Making a grand total of L4. 1s. 0d. for a St. Paul’s parish fete; but this was in 1690.  This festival was of sufficient note to engage the artist’s attention, and an engraving of it was sold by “B.  Lens, between Bridewell and Fleet Bridge in Blackfryers.”

Convent Garden has been the abode of talented and noble men.  Richardson’s Hotel was the residence of Dr. Hunter, the anatomical lecturer; and in 1724, Sir James Thornhill, who painted the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral, resided in this garden and opened a school for drawing in his house.  Moreover, for the honour of the Garden, be it known, that at Sir Francis Kynaston’s house therein situated, Charles the First established an academy called “Museum Minervae,” for the instruction of gentlemen in arts and sciences, knowledge of medals, antiquities, painting, architecture, and foreign languages.  Not a vestige remains of the museum establishment now-a-days, or the subjects it embraced, unless it be foreign languages, including wild Irish, and very low English.  Even as late as 1722, Lord Ferrers lived in Convent Garden; but this is trifling compared with the list of nobles who have lived around about this attractive spot, where nuns wandered in cloistered innocence, and now, oh! for sentimentality, what a relief to a fine, sensitive mind, or a sickly milliner!

In the front of the church quacks used to harangue the mob and give advice gratis.  Westminster elections are held also on the same spot—­that’s a coincidence.

A CORRESPONDENT.

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Manners & Customs of all Nations.

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AFRICAN FESTIVITIES.

At Yourriba Captain Clapperton was invited to theatrical entertainments, quite as amusing, and almost as refined as any which his celestial Majesty can command to be exhibited before a foreign ambassador.  The king of Yourriba made a point of our traveller staying to witness these entertainments.  They were exhibited in the king’s park, in a square space, surrounded by clumps of trees.  The first performance was that of a number of men dancing and tumbling about in sacks, having their heads fantastically decorated with strips of rags, damask silk, and cotton of variegated colours; and they performed to admiration.  The second exhibition was hunting the boa snake, by the men in the sacks.  The huge snake, it seems, went through the motions of this kind of reptile, “in a very natural manner, though it appeared to be rather full in the belly, opening and shutting its mouth in the most natural manner imaginable.”  A running fight ensued, which lasted some time, till at length the chief of the bag-men contrived to scotch his tail with a tremendous sword, when he gasped, twisted up, seemed in great torture, endeavouring to bite his assailants, who hoisted him on their shoulders, and bore him off in triumph.  The festivities