just as the old court-house makes a capital
store-room. No, sir, I don't know who they
tried there; shipping cases and divorces, and
sometimes a bit of blasphemy agin the bishops,
that's what the ticket-porter told me, though it
seems a funny mixture, don't it, sir? The
marks on the walls are where the doctors'
portraits hung. All round the court they seem to
have been, and the room next to us" — we had
moved into the ex-justice-hall now " — is where
they changed their clothes, and kept their furs
and gowns. We keep stores there too,
but of a very different sort. Benches and
tables, lamps and buckets, hose and engine
gear, that's what we have here, for there's
a powerful lot o' new stock wanted for the
stations we're going to have. You see, sir,
we divide London into four great districts, A,
B, C, and D. Each of these has a centre station,
with one set of telegraph wires running
to every other station in the district, and another
communicating with what you may call the
head-centre in Watling-street, where Captain
Shaw is. The whole of the men at these stations
can be signalled to, and got at in a few
minutes; and directly the system's complete,
London will be right well protected from fire.

' Why was our government changed? Well,
you see London has increased so much that
the present Fire Brigade stations and staff
weren't sufficient. The best authorities said
there might be a terrible disaster if a big
fire came; for the little parish engines were
worse than useless, getting in our way, and a
hindrance instead of a help. They all had rewards
for being first on the spot, not first to give
aid in extinguishing, mind you, but first there,
so it wasn't of much consequence to them
whether they did much or little. This got
wind at last, don't you see, sir — we'd known it
long enough, but it weren't for us to speak—
and it was thoroughly understood that the
present protection wasn't enough. Well, the
insurance offices, on being applied to, found
they couldn't afford to put the brigade on a
really proper footing, and the end was that the
Board of Works had the whole affair handed
over to them, the offices agreeing to pay ten
thousand pounds a year towards keeping it up.
Ten thousand nearly enough? God bless you
no, sir, nothing like it! Why, the Board 'has
altogether about fifty-two thousand pounds a
year for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, and has
had since the 1st of January, 1866. The
government pays ten thousand pounds a year on
account of the public offices, and about thirty-
two thousand pounds more is raised by a half-
penny rate."

Making some slight allowance for class
prejudice, I believe my friend's statements to be
strictly accurate. Interminable delays and
wearying debates have prevented the large
sum placed at the disposal of the Board of
Works being properly utilised. London is at
this time insufficiently protected, for want of
engines and men, as well as for want of branch
stations at which to post them, and the taking
and fitting up these stations has been simply
deferred through the dilatoriness and
procrastination apparently inseparable from
departmental or rather representative management.
Those who have assisted at the debates
of the Board of Works will remember
how frequently and with what terrible fluency
honourable members have disputed point after
point connected with the Fire Brigade establishment,
and it would be instructive if the public
could be informed now exactly what has been
done and what left undone in consequence, since
the commencement of 1866.

Later in the day we accepted an invitation to
go over one of the barracks of the brigade, and
learnt more of its discipline and management
from our friendly fireman. Nearer the riverside
than Doctors' Commons, this barrack is a
few minutes' walk from it, and consists of three
large warehouses and dwelling-houses thrown
into one. The new thoroughfare already
mentioned as in course of formation has thrown
whole streets into the hands of the Board of
Works; and until the time arrives for these
to be demolished most of their houses remain
unoccupied. The barrack we are in is
composed of such houses. A man in uniform
is on guard in the little entrance-chamber. The
belt he wears denotes that he is in charge, and
he answers all questions as to the whereabouts
and occupation of different members of the
staff with prompt alacrity. A deliriously
savoury smell greets us as we pass up-stairs, and
crossing a spotlessly clean little chamber with
"Wipe your feet " chalked in large letters
opposite its door, we come upon two of the
brigade who are told off for " mess duty."
Busily stirring a toothsome-looking caldron,
clattering plates and dishes, and making rapid
preparation for their hungry comrades, the two
young fellows grin knowingly as we pass, and
answer my companion's question, "Got anything
good for dinner to-day?" by artfully tilting a
lid, and so sending up such a gush of savoury
odour that we hurried away desperately, and
with watering mouths.

"A sailor that young fellow, sir, before he
joined the brigade; always make the best cooks
do sailors, but it's strict turn and turn about,
though, here; and they all take mess duty for a
time. Now you see these sleeping-rooms are
nice and comfortable, and have been fitted up
at very small cost. The captain gives out of
stores an iron bedstead, a blanket, and a rug
for each man directly he joins. He has to find
bed-linen himself; and if he don't do this within
a week, he forfeits the rest. Then his bedstead
is ticketed with his name, as you see
here; and wherever the man's drafted, he takes
it with him. This, you'll understand, is a training
school for the new hands, and none of 'em
are allowed to take real duty until they've
been here two months." In addition to the
daily drill, providing for every contingency
which can possibly take place at a fire, an
elaborate course of instruction is given. The
recruit is employed day after day in manipulating