THE pipes now sold in the streets and publichouses are the "china bowls" and the "comic heads." The "china-bowl" pipe has a bowl of white stone china, which unscrews, from a flexible tube or "stem," as it is sometimes called, about a foot long, with an imitation-amber mouth-piece. They are retailed at each, and cost a dozen at the swag-shops. The "comic heads" are of the clay ordinarily used in the making of pipes, and cost the dozen, or the gross. They are usually retailed at Some of the "comic heads" may be considered as hardly well described by the name, as among them are death's-heads and faces of grinning devils. "The best sale of the comic heads," said man, "was when the Duke put the soldiers' pipes out at the barracks; wouldn't allow them to smoke there. It was a Wellington's head with his thumb to his nose, taking a sight, you know, sir. They went off capital. Lots of people that liked their pipe bought 'em, in the public-houses especial, 'cause, as I heerd man —he was a boot-closer—say, 'it made the old boy a-ridiculing of hisself.' At that time—well, really, then, I can't say how long it's since—I sold little bone 'tobacco-stoppers'—they're seldom asked for now, stoppers is quite out of fashion—and of them was a figure of 'old Nosey,' the Duke you know—it was intended as a joke, you see, sir; a tobacco-"

There are now men selling pipes, which they frequently raffle at the public-houses; it is not unusual for persons to raffle at each, for a "comic head." The most costly pipes are not now offered in the streets, but a few are sold on racecourses. I am informed that none of the pipesellers depend entirely upon their traffic in those wares, but occasionally sell (and raffle) such things as china ornaments or table-covers, or tobacco or snuff-boxes. If, therefore, we calculate that persons sell pipes daily the year through, taking each (and clearing ), we find yearly expended upon the hawkers' pipes.

The snuff and tobacco-boxes disposed of by street-traders, for they are usually sold by the same individual, are bought at the swag-shops. In a matter of traffic, such as snuff-boxes, in which the "fancy" (or taste) of the purchaser is freely exercised, there are of course many varieties. The exterior of some presents a series of transverse lines, coloured, and looking neat enough. Others have a staring portrait of the Queen, or of "a young lady," or a brigand, or a man inhaling the pungent dust with evident delight; occasionally the adornment is a ruin, a farm-house, or a hunting scene. The retail price is from to , and the wholesale to the dozen. The Scotch boxes, called "Holyroods" in the trade, are also sold in the streets and public-houses. These are generally the "self-colour" of the wood; the better sort are lined with horn, and are, or should be, remarkable for the closeness and nice adjustment of the hinges or joints. They are sold —some I was told being German-made—at the swag-shops at the dozen, or each, to the dozen, or each. "Why, I calc'lated," said box-seller, "that week when I was short of tin, and had to buy single boxes, or twos, at a time, to keep up a fair show of stock, the swags got more out of me than if I could have gone and bought by the dozen. I once ventured to buy a very fine Holyrood; it 'll take a man hours to find out the way to open it, if he doesn't know the trick, the joints is so contrived. But I have it yet. I never could get an offer for what it cost me, "

The tobacco-boxes are of brass and iron (though often called "steel"). There are sizes: the "quarter-ounce," costing the dozen; the "halfounce," ; and "the ounce," the dozen, or each. These are the prices of the brass. The iron, which are "sized" in the same way, are from to the dozen, wholesale. They are retailed at from to each, the brass being retailed at from to All these boxes are opened and shut by pressure on a spring; they are partly flat (but rounded), so as to fit in any pocket. The cigar-cases are of the same quality as the snuff-boxes (not the Holyroods), and cost, at the German swag-shops, the dozen, or each. They are usually retailed, or raffled for on Saturday and Monday nights, at each, but the trade is a small .

branch of this trade, concerning which I heard many street-sellers very freely express their opinions, is the sale of "indecent snuff-boxes." Most of these traders insisted, with a not unnatural bitterness, that it would be as easy to stop the traffic as it was to stop Sunday selling in the park, but then "gentlemen was accommodated by it," they added. These boxes and cigar-cases are, for the most part, I am told, French, the lowest price being a box. man, whose information was confirmed to me by others, gave me the following account of what had come within his own knowledge:—

There's eight and sometimes nine persons carrying on the indecent trade in snuff-boxes and cigarcases. They make a good bit of money, but they're drunken characters, and often hard up. They 've neither shame nor decency; they'll tempt lads or anybody. They go to public-houses which they know is used by fast gents that has money to spare. And they watch old and very young gents in the streets, or any gents indeed, and when they see them loitering and looking after the girls, they take an opportunity to offer a 'spicy snuff-box, very cheap.' It's a trade only among rich people, for I believe the indecent sellers can't afford to sell at all under 2s. 6d., and they ask high prices when they get hold of a green 'un; perhaps one up on a spree from Oxford or Cambridge. Well, I can't say where they get their goods, nor at what price. That's their secret. They carry them in a box, with proper snuff-boxes to be seen when its opened, and the others in a secret drawer beneath; or in their pockets. You may have seen a stylish shop in Oxford-street, and in the big window is large pipe heads of a fine quality, and on them is painted, quite beautiful, naked figures of women, and there's snuff-boxes and cigar-cases of much the same sort, but they're nothing to what these men sell. I must know, for it's not very long since I was forced, through distress, to colour a lot of the figures. I could colour 50 a day. I hadn't a week's work at it. I don't know what they make; perhaps twice as much in a day, as in the regular trade can be made in a week. I was told by one of them that one race day he took 15l. It's not every day they do a good business, for sometimes they may hawk without ever showing their boxes; but gentlemen will have them if they pay ever so much for them. There's a risk in the trade, certainly. Sometimes the police gets hold of them, but very very seldom, and it's 3 months. Or if the Vice Society takes it up, it may be 12 months. The two as does best in the trade are women; they carry great lots. They've never been apprehended, and they've been in the trade for years. No, I should say they was not women of the town. They're both living with men, but the men's not in the same trade, and I think is in no trade; just fancy men. So I've understood.

I may observe that the generality of the hawkers of indecent prints and cards are women.

There are about persons selling snuff and tobacco-boxes—the greatest sale being of tobaccoboxes—and cigar-cases, generally with the other things I have mentioned. Of these , however, not -half sell snuff-boxes constantly, but resort to any traffic of temporary interest in the public or street-public estimation. Some sell only in the evenings. Reckoning that persons on snuff and tobacco and cigar boxes alone take weekly (clearing or ), we find thus expended.