchester Hotel, corner of Aldersgate Street and Long Lane. The Albion, 172 Aldersgate Street.

Green Dragon, 188 Bishopsgate Without, old-fashioned but comfortable; City of London, 11 Bishopsgate Street Within. Metropolitan Hotel, South Place, near the Great Eastern Railway Station.

Seyd's Hotel, 39 Finsbury Square, R. & B. 58. 6d.
Bücker's Hotel, Christopher Street, Finsbury Square.
In SOUTHWARK and LAMBETH, on the right bank of the Thames:

- Bridge House Hotel, 4 Borough High Street, London Bridge; Piggott's Hotel, 166 Westminster Bridge Road.

In or near FLEET STREET: Anderton's Hotel, 162 Fleet Street; Peele's Hotel, 177 Fleet Street; Salisbury Hotel, Salisbury Square, Fleet Street. - Cathedral Hotel, 48 St. Paul's Churchyard.

In LEICESTER SQUARE, at the West End, a quarter much frequented by French visitors: Hôtel Sablonnière et de Provence (Nos. 17, 18); Hôtel de Paris et de l'Europe (Nos. 7, 9).

Near Leicester Square:

Street, Leicester Square.

Hôtel de Halifax, 1 and 2 Leicester

Hôtel Solferino, 7 Rupert Street, Coventry Street; Hôtel Royal, No. 60 in the same street.

Wedde's Hotel, 12 Greek Street, Soho Square.

The stranger is cautioned against going to any unrecommended house near Leicester Square, as there are several houses of doubtful reputation in this locality.

Near COVENT GARDEN:

Hummums, and Tavistock Hotel (R., B., & A. 7s. 6d.), both in the Piazza, Covent Garden, for gentlemen only.

Bedford Hotel, also in the Piazza, Covent Garden, comfortable.
Covent Garden Hotel, corner of Covent Garden and Southampton

Street.

Mona Hotel, 13 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. In the STRAND, a favourite neighbourhood for visitors: Somerset Hotel (No. 162); Haxell's Royal Exeter Hotel (Nos. 371-375), adjoining Exeter Hall.

Golden Cross Hotel, 452 Strand, opposite the Charing Cross Hotel (p. 7).

The streets leading from the Strand to the Thames contain a number of quiet family hotels, which afford comfortable acccommodation at a moderate cost. Among these are the following: Johnston's Hotel, 7, 8, and 9 Salisbury Street; Craven Hotel, 43-46 Craven Street (R. from 2s. 6d., board 10s. 6d.); Barrett's Hotel, 8-11, 16, 25 Cecil Street (R. & A. from 3s. 6d., B. 1s. 6d.-38., D. 3-68.); Adelphi Hotel, 1-4 John Street, Adelphi; Caledonian Hotel, 10 Adelphi Terrace, with a good view of the Thames.

Then, to the E. of Waterloo Bridge :

In Surrey Street: Lay's Hotel (Nos. 5, 6, 8, and 9); Royal Surrey Hotel (Nos. 14 and 15); Norfolk (No. 30); Bunyard's Private Hotel (No. 31); Hutchinson's (No. 24); Parker's (Nos. 27-29).

In Norfolk Street: Slaughter's Private Hotel (Nos. 16, 28); Pelham's Private Hotel (No. 9); Bunyard's Private Hotel (No. 10); Kent's (No. 31); Bond's (No. 25; private).

In Arundel Street: Arundel Hotel (No. 19; R., B., & A. from 6s., 'pension' from 8s. 6d.), pleasantly situated on the Embankment; Jones (No. 7; private); Temple Hotel (No. 28; frequented by Swedes and Germans).

i

Near TRAFALGAR SQUARE:

Morley's Hotel, Trafalgar Square, pleasantly situated, and much

frequented by Americans.

The Grand Hotel, the Hôtel Métropole, and the Hôtel Victoria have been already mentioned at p. 7.

Panton Hotel, 28 Panton Street, Haymarket.

Previtali's Hotel, 14-19 Arundell Street, Haymarket.

In TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD: The Horseshoe (No. 264) and the Bedford Head (No. 235; moderate), two commercial houses, suited for gentlemen.

In BLOOMSBURY, near the British Museum: Burr's Hotel, 11 Queen Square (R. 2s. 6d., 'pension' in winter 6-7s., in summer 8s.); Rowland's, 14 Queen Square ('pension' 5-78.).

On the N. side of HOLBORN, near the Farringdon Street Metropolitan Station, and a few hundred paces from St. Paul's: Ridler's, Wood's, in Furnival's Inn (very quiet; good wine). First Avenue Hotel, see p. 7. - On the Holborn Viaduct, the Imperial Hotel, and the Holborn Viaduct Hotel. A little to the N. of this point, quietly situated in Charterhouse Square, are Cocker's Hotel (No. 19) and Kershaw's Private Hotel (No. 14).

The following is a small selection of the best-known TEMPERANCE HOTELS in London:

West Central Hotel, 97-103 Southampton Row, Russell Square (R. from 18. 6d., 'pension' 6s. 8d.); Devonshire, Bishopsgate Without; Armfield's South Place Hotel, South Place, Finsbury (R. & A. from 2s. 9d.); Ling's, South Street, Finsbury; Insull's, Burton Crescent, Brunswick Square, W. C.; Wild's, 30-40 Ludgate Hill; Tranter's, 7 Bridgewater Square, Barbican, E. C. (R. from 18. 6d., R. & board 5s. 6d.).

Boarding Houses. The visitor will generally find it more economical to live in a Boarding House than at a hotel. For a sum of 30-40s. per week or upwards he will receive lodging, breakfast, luncheon, dinner, and tea, taking his meals and sharing the sittingrooms with the family and other guests. This arrangement, however, is more suitable for persons making a prolonged sojourn in London than for those who merely intend to devote two or three weeks to seeing the lions of the English metropolis. To a visitor of the latter class the long distances between the different sights of London make it expedient that he should not have to return for dinner to a particular part of the town at a fixed hour. This independence of action is secured, more cheaply than at a hotel, by taking

Private Apartments, which may be hired by the week in any part of London. Notices of 'Apartments', or 'Furnished Apartments', are generally placed in the windows of houses where there are rooms to be let in this manner, but it is safer to apply to the nearest house-agent. Rooms in the house of a respectable private family may often be obtained by advertisement or otherwise, and are gener