after health. Yet hope "adorns and
cheers their way."
." They may console
themselves with the expectation which
physicians encourage, that the most
marked advantage of treatment at Karls-
bad is often reaped after many days.
Thus, both those who rejoice in renewed
health, and those who anticipate a like
blessing in the future, have good cause
for gratitude; and they may, with hearts
nearly as light as their purses, bid a hearty
farewell to Karlsbad, the beautiful and
beneficent queen of Bohemian watering.
places.

W. FRASER Rae.

From Chambers' Journal. CURIOSITIES OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND. CONSIDERING the world-wide reputation of the Bank of England, it is remarkable how little is generally known as to its internal working, Standing in the very heart of the largest city in the world—a central landmark of the great metropolis

ginning has grown the present gigantic establishment, which covers nearly three acres, and employs in town and country nearly nine hundred officials. Upon the latest renewal of its charter, the Bank was divided into two distinct departments, the issue and the banking. In addition to these, the Bank has the management of the national debt. The books of the various government funds are here kept; here all transfers are made, and here all dividends are paid.

In the banking department is transacted the ordinary business of bankers. Here other banks keep their "reserve," and hence draw their supplies as they require them. The issue department is intrusted with the circulation of the notes of the Bank, which is regulated as follows. The Bank in 1844 was a creditor of the government to the extent of rather over eleven million pounds, and to this amount and four million pounds beyond, for which there is in other ways sufficient security, the Bank is allowed to issue notes without having gold in reserve to meet them. Beyond these fifteen million pounds, every even the busy Londoners around it note issued represents gold actually in the have, as a rule, only the vaguest possible coffers of the Bank. The total value of knowledge of what goes on within its the notes in the hands of the public at one walls. In truth, its functions are so many, time averages about twenty-five million its staff so enormous, and their duties so pounds. To these must be added other varied, that many even of those who have notes to a very large amount in the hands spent their lives in its service will tell you of the banking department, which deposthat, beyond their own immediate depart-its the bulk of its reserve of gold in the ments, they know but little of its inner issue department, accepting notes in exlife. Its mere history, as recorded by Mr. change. Francis, fills two octavo volumes. It will be readily understood, therefore, that it would be idle to attempt anything like a complete description of it within the compass of a magazine article. There are, however, many points about the bank and its working which are extremely curious and interesting, and some of these we propose briefly to describe.

The Bank of England originated in the brain of William Paterson, a Scotchman - better known, perhaps, as the organizer and leader of the ill-fated Darien expedition. It commenced business in 1694, its charter which was in the first instance granted for eleven years only-bearing date the 27th July of that year. This charter has been from time to time renewed, the last renewal having taken place in 1844. The original capital of the Bank was but one million two hundred thousand pounds, and it carried on its business in a single room in Mercers' Hall, with a staff of fifty-four clerks. From so small a be

All Bank of England notes are printed in the Bank itself. Six printing presses are in constant operation, the same machine printing first the particulars of value, signature, etc., and then the number of the note in consecutive order. The paper used is of very peculiar texture, being at once thin, tough, and crisp; and the combination of these qualities, together with the peculiarities of the watermark, which is distributed over the whole surface of the paper, forms one of the principal guarantees against imitation. The paper, which is manufactured exclusively at one particular mill, is made in oblong slips, allowing just enough space for the printing of two notes side by side. The edges of the paper are left untrimmed, but after printing the two notes are divided by a straight cut between them. This accounts for the fact, which many of our readers will doubtless have noticed, that only one edge of a bank-note is smooth, the other three being comparatively ragged. The

printing-presses are so constructed as to | numbered consecutively ad infinitum, but register each note printed, so that the ma- in series of one to one hundred thousand, chine itself indicates automatically how the different series being distinguished as many notes have passed through it. The between themselves by the date, which average production of notes is fifty thou- appears in full in the body of the note, and sand a day, and about the same number is further indicated, to the initiated, by are presented in the same time for pay- the letter and numerals prefixed to the actual number. Thus 25 90758 on the face of a note indicates that the note in question is No. 90758 of the series printed on May 21, 1883, which date appears in full in the body of the note. in like manner indicates that the note forms part of a series printed on February 19, 1883. In "taking the number " of a note, therefore, either this prefix or the full date, as stated in the body of the note, should always be included.

clinker; but the composition of the ink | thrusts, one to the right, one to the left, has been altered, and the paper now burns but at slightly different levels. If the to a fine gray ash. The fumes of the coin be of full weight, the balance is held burning paper are extremely dense and in equipoise, and the right-hand bolt makpungent; and to prevent any nuisance ing its thrust, pushes it off the plate and arising from this cause, the process of down an adjacent tube into the receptacle cremation is carried out at dead of night, for full-weight coin. If, on the other when the city is comparatively deserted. hand, the coin is ever so little “light,” the Further, in order to mitigate the density balance naturally rises with it. The of the fumes, they are made to ascend right-hand bolt makes its thrust as before, through a shower of falling water, the but this time passes harmlessly beneath chimney shaft being fitted with a special the coin. Then comes the thrust of the shower bath arrangement for this purpose. left-hand bolt, which, as we have said, is Passing away from the necropolis of fixed at a fractionally higher level, and dead and buried notes, we visit the treas-pushes the coin down a tube on the oppoury, whence they originally issued. This site side, through which it falls into the is a quiet-looking room, scarcely more imposing in appearance than the butler's pantry in a West-end mansion, but the modest-looking cupboards with which its walls are lined are gorged with hidden treasure. The possible value of the contents of this room may be imagined from the fact that a million of money, in notes of one thousand pounds, forms a packet only three inches thick. The writer has had the privilege of holding such a parcel in his hand, and for a quarter of a minute imagining himself a millionaire - with an income of over thirty thousand per annum for life. The same amount might occupy even less space than the above, for Mr. Francis tells a story of a lost note for thirty thousand pounds, which, turning up after the lapse of many years, was paid by the Bank twice over. We are informed that notes of even a higher value than this have on occasion been printed, but the highest denomination now issued is one thousand pounds.

In this department is kept a portion of the Bank's stock of golden coin, in bags of one thousand pounds each. This amount does not require a very large bag for its accommodation, but its weight is considerable, amounting to two hundred and fifty-eight ounces twenty penny. weights, so that a million in gold would weigh some tons. In another room of this department the weighing office-are seen the machines for detecting light coin. These machines are marvels of ingenious mechanism. Three or four hun dred sovereigns are laid in a long brass scoop or semi-tube, of such a diameter as to admit them comfortably, and self-regulating to such an incline that the coins gradually slide down by their own weight on to one plate of a little balance placed at its lower extremity. Across the face of this plate two little bolts make alternate

light-coin receptacle. The coins thus condemned are afterwards dropped into another machine, which defaces them by a cut half-way across their diameter, at the rate of two hundred a minute. The weighing machines, of which there are sixteen, are actuated by a small atmospheric engine in one corner of the room, the only manual assistance required being to keep them supplied with coins. It is said that sixty thousand sovereigns and half-sovereigns can be weighed here in a single day. The weighing machine in question is the invention of Mr. Cotton, a former governor of the Bank, and among scientific men is regarded as one of the most striking achievements of practical mechanics.

In the bullion department we find another weighing machine of a different character, but in its way equally remarkable. It is the first of its kind, having been designed specially for the Bank by Mr. James Murdoch Napier, by whom it has been patented. It is used for the purpose of weighing bullion, which is purchased in this department. Gold is brought in in bars of about eight inches long, three wide, and one inch thick. A bar of gold of these dimensions will weigh about two hundred ounces, and is worth, if pure, about eight hundred pounds. Each bar when brought in is accompanied by a memorandum of its weight. The question of quality is determined by the process of assaying; the weight is checked by means of the weighing machine we have referred to. This takes the form of an extremely massive pair of scales, working on a beam of immense strength and solidity, and is based, so as to be absolutely rigid, on a solid bed of concrete. The whole stands about six feet high by three wide, and is inclosed in an air-tight plate-glass case, a sash in

which is raised when it is desired to use | could accommodate. Such, however, is the machine. The two sides of the scale very far from being the case. The safeare each kept permanently loaded, the guards against robbery, either by force or one with a single weight of three hundred fraud, are many and elaborate. At night and sixty ounces, the other with a number the Bank is guarded at all accessible of weights of various sizes to the same points by an ample military force, which amount. When it is desired to test the would no doubt give a good account of weight of a bar of gold, weights to the any intruder rash enough to attempt to amount stated in the corresponding mem- gain an entrance. In the event of attack orandum, less half an ounce, are removed from without, there are sliding galleries from the latter scale, and the bar of gold which can be thrust out from the roof, substituted in their place. Up to this and which would enable a body of sharppoint the beam of the scale is kept per- shooters to rake the streets in all direcfectly horizontal, being maintained in that tions. position by a mechanical break; but now a stud is pressed, and by means of delicate machinery, actuated by water-power, the beam is released. If the weight of the bar has been correctly stated in the memorandum, the scale which holds it should be exactly half an ounce in excess. This or any less excess of weight over the three hundred and sixty ounces in the opposite scale is instantly registered by the machine, a pointer travelling round a dial until it indicates the proper amount. The function of the machine, however, is limited to weighing half an ounce only. If the discrepancy between the two scales as loaded is greater than this, or if on the other hand the bar of gold is more than half an ounce less than the amount stated in the memorandum, an electric bell rings by way of warning, the pointer travels right round the dial, and returns to zero. So delicate is the adjustment, that the weight of half-a-penny postage stamp-lies buried. somewhat less than half a grain - will set the hand in motion and be recorded on the dial.

Few people are aware that the Bank of England contains within its walls a graveyard, but such is nevertheless the fact. The Gordon riots in 1780, during which the bank was attacked by a mob, called attention to the necessity for strengthening its defences. Competent authorities advised that an adjoining church, rejoicing in the appropriate name of St. Christopher-le-Stocks, was in a military sense a source of danger, and accordingly an Act of Parliament was passed to enable the directors to purchase the church and its appurtenances. The old churchyard, tastefully laid out, now forms what is known as the Bank garden, the handsome "court room," or bank parlor, abutting on one of its sides. There is a magnifi cent lime-tree, one of the largest in London, in the centre of the garden, and tradition states that under this tree a former clerk of the bank, eight feet high,

The stock of gold in the bullion vault varies from one to three million pounds sterling. The bars are laid side by side on small flat trucks or barrows, carrying one hundred bars each. In a glass case in this vault is seen a portion of the war indemnity paid by King Coffee of Ashan."Ulysses." tee, consisting of gold ornaments, a little short of standard fineness.

From The Athenæum. EDMUND YATES.*

THE device prefixed to these amusing and sprightly volumes is adapted, with all modesty and decorum, from the laureate's "Much have I seen and

known," says Mr. Yates,
cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments;
and here he skips a verse — - which, in-
deed, he could hardly have quoted without
a certain suggestion of egoism - and goes
on, very properly and prettily, to tell how
he has drunk delight of battle with his
peers, as Thackeray, and James Hannay,
and Robert Brough, and the correspon.
dents of divers enterprising journals.

One of the first reflections that strike an outsider permitted to inspect the repository of so much treasure is," Can all this wealth be safe?" These heaps of precious metal, these piles of still more precious notes, are handled by the officials in such an easy-going, matter-of-course way, that one would almost fancy a few thousands would scarcely be missed; and that a dishonest person had only to walk in and help himself to as many sovereigns Edmund Yates: his Recollections and Experior hundred-pound notes as his pockets ences. 2 vols. Bentley & Son.