The principal markets of London are the cattle market at Pentonville, Covent Garden (vegetable) market, Billingsgate (fish) market, and Smithfield (meat and poultry) market. The Columbia market, Bethnal Green, presented to the corporation of,the city by baroness Burdett-Coutts, bas not mot the anticipated want. In Bermondsey is a commercial hide and skin market. The establishments for wholesale dealings are, of course, stu pendous in character. Of coal alone, London now requires more than 6,000,000 tons annually. The whole number of distinct trades or occupations in London is about 2,000. There are about 80 trade guilds or city companies in London, inany of which possess large revenues; but they do not now exert much influence on the actual course of trade and manufactures; the chief among them, called the twelve great companies, are the mercers',. grocers', drapers', fishmongers', goldsmiths', slcinners', merchant-tailors', haberdashers', salters', ironmongers', vintners', and clothworkers' companies, all of which have halls, in which banquets are held. The goldsmiths', apothecaries', and stcttioners' companies still exercise some active control over those trades. The banks in London, either private or joint-stock, are about 100 in number, many of which have two or more banking-houses. There are about as many insurance offices, some for life only, some'for fire only, some for life and fire. The buildings for these banks and insurance offices are among the best in London. The bank of England, one of sir John Soane's most successful works, gives employment to about 1000 clerks, etc. The royal ex,change is noticeable chiefly for sir R. Westmacott's sculpture in the pediment. The corn excluinge, the coal exchange, and the hop and malt exhange are convenient for their purposes. The stock exchange, near the bank, is nearly hidden from view. The great warehouses for foreign and colonial pro duce lie chiefly eastward of the city; whife the wholesale establishments for textile goods occupy enormous buildings in the neighborhood of Cheapside and St. Paul's ch.urchyard. Most of the large manufacturing establishments lie either eastward or southward, the center and the w. of the metropolis being engaged in selling rather than in making. Large clusters of excellently arranged dwellings and lodging-houses for the working , classes have been erected in various parts of London.
The passenger and goods traffic in London requires vast resources. There are 11 rail way companies, having the termini of their lines in London, besides minor lines, more, or less under the control of those companies. In addition to. about 20 large passenger stations, there are at least 150 smaller within the limits of the metropolis. There is one railway n. and s. through the heart of London, and four extending nearly through it e. and west. The vastness of the local traffic may he illustrated by the fact that the metropolitan and metropolitan district railways, working in concert, dispatch about 500 trains per day, and accommodate about 30 stations, all within the limits of the metrop lis, and all north. of the Thames. There are in London about 140 booking-apes connected
with inns, having relation to passenger and carrier traffic. For water-traffic there are about 50 wharfs and quays on the Thames, besides a considerable number on the regent's and other canals. There are about 1700 omnibuses and 6,000 cabs. It has been ascertained that on an average day 1000 vehicles per hour pass through Cheapside; and, on an average day of 24 hours, 170,000 persons and 20,000 vehicles have been counted crossing London bridge. A_ great length of street tramway has been formed in London and the suburbs.
Of the open places in the metropolis, the parks are the most important. Hyde park, St. James's park, the Green park, Regent's park„ Victoria park, Kensington park, Finsbury park, Southwark park, Kennington park, and Battersea park, all belong to the nation, and are purposely kept out of the builders' hands; they are most valuable as " lungs" to London. Primrose hill and Hampstead heath may be included in the number, The Zoo logical gard,ens, Horticultural gardens, and Botanic gardens are beautiful places, belonging. to private societies. The cemeteries, substitutes for the old churchyards, are at Highgate, Finchley, Stoke Newington, Mile End, Kensal Green, Bethnal Green, Brompton, Nun head, Colney Hatch, Camberwell, Norwood, etc. Of places of amusement, there are 3, opera-houses, about 30 theaters, 12 music-halls and concert-rooms of large dimensions (including Albert hall), a much larger number of smaller size, and very numerous exhibi-, tion-rooms of varions kinds, of which the annual international exhibgions building at. South Kensington was opened in 1871. Of public columns and statues in open places,, London contains a smaller number than is due to its size. The chief are the following: The Albert memorial, Hyde park; the Konument, Fish street hill; Nelson column, Trafal gar square; 1Vellington statue, Hyde park corner; Achilles statue, Hyde park; Guards' memorial, Pall Mall; Crimean monument, Westminster; York column, Waterloo steps; Havelock's and Napier's statues, Trafalgar square; Outram's statue and Cleopatra's needle on the Thames embankment, etc. Of drinking fountains, which are numerous, the finest. was presented to Victoria park by baroness Burdett-Coutts. There are very cheap public baths and wash-houses in London.
London is now supplied with hotels in a manner adequate to its size and importance. The best of those belonging to the railway companies are the Great Northern, the Mid land, the Victoria awl Euston, the Great Western, the Grosverwr, the Charing Cross, and the Cannon Street. Of the others, the only one grand in appearance is the Langham.