September 3rd, 1872. Cloudy.

By gracious permission of the royal household, we were shown round Buckingham Palace, accompanied by Sir Harry Parkes and General Alexander. The building of the palace was begun in the reign of George IV and completed after the accession of the present queen. To front and rear, and to the left, there are extensive gardens, which lack any slopes or elevations but present a pleasing prospect when seen from the upper storeys of the building. The palace is built entirely of white stone. The columns, walls and beams are carved with the greatest skill. The walls inside are covered with gorgeous hangings, and everywhere there is the sumptuous glow of gold-leaf and the brilliant gleam of precious stones. Room after room is adorned with priceless objects and curios, and there is an endless collection of superb pictures whose beauty dazzles the eye. The person who showed us round, however, said that none of this could stand comparison with the magnificence of the Tuileries palace in Paris. We were not permitted to go into the queen's dressing-room and bedroom. She had departed for her holiday in Scotland leaving them in the state of disorder in which they had been while she was in residence, so her staff did not want strangers to see them.