Page:Pleasant Memories of Pleasant Lands.djvu/358

 WINDSOR CASTLE. 333

negS) a bantling of some six months old. Where upon, our cicerone, who was quite intelligent and cau tious, replied, with eyes marvellously dilated, &quot; No, indeed ! I have never been allowed to see them my self.&quot;

Housekeeping propensities moved us willingly to follow our leader through the kitchens, pastry-room, larder, &c., and to take interest in the nice and com plicated instrumentalities by which six hundred per sons, who are comprised in the queen s retinue, are daily supplied with creature-comforts. &quot; Do you see them two boilers, over that furnace ? &quot; said an explain ing voice. &quot; &quot;Well, in each on em, five pecks of good potatoes is steamed for dinner, without a drop of water ever touching them.&quot;

The various departments of this immense building were exhibited by different personages. The show man of the gold plate was particularly zealous in his office, and fond of repeating that it cost more than two millions of pounds sterling. It extended through sev eral apartments, locked in glass cases, and arranged on long tables. There were superb candelabras, plateaus, salvers, piles of massy plates, and every conceivable article of splendor for the table. Among these were salt-cellars in a curious variety of forms, sea-shells, and fat donkies, with panniers. There was also the great gold tiger s head, with eyes of pearl and teeth of rock- crystal, surmounted by a peacock flaunting with pre cious stones, taken from Tippoo Saib, and accounted the chief glory of his barbaric throne.

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