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employed　to　unload　vessels。　　They　wore　loose　canvas　jackets　with　a

broad　hem　in　the　bottom；　turned　inside；　so　as　to　form　a　large

circular　pocket　in　which　they　could　conceal；　like　clowns　in

pantomimes；　packages　of　surprising　sizes。　　A　great　deal　of　property

was　stolen　in　this　manner　（Pea　confided　to　me）　from　steamers；

first；　because　steamers　carry　a　larger　number　of　small　packages

than　other　ships；　next；　because　of　the　extreme　rapidity　with　which

they　are　obliged　to　be　unladen　for　their　return　voyages。　　The

Lumpers　dispose　of　their　booty　easily　to　marine　store　dealers；　and

the　only　remedy　to　be　suggested　is　that　marine　store　shops　should

be　licensed；　and　thus　brought　under　the　eye　of　the　police　as

rigidly　as　public…houses。　　Lumpers　also　smuggle　goods　ashore　for

the　crews　of　vessels。　　The　smuggling　of　tobacco　is　so　considerable；

that　it　is　well　worth　the　while　of　the　sellers　of　smuggled　tobacco

to　use　hydraulic　presses；　to　squeeze　a　single　pound　into　a　package

small　enough　to　be　contained　in　an　ordinary　pocket。　　Next；　said　my

friend　Pea；　there　were　the　Truckers　…　less　thieves　than　smugglers；

whose　business　it　was　to　land　more　considerable　parcels　of　goods

than　the　Lumpers　could　manage。　　They　sometimes　sold　articles　of

grocery　and　so　forth；　to　the　crews；　in　order　to　cloak　their　real

calling；　and　get　aboard　without　suspicion。　　Many　of　them　had　boats

of　their　own；　and　made　money。　　Besides　these；　there　were　the

Dredgermen；　who；　under　pretence　of　dredging　up　coals　and　such　like

from　the　bottom　of　the　river；　hung　about　barges　and　other　undecked

craft；　and　when　they　saw　an　opportunity；　threw　any　property　they

could　lay　their　hands　on　overboard：　in　order　slyly　to　dredge　it　up

when　the　vessel　was　gone。　　Sometimes；　they　dexterously　used　their

dredges　to　whip　away　anything　that　might　lie　within　reach。　　Some　of

them　were　mighty　neat　at　this；　and　the　accomplishment　was　called

dry　dredging。　　Then；　there　was　a　vast　deal　of　property；　such　as

copper　nails；　sheathing；　hardwood；　&c。；　habitually　brought　away　by

shipwrights　and　other　workmen　from　their　employers'　yards；　and

disposed　of　to　marine　store　dealers；　many　of　whom　escaped　detection

through　hard　swearing；　and　their　extraordinary　artful　ways　of

accounting　for　the　possession　of　stolen　property。　　Likewise；　there

were　special…pleading　practitioners；　for　whom　barges　'drifted　away

of　their　own　selves'　…　they　having　no　hand　in　it；　except　first

cutting　them　loose；　and　afterwards　plundering　them　…　innocents；

meaning　no　harm；　who　had　the　misfortune　to　observe　those　foundlings

wandering　about　the　Thames。



We　were　now　going　in　and　out；　with　little　noise　and　great　nicety；

among　the　tiers　of　shipping；　whose　many　hulls；　lying　close

together；　rose　out　of　the　water　like　black　streets。　　Here　and

there；　a　Scotch；　an　Irish；　or　a　foreign　steamer；　getting　up　her

steam　as　the　tide　made；　looked；　with　her　great　chimney　and　high

sides；　like　a　quiet　factory　among　the　common　buildings。　　Now；　the

streets　opened　into　clearer　spaces；　now　contracted　into　alleys；　but

the　tiers　were　so　like　houses；　in　the　dark；　that　I　could　almost

have　believed　myself　in　the　narrower　bye…ways　of　Venice。

Everything　was　wonderfully　still；　for；　it　wanted　full　three　hours

of　flood；　and　nothing　seemed　awake　but　a　dog　here　and　there。



So　we　took　no　Tier…rangers　captive；　nor　any　Lumpers；　nor　Truckers；

nor　Dredgermen；　nor　other　evil…disposed　person　or　persons；　but　went

ashore　at　Wapping；　where　the　old　Thames　Police　office　is　now　a

station…house；　and　where　the　old　Court；　with　its　cabin　windows

looking　on　the　river；　is　a　quaint　charge　room：　with　nothing　worse

in　it　usually　than　a　stuffed　cat　in　a　glass　case；　and　a　portrait；

pleasant　to　behold；　of　a　rare　old　Thames　Police　officer；　Mr。

Superintendent　Evans；　now　succeeded　by　his　son。　　We　looked　over　the

charge　books；　admirably　kept；　and　found　the　prevention　so　good　that

there　were　not　five　hundred　entries　（including　drunken　and

disorderly）　in　a　whole　year。　　Then；　we　looked　into　the　store…room；

where　there　was　an　oakum　smell；　and　a　nautical　seasoning　of

dreadnought　clothing；　rope　yarn；　boat…hooks；　sculls　and　oars；　spare

stretchers；　rudders；　pistols；　cutlasses；　and　the　like。　　Then；　into

the　cell；　aired　high　up　in　the　wooden　wall　through　an　opening　like

a　kitchen　plate…rack：　wherein　there　was　a　drunken　man；　not　at　all

warm；　and　very　wishful　to　know　if　it　were　morning　yet。　　Then；　into

a　better　sort　of　watch　and　ward　room；　where　there　was　a　squadron　of

stone　bottles　drawn　up；　ready　to　be　filled　with　hot　water　and

applied　to　any　unfortunate　creature　who　might　be　brought　in

apparently　drowned。　　Finally；　we　shook　hands　with　our　worthy　friend

Pea；　and　ran　all　the　way　to　Tower　Hill；　under　strong　Police

suspicion　occasionally；　before　we　got　warm。







A　WALK　IN　A　WORKHOUSE







ON　a　certain　Sunday；　I　formed　one　of　the　congregation　assembled　in

the　chapel　of　a　large　metropolitan　Workhouse。　　With　the　exception

of　the　clergyman　and　clerk；　and　a　very　few　officials；　there　were

none　but　paupers　present。　　The　children　sat　in　the　galleries；　the

women　in　the　body　of　the　chapel；　and　in　one　of　the　side　aisles；　the

men　in　the　remaining　aisle。　　The　service　was　decorously　performed；

though　the　sermon　might　have　been　much　better　adapted　to　the

comprehension　and　to　the　circumstances　of　the　hearers。　　The　usual

supplications　were　offered；　with　more　than　the　usual　significancy

in　such　a　place；　for　the　fatherless　children　and　widows；　for　all

sick　persons　and　young　children；　for　all　that　were　desolate　and

oppressed；　for　the　comforting　and　helping　of　the　weak…hearted；　for

the　raising…up　of　them　that　had　fallen；　for　all　that　were　in

danger；　necessity；　and　tribulation。　　The　prayers　of　the

congregation　were　desired　'for　several　persons　in　the　various　wards

dangerously　ill；'　and　others　who　were　recovering　returned　their

thanks　to　Heaven。



Among　this　congregation；　were　some　evil…looking　young　women；　and

beetle…browed　young　men；　but　not　many　…　perhaps　that　kind　of

characters　kept　away。　　Generally；　the　faces　（those　of　the　children

excepted）　were　depressed　and　subdued；　and　wanted　colour。　　Aged

people　were　there；　in　every　variety。　　Mumbling；　blear…eyed；

spectacled；　stupid；　deaf；　lame；　vacantly　winking　in　the　gleams　of

sun　that　now　and　then　crept　in　through　the　open　doors；　from　the

paved　yard；　shading　their　listening　ears；　or　blinking　eyes；　with

their　withered　hands；　poring　over　their　books；　leering　at　nothing；

going　to　sleep；　crouching　and　drooping　in　corners。　　There　were

weird　old　women；　all　skeleton　within；　all　bonnet　and　cloak　without；

continually　wiping　their　eyes　with　dirty　dusters　of　pocket…

handkerchiefs；　and　there　were　ugly　old　crones；　both　male　and

female；　with　a　ghastly　kind　of　contentment　upon　them　which　was　not

at　all　comforting　to　see。　　Upon　the　whole；　it　was　the　dragon；

Pauperism；　in　a　very　weak　and　impotent　condition；　toothless；

fangless；　drawing　his　breath　heavily　enough；　and　hardly　worth

chaining　up。



When　the　service　was　over；　I　walked　with　the　humane　and

conscientious　gentleman　whose　duty　it　was　to　take　that　walk；　that

Sunday　morning；　through　the　little　world　of　poverty　enclosed　within

the　workhouse　walls。　　It　was　inhabited　by　a　population　of　some

fifteen　hundred　or　two　thousand　paupers；　ranging　from　the　infant

newly　born　or　not　yet　come　into　the　pauper　world；　to　the　old　man

dying　on　his　bed。



In　a　room　opening　from　a　squalid　yard；　where　a　number　of　listless

women　were　lounging　to　and　fro；　trying　to　get　warm　in　the

ineffectual　sunshine　of　the　tardy　May　morning　…　in　the　'Itch　Ward；'

not　to　compromise　the　truth　…　a　woman　such　as　HOGARTH　has　often

drawn；　was　hurriedly　getting　on　her　gown　before　a　dusty　fire。　　She

was　the　nurse；　or　wardswoman；　of　that　insalubrious　department　…

herself　a　pauper　…　flabby；　raw…boned；　untidy　…　unpromising　and

coarse　of　aspect　as　need　be。　　But；　on　being　spoken　to　about　the

patients　whom　she　had　in　charge；　she　turned　round；　with　her　shabby

gown　half　on；　half　off；　and　fell　a　crying　with　all　her　might。　　Not

for　show；　not　querulously；　not　in　any　mawkish　sentiment；　but　in　the

deep　grief　and　affliction　of　her　heart；　turning　away　her

dishevelled　head：　sobbing　most　bitterly；　wringing　her　hands；　and

letting　fall　abundance　of　great　tears；　that　choked　her　utterance。

What　was　the　matter　with　the　nurse　of　the　itch…ward？　　Oh；　'the

dropped　child'　was　dead！　　Oh；　the　child　that　was　found　in　the

street；　and　she　had　brought　up　ever　since；　had　died　an　hour　ago；

and　see　where　the　little　creature　lay；　beneath　this　cloth！　　The

dear；　the　pretty　dear！



The　dropped　child　seemed　too　small　and　poor　a　thing　for　Death　to　be

in　earnest　with；　but　Death　had　taken　it；　and　already　its　diminutive

form　was　neatly　washed；　composed；　and　stretched　as　if　in　sleep　upon

a　box。　　I　thought　I　heard　a　voice　from　Heaven　saying；　It　shall　be

well　for　thee；　O　nurse　of　the　itch…ward；　when　some　less　gentle

pauper　does　those　offices　to　thy　cold　form；　that　such　as　the

dropped　child　are　the　angels　who　behold　my　Father's　face！



In　another　room；　were　several　ugly　old　women　crouching；　witch…like；

round　a　hearth；　and　chattering　and　nodding；　after　the　manner　of　the

monkeys。　　'All　well　here？　　And　enough　to　eat？'　　A　general

chattering　and　chuckling；　at　last　an　answer　from　a　volunteer。　　'Oh

yes；　gentleman！　　Bless　you；　gentleman！　　Lord　bless　the　Parish　of

St。　So…and…So！　　It　feed　the　hungry；　sir；　and　give　drink　to　the

thusty；　and　it　warm　them　which　is　cold；　so　it　do；　and　good　luck　to

the　parish　of　St。　So…and…So；　and　thankee；　gentleman！'　　Elsewhere；　a

party　of　pauper　nurses　were　at　dinner。　　'How　do　YOU　get　on？'　　'Oh

pretty　well；　sir！　　We　works　hard；　and　we　lives　hard　…　like　the

sodgers！'



In　another　room；　a　kind　of　purgatory　or　place　of　transition；　six　or

eight　noisy　madwomen　were　gathered　together；　under　the

superintendence　of　one　sane　attendant。　　Among　them　was　a　girl　of

two　or　th