“In the early spring of 1859 I saw London for the first time. My father introduced me to all the chief sights of the metropolis, including, of course, the {{w|London Colosseum|Colosseum}} with its diving-bell, as well as the {{w|Vauxhall Gardens}}, which were closed shortly afterwards. I spent hours in the {{w|British Museum}}, more especially in the Egyptian and Assyrian rooms; the spell of the East became more potent than ever, and I still have a small note-book in which I endeavoured to copy the strange characters on one of the {{w|cuneiform}} tablets in the glass cases.”