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316 probably sometimes participating in the nature of the former. I was called upon to give a detailed account of my run to the Plains & Rocky mountains. When every other subject was exhausted, politics of course came up. This, as is usual, led to loud denunciations of what is called "the corruption?" of all the departments of the Government. "But, sir," said one of the party to me in a determined & fierce voice, " The darndest corruption on this side creation is that of the British "Government. You give your Cabinet Ministers very little, but they all "get rich. There are plenty of people who want their help. It was this "that enabled Lord Palmerston, during his long official life, to become "so enormously wealthy. We Americans keep ourselves well posted "in these matters. We have to transact too much business with your "public men not to know what we have to do." This was from the politician of the party. "Sir," said another to me "no man can be blamed for "travelling in this weather, because no one cd unclear in it, unless he "had a big occasion." The Theory was plausible, but no one present acknowledged that it had been "a big occasion" which had drawn him away from home. In the evening I went into the Ladies' drawing Room. I here found one English, & two American, Ladies. They were all young, & all appeared to be on their wedding tour. On of the American Ladies cried herself to sleep, because her husband had left her, that he might play at cards in the Gentlemens' drawing room. The other played at a kind of Dominoes she called "maggins?", & took her husband absence, for the same purpose, very philosophically.