DOI issue:
July to December, 1851
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16608#0147
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
135
FOREIGN FAMILIES OF DISTINCTION IN LONDON.
eople have cried out that
there were no foreigners in
London; yet London never
was so full of them as at the
present moment. We almost
believe there are more
foreigners in our metropolis
just now than Englishmen
We only hope that F.-M. the
Duke, and other alarmists of
a Foreign Invasion, have
taken every precaution that
the guards at night are
doubled at the Tower, and
that the Bank is sufficiently
defended to resist a nocturnal
attack.
We not only have foreigners
in units, and parties, and
clubs, but we have whole
families of them coming over,
and exhibiting themselves, it
may be, for the purpose of
Saying their expenses. Lon-
on is presenting to the mind
of the philosopher a pleasant
picture of " Is Monde en Fa-
mille." There is the Syrian
Family at the Egyptian Hall;
the Iroquois Family at Cat-
lin's Exhibition; the Chinese
Family at the Chinese
Gallery ; the Bushranger's
Family at Cremorne ; the Al-
gerine Family at Vauxhall, or
somewhere; the Italian Bro-
thers at Drury Lane ; to say
nothing of the India-rubber Brothers, from all parts of the elastic
world, who go bounding about our public streets. _ If this continues,
we may shortly expect the arrival of the following foreign families
of distinction:—
The Russian Family. They will drink a pint of train oil every two
hours.
The Fbench Family. They will take up their quarters at the
Dramatic Authors' Society. They will go through their wonderful
performances of a French Revolution, erecting a barricade, planting a
tree of liberty, with national songs, &c, twice a day.
The Timbuctoo Brothers, in their native costumes and sheep-
adornments.
The Brothers of the Desert, who will exhibit themselves in the
Exeter 'Change Arcade. A camel has been hired to give due effect to
the celebrated tableau of " The Death of the Camel."
The German Cousins of United Fatherland, to the number of
1032, each little State sending its Cousin. Each Cousin will sing a
song about "Was ist das Vaterland?" claiming it, of course, for his own
little individual State. The whole to conclude with the celebrated
farce of A German Constitution, which will be the signal for all the
1032 German Cousins to take his pipe, and to begin talking and
smoking as vigorously as they can, which will continue for several
hours, and only be concluded with a general fight, and the entry of
Russian soldiers—giving altogether a most striking idea of " United
Fatherland," as understood by our German Cousins.
A Neapolitan Family—all in chains—fettered by the leg to felons
(sent over by the kind permission of the King or Naples).
A Roman Family, with a French soldier standing over them, com-
manding them—women, children, and all—to smoke "in the name of
the Pope.
Should these and more arrive—including specimens of the newly-
discovered race in the interior of Africa—men and women who are said
to have tails, just like monkeys—all the different members of the large
human family" will be assembled for the first time in London. It
would be an interesting sight to collect them all together in the
^rystal Palace, and give them a dinner, with Widdicomb in the chair,
ne being confessedly the oldest member of the Human Family
The Cabbage Rose, Tamisier.
tk^nHuu the broJihers of tbe Oratory met to discuss the last miracle of
•< wV- u ?e' j ag,reed to receive it. Father Wagstaff said meekly,
vvnica ol us, dear brethren, would not embrace the Pope'schou?" A
taint smile passed round the refectory-table, and a table-spoonful of
split-peas was awarded to him as a recompense for the mild joke
THE CUSTOM-HOUSE FILTER.
This is the slowest Filter on record. It is for the use of steam
vessels. As soon as the steam-vessel arrives off the Custom-House,
the whole contents of it are poured headlong into the J! liter. It is
most amusing, then, to watch the process of filtration For two hours,
rather more than less, are the contents kept locked up m the H liter.
This is to allow them properly to settle. The space m which they are
stowed away is not large; it being necessary to keep the body as
closely packed together as possible, so that nothing may be lost m the
process. As soon as the two hours have expired, a small door is opened
at one of the extreme ends, and the rush is tremendous, the object
is to prevent this rush, and accordingly the opening is made smaller
and smaller, till at last it is with difficulty anything can be got to pass
through it. The filtering then begins. It is extremely slow—so slow,
that it is only after hours that you can perceive that the body ol people
locked up for filtration has in the least diminished in density. Only
one person is allowed to drop through at a time—so that if there are
three hundred persons waiting for their turn, it can easily be imagined
how long it will take before the whole mass can be cleared away, until
not a drop remains behind. Sometimes a heavy trunk blocks up the
narrow aperture. The filtration is then suspended, and the whole
forces of the Custom-House are brought to bear upon the removal ot
the heavy trunk. Portmanteaus and carpet-bags are squeezed more
easily through; but reticules and ladies' boxes are sad stumbling-
blocks, owing to the number of bottles (whether of Fau-de-Cologne or
Eau-de-vie, we cannot discuss,) that impede the free circulation. A bit of
sponge, placed in the palm of the hand in contact with a piece of silver,
will sometimes expedite, it is said, the filtration; but though the Custom-
House officers will lend their hands freely enough to the sponging
system, it has but very little effect upon the Filter itself, which seems
to take so many hours to empty itself, and will not be emptied sooner.
This Filter will keep in any climate; but nowhere does it act so well
as at the Custom-House in London.
The following Testimonials, which we are happy to subjoin, will prove
its wonderful efficacy :—
" Gentlemen,
" I have used your Custom-House Filter, and am bound to
say that it acts slower than any other Filter I know. It is true it
leaves behind it a slight deposit of 6d. each package; but then the
settlement of this is got right rid of so very quickly, that 1 am sure no
one can possibly object to it.
"I remain, Gentlemen, your grateful servant,
"Ebenezer Oldfile."
" Gentlemen,
" I have been in the habit of using your Extraordinary Filter,
now, for the last ten years ; and I must say that I know nothing like it
in the world. This is high praise; but not more than you deserve ; for
I can safely say, that though I have been a traveller all my life, I never
met with any Filter that did its work half so searchingly, or so slowly,
as your Custom-House Filter; but the very slowness of its operations
is the strongest guarantee that nothing escapes it; for your Filter has
the particular faculty of clearing the smallest thing that passes
through it. (Signed) " Captain Carr. (Travellers'Club)."
" Gentlemen,
" I can answer for the cleanliness of your Filter ; for when I
went into it I had as much as fifteen shillings in my pocket; but when
I was ' cleared through,' I was so beautifully cleaned out, that I had
not a single sixpence left. « jACK Towell.
" To Her Majesty's Officers and Commissioners of Customs."
We have desks full of other testimonials. Some from young ladies,
sighing to reach home; some from elderly ladies, complaining after a
long voyage of sea-sickness and fatigue, but still bearing testimony as
to how wonderfully the Filter had relieved them ; and others from poor
foreigners, alluding in terms of comical distress to that same relief—
" for when they landed in England," they say, " they might be full of
apprehensions as to the future, with only a few shillings in their pockets,
in a foreign country; but they no sooner left the Custom-House Filter,
than they felt relieved of everything." All these testimonials breathe
the same sweet tone of unequivocal praise; but, after those we have
already printed, no one, we think, can have a doubt as to the admirable
workings of the Custom-House Filter. If he has, only let him take
a journey to Ostend and back again to London, and we are sure he wul
be convinced at once.
Tea for the Navy.
Somebody has just undertaken to supply no less than 50,000 pounds
of tea for the use of the Navy. This is a good sign, and the next piece
of agreeable news we expect to hear is, that tea will be the only sort of
gunpowder that our Navy requires.
135
FOREIGN FAMILIES OF DISTINCTION IN LONDON.
eople have cried out that
there were no foreigners in
London; yet London never
was so full of them as at the
present moment. We almost
believe there are more
foreigners in our metropolis
just now than Englishmen
We only hope that F.-M. the
Duke, and other alarmists of
a Foreign Invasion, have
taken every precaution that
the guards at night are
doubled at the Tower, and
that the Bank is sufficiently
defended to resist a nocturnal
attack.
We not only have foreigners
in units, and parties, and
clubs, but we have whole
families of them coming over,
and exhibiting themselves, it
may be, for the purpose of
Saying their expenses. Lon-
on is presenting to the mind
of the philosopher a pleasant
picture of " Is Monde en Fa-
mille." There is the Syrian
Family at the Egyptian Hall;
the Iroquois Family at Cat-
lin's Exhibition; the Chinese
Family at the Chinese
Gallery ; the Bushranger's
Family at Cremorne ; the Al-
gerine Family at Vauxhall, or
somewhere; the Italian Bro-
thers at Drury Lane ; to say
nothing of the India-rubber Brothers, from all parts of the elastic
world, who go bounding about our public streets. _ If this continues,
we may shortly expect the arrival of the following foreign families
of distinction:—
The Russian Family. They will drink a pint of train oil every two
hours.
The Fbench Family. They will take up their quarters at the
Dramatic Authors' Society. They will go through their wonderful
performances of a French Revolution, erecting a barricade, planting a
tree of liberty, with national songs, &c, twice a day.
The Timbuctoo Brothers, in their native costumes and sheep-
adornments.
The Brothers of the Desert, who will exhibit themselves in the
Exeter 'Change Arcade. A camel has been hired to give due effect to
the celebrated tableau of " The Death of the Camel."
The German Cousins of United Fatherland, to the number of
1032, each little State sending its Cousin. Each Cousin will sing a
song about "Was ist das Vaterland?" claiming it, of course, for his own
little individual State. The whole to conclude with the celebrated
farce of A German Constitution, which will be the signal for all the
1032 German Cousins to take his pipe, and to begin talking and
smoking as vigorously as they can, which will continue for several
hours, and only be concluded with a general fight, and the entry of
Russian soldiers—giving altogether a most striking idea of " United
Fatherland," as understood by our German Cousins.
A Neapolitan Family—all in chains—fettered by the leg to felons
(sent over by the kind permission of the King or Naples).
A Roman Family, with a French soldier standing over them, com-
manding them—women, children, and all—to smoke "in the name of
the Pope.
Should these and more arrive—including specimens of the newly-
discovered race in the interior of Africa—men and women who are said
to have tails, just like monkeys—all the different members of the large
human family" will be assembled for the first time in London. It
would be an interesting sight to collect them all together in the
^rystal Palace, and give them a dinner, with Widdicomb in the chair,
ne being confessedly the oldest member of the Human Family
The Cabbage Rose, Tamisier.
tk^nHuu the broJihers of tbe Oratory met to discuss the last miracle of
•< wV- u ?e' j ag,reed to receive it. Father Wagstaff said meekly,
vvnica ol us, dear brethren, would not embrace the Pope'schou?" A
taint smile passed round the refectory-table, and a table-spoonful of
split-peas was awarded to him as a recompense for the mild joke
THE CUSTOM-HOUSE FILTER.
This is the slowest Filter on record. It is for the use of steam
vessels. As soon as the steam-vessel arrives off the Custom-House,
the whole contents of it are poured headlong into the J! liter. It is
most amusing, then, to watch the process of filtration For two hours,
rather more than less, are the contents kept locked up m the H liter.
This is to allow them properly to settle. The space m which they are
stowed away is not large; it being necessary to keep the body as
closely packed together as possible, so that nothing may be lost m the
process. As soon as the two hours have expired, a small door is opened
at one of the extreme ends, and the rush is tremendous, the object
is to prevent this rush, and accordingly the opening is made smaller
and smaller, till at last it is with difficulty anything can be got to pass
through it. The filtering then begins. It is extremely slow—so slow,
that it is only after hours that you can perceive that the body ol people
locked up for filtration has in the least diminished in density. Only
one person is allowed to drop through at a time—so that if there are
three hundred persons waiting for their turn, it can easily be imagined
how long it will take before the whole mass can be cleared away, until
not a drop remains behind. Sometimes a heavy trunk blocks up the
narrow aperture. The filtration is then suspended, and the whole
forces of the Custom-House are brought to bear upon the removal ot
the heavy trunk. Portmanteaus and carpet-bags are squeezed more
easily through; but reticules and ladies' boxes are sad stumbling-
blocks, owing to the number of bottles (whether of Fau-de-Cologne or
Eau-de-vie, we cannot discuss,) that impede the free circulation. A bit of
sponge, placed in the palm of the hand in contact with a piece of silver,
will sometimes expedite, it is said, the filtration; but though the Custom-
House officers will lend their hands freely enough to the sponging
system, it has but very little effect upon the Filter itself, which seems
to take so many hours to empty itself, and will not be emptied sooner.
This Filter will keep in any climate; but nowhere does it act so well
as at the Custom-House in London.
The following Testimonials, which we are happy to subjoin, will prove
its wonderful efficacy :—
" Gentlemen,
" I have used your Custom-House Filter, and am bound to
say that it acts slower than any other Filter I know. It is true it
leaves behind it a slight deposit of 6d. each package; but then the
settlement of this is got right rid of so very quickly, that 1 am sure no
one can possibly object to it.
"I remain, Gentlemen, your grateful servant,
"Ebenezer Oldfile."
" Gentlemen,
" I have been in the habit of using your Extraordinary Filter,
now, for the last ten years ; and I must say that I know nothing like it
in the world. This is high praise; but not more than you deserve ; for
I can safely say, that though I have been a traveller all my life, I never
met with any Filter that did its work half so searchingly, or so slowly,
as your Custom-House Filter; but the very slowness of its operations
is the strongest guarantee that nothing escapes it; for your Filter has
the particular faculty of clearing the smallest thing that passes
through it. (Signed) " Captain Carr. (Travellers'Club)."
" Gentlemen,
" I can answer for the cleanliness of your Filter ; for when I
went into it I had as much as fifteen shillings in my pocket; but when
I was ' cleared through,' I was so beautifully cleaned out, that I had
not a single sixpence left. « jACK Towell.
" To Her Majesty's Officers and Commissioners of Customs."
We have desks full of other testimonials. Some from young ladies,
sighing to reach home; some from elderly ladies, complaining after a
long voyage of sea-sickness and fatigue, but still bearing testimony as
to how wonderfully the Filter had relieved them ; and others from poor
foreigners, alluding in terms of comical distress to that same relief—
" for when they landed in England," they say, " they might be full of
apprehensions as to the future, with only a few shillings in their pockets,
in a foreign country; but they no sooner left the Custom-House Filter,
than they felt relieved of everything." All these testimonials breathe
the same sweet tone of unequivocal praise; but, after those we have
already printed, no one, we think, can have a doubt as to the admirable
workings of the Custom-House Filter. If he has, only let him take
a journey to Ostend and back again to London, and we are sure he wul
be convinced at once.
Tea for the Navy.
Somebody has just undertaken to supply no less than 50,000 pounds
of tea for the use of the Navy. This is a good sign, and the next piece
of agreeable news we expect to hear is, that tea will be the only sort of
gunpowder that our Navy requires.