June 20 & 21
London to Oxford & back, 134 miles. Took express train & return & made 53 miles without stopping in 53 minutes, jolted very bad—at 25 miles per hour very smooth & pleasant. Rails 7 ft. apart, rests on timbers lengthwise. . . .
Behind or around each College are many acres of most beautiful recreation ground, graveled walks beneath lofty trees & along a small stream. Addison’s walk is the most handsome which I have seen.
Saw Guy Fawkes’ Lantern with which he attempted to blow up Parliament. . . .
Another & larger collection in Mineralogy & Geology is that made by Dr. Buckland in two not large rooms. There are many fine specimens but they are crowded together & piled up on one another as if to form stone walls. Here I saw the Dr.’s Lecture Room where were several caricature sketches, one representing the Dr. lecturing with the Ammonite in his hand which he used to put over his neck. Also a saurian lecturing to his fellows upon a fossil human cranium he had found. . . .