building is situated in Lower Thames-street, fronting the river, occupying an immense space of ground.  The dimensions of it are upwards of 480 feet long, by 107 feet wide.  The first stone was laid on the 25th of October, 1813, being the 53d anniversary of king George the Third’s accession; and it was opened for public business on the 12th of May, 1817.

The long room is of extraordinary size, being 190 feet long, by 66 wide, and proportionably high.  This is the principal place for all foreign business.

The former Custom House having been burnt down, precautions have been taken to prevent the recurrence of a similar accident in the new building; and fire-proof rooms are provided on each floor, where the books and papers are deposited every evening.

11.  The Press-gang.

From the Custom House it is but a few steps to Tower-hill.  Well, there is a view of it, and of the Tender, which is an old man-of-war, riding at anchor on the Thames, for the purpose of receiving impressed men for the king’s service.

Say, Mr. Lieutenant, before I surrender,
By what right you take me on board of your tender?
In the peaceable trader I rather would be,
And no man-of-war, Sir, I thank you, for me.

12.  The Tower of London

Is an ancient and irregular building, which arises from its having been erected and enlarged by different sovereigns, at distant periods of time.  It was the palace of many of our monarchs, as well as a place of defence.  William of Normandy, called the Conqueror, having no great reliance on the fidelity of his new subjects, built a fortress, (called the White Tower,) on part of the present scite of the Tower, to which the origin of this fabric may be attributed.  In 1092, William Rufus laid the foundation of a castle to the south, towards the river, which was finished by his successor.  Beneath this were two gates, one called Traitor’s Gate, through which state-prisoners were conveyed to their prisons; the other entitled Bloody, which, too many who entered it, found it deserved; imprisonment in those dark ages, being mostly the certain passport to death. [14]  Charles the Second cleared the ditch, improved the wharfings, and introduced water by convenient sluices.  The whole underwent considerable repairs in the reign of George the Third.

The principal entrance is by three gates on the west side.  The whole are guarded by soldiers; and when these gates are opened of a morning, the formalities of a garrison are observed, though the interior now resembles a town at peace, having streets, and a variety of buildings.  When the gates are shut at night, the Yeoman Porter, with a serjeant and six privates, goes to the governor’s house for the keys, and on the porter’s returning from the outer gate, he is challenged by the guard, drawn up under arms, with, “Who comes there?” to which he replies, “The Keys.”  The guards answer, “Pass Keys,” and rest their firelocks.  The yeoman porter says, “God save the King!” and the ceremony closes with a general “Amen.”

The Wardens, or Yeomen Porters of the Tower, wear a uniform, the same as the yeomen of the king’s guard at the palaces.  Their coats are of fine scarlet cloth, laced with gold round the edges and seams, with several rows of gold lace, and bound round the waist with a girdle of the same material.  Their form is uncommon, having full sleeves, and short, full skirts.  On their breasts and backs they wear the king’s silver badge of the rose, thistle, and shamrock, with the letters G. R.  Their heads are covered with round, flat-crowned caps, tied with bands of coloured ribbons.  The whole appearance forms an elegant livery, well adapted to royalty.

13.  The Armory.

The spoils of the Spanish Armada are still shown in the Tower.  There are, amongst them, several kinds of arms and instruments of cruelty, designed for torturing their English prisoners; and the following list of them will prove the barbarity of Spain at that period.

THE SPOILS OF THE SPANISH ARMADA.

1.  The pope’s banner, by him blessed and declared invincible.

2.  A battle-axe for penetrating steel armour.

3.  A spadole, used as a small sword, the point poisoned.

4.  An anchove, for hooking men off their horses.

5.  A lance.

6.  A lance, with the current coin on the head.

7.  A Spanish morning star: the points were poisoned, to keep people from boarding ships.

8.  A lance, which the Spaniards vauntingly said was for bleeding the English.

9.  A battle-axe with a pistol at the end.

10.  A battle-axe.

11.  A Spanish bilbo, to lock the English by the legs.

12.  A thumb-screw, an instrument of torture.

13.  A Spanish instrument of torture, called the cravat.

14.  A Spanish shield with a pistol fixed in it.

15.  A battle-axe, or scull-cracker, to make four holes at a blow.

16.  The Spanish general’s shield of honour.

17.  Spike-shot.

18.  Bar-shot.

The figure of Queen Elizabeth in armour, forms a proper addition to the collection.  She stands in a spirited attitude, by a cream-coloured horse, attended by her page.  The axe that beheaded the unfortunate Ann Boleyn, wife of the cruel King Henry the Eighth, is also shown here.  The small armoury contains stands of arms for one hundred thousand men, tastefully arranged in a variety of figures.  The apartment is three hundred and forty-five feet in length, and is thought to exceed every thing of the kind in Europe.

14.  The Horse Armory.

The Horse Armory is a large apartment, containing, amongst many curiosities, seventeen of the kings of England on horseback, in the suits of armour they had each worn.  Most of this armour is very rich, and beautifully ornamented.  The furniture of the horses is of velvet, laced with gold.

There is a suit of armour belonging to John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, which is seven feet high; and another made for Henry the Eighth, when sixteen years old, which is six feet in height.

15.  The Wild Beasts in the Tower.