It seemed a very good and well-arranged collection in
most departments of Natural History, and J-----, who takes more interest
in these matters than I do, was much delighted. We were left to examine
the hall and galleries quite at our leisure. Besides the specimens of
beasts, birds, shells, fishes, minerals, fossils, insects, and all other
natural things before the flood and since, there was a stone bearing a
Roman inscription, and various antiquities, coins, and medals, and
likewise portraits, some of which were old and curious.
Leaving the museum, we walked down to the stone bridge over the Severn,
which is here the largest river I have seen in England, except, of
course, the Mersey and the Thames. A flight of steps leads from the
bridge down to a walk along the river-side, and this we followed till we
reached the spot where an angler was catching chubs and dace, under the
walls of the bishop's palace, which here faces the river. It seems to be
an old building, but with modern repairs and improvements. The angler
had pretty good success while we were looking at him, drawing out two or
three silvery fish, and depositing them in his basket, which was already
more than half full. The Severn is not a transparent stream, and looks
sluggish, but has really movement enough to carry the angler's float
along pretty fast. There were two vessels of considerable size (that is,
as large as small schooners) lying at the bridge.
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