gave him, as lord of the manor, the privilege of an annual fair on the 18th of October, the day when this occurrence took place. His envious compeers, unwilling that the fame of this event should die, gave the awkward name of Cuckold's Point to the river boundary of his property, and called the fair, Horn Fair, which it has borne ever since.

But olden records, more trustworthy than traditions, inform us that the fair was established by Henry III. in the year 1268. How long it has borne the name of Horn Fair is not known. Phillipot, who wrote in the year 1659, says, it was called Horn Fair in his day, on account of the great plenty of windinghorns, cups, spoons, and various utensils made of that material, that were sold in it. A burlesque procession used formerly to be made at Deptford, which passed through Greenwich to Charlton, each person wearing a pair of branching antlers upon his head, and thinking himself privileged for that day to play all sorts of indecent tricks upon the women.

This was

at length found such an intolerable nuisance, that it was suppressed in the year 1768.

The church of Charlton was repaired and beautified at a considerable expense, by the executors of Sir Adam Newton, out of funds

left by him for this purpose. Among the monuments is one to the memory of Mr. Craggs the elder, so famous in his day for his participation in the South Sea scheme, and to whose son, Secretary of State in 1720, and also implicated in South Sea transactions, Pope wrote one of his poetical epistles. Hanging Wood, between the churchyard and the Thames, is a sequestered spot of woodland, affording many fine views of the river, and the opposite shores of Essex.

Woolwich, the next place that solicits attention on the banks of the river, raises its giant cranes and its huge dock-houses, to proclaim its character, and make it evident to the stranger at the first glance. This busy and populous town first rose into importance in the reign of Henry VII. when its dockyard, afterwards called, by Camden, the mother dock of England, was first established, but in what year is uncertain. In the third year of Henry VIII. a great ship, the greatest until that time seen in England, was launched from Woolwich Dock, and called the "Harry Grace de Dieu.” In the reign of Elizabeth, another large vessel, which also bore the royal name, was launched from the same place, the Queen honouring the ceremony with her presence. Before this time

Woolwich was but a little fishing-village, liable from its low situation, to frequent inundations of the river. The lower part of the town is still dirty and miserable; but on the common and the heights towards Shooter's Hill, is clean, well built, and agreeable. It is a common saying of the people at Woolwich, that more wealth passes through their parish than through any other in the kingdom, which is explained by the fact, that the parish comprises a considerable portion of land on the other side of the river, and that consequently the Thames, and all the multitude of vessels bound to the port of London, pass through it.

Woolwich is chiefly famous for its dock, its arsenal, and its barracks. In time of war, like its rival at Deptford, the dock is a scene of great activity and bustle; but little is done in time of peace. There are generally, however, two or three ships of war upon the stocks, affording employment to several hundred workThe arsenal, the grand depot of military stores for England, and the foundry of its cannon, is an establishment more remarkable. The circumstances that led to its foundation are also extremely interesting.

men.

Until 1716, the chief foundry of the ordnance, was at Moorfields, London. In that year it was determined to recast several heavy pieces of artillery, which had been taken from the French by the Duke of Marlborough. A public exhibition of the process was announced; scaffolding, for the accommodation of great numbers of people, was erected, and, on the appointed morning, crowds of ladies and gentlemen had assembled. Among other persons attracted to see the sight, was a young Swiss, named Andrew Schalch, a native of Schaffhausen, who was travelling in England, in conformity to a law of his canton, which obliges all artificers to visit foreign countries for instruction and improvement before they

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establish themselves in their own.

He was on the ground from an early hour in the morning, and soon discovered that the moulds in which the cannon were to be cast, were not sufficiently dry. He saw the danger, and immediately sought Colonel Armstrong, the Surveyor-general of the Ordnance, whom he warned of the terrible explosion that might ensue if the fault were not remedied. His warning was disregarded; so telling all his friends to leave the place, he took his departure. His prediction was but too fatally verified. The heated metal poured into the damp moulds, generated a quantity of steam: the moulds burst, and the burning iron flew about in all directions, tearing down the roof and galleries, and killing many people, and maiming many more.

Upon the news of this calamity reaching the government, George I. resolved that the foundry should be removed to a distance from London. Colonel Armstrong, when it was too late, remembered the warning of the stranger, and determined at the same time to secure the future services of a man who had so intimate a knowledge of his profession. Not knowing his name, or where to find him, he caused an advertisement to be inserted in the public journals, mentioning the circumstances of their in