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London Labour and the London Poor, volume 2

Mayhew, Henry

1851

Of the Street-Sellers of Tortoises.


	THE number of tortoises sold in the streets of London is far greater than might be imagined, for it is a creature of no utility, and which is inanimate in this country for half its life.
	Of live tortoises, there are annually imported from the port of Mogadore in Morocco. They are not brought over, as are the parrots, &c., of which I have spoken, for amusement or as private ventures of the seamen, but are regularly consigned from Jewish houses in Mogadore, to Jewish merchants in London. They are a freight of which little care is taken, as they are brought over principally as ballast in the ship's hold, where they remain torpid.
	The street-sellers of tortoises are costermongers of the smarter class. Sometimes the vendors of shells and foreign birds "work" also a few tortoises, and occasionally a wholesale dealer (the consignee of the Jewish house in Africa) will send out his own servants to sell barrow-loads of tortoises in the street on his own account. They are regularly ranged on the barrows, and certainly present a curious appearance—halfalive creatures as they are (when the weather is not of the warmest), brought from another continent for sale by thousands in the streets of London, and retention in the gardens and grounds of our civic villas. Of the number imported, -half, or , are yearly sold in the streets by the several open-air dealers I have mentioned. The wholesale price is from to the dozen; they are retailed from to , a very fine well-grown tortoise being sometimes worth The mass, however, are sold at to each, but many fetch They are bought for children, and to keep in gardens as I have said, and when properly fed on lettuce leaves, spinach, and similar vegetables, or on white bread sopped in water, will live a long time. If the tortoise be neglected in a garden, and have no access to his favourite food, he will eat almost any green thing which comes in his way, and so may commit ravages. During the winter, and the later autumn and earlier spring, the tortoise is torpid, and may be kept in a drawer or any recess, until the approach of summer "thaws" him, as I heard it called.
	Calculating the average price of tortoises in street-sale at each, we find upwards of thus expended yearly.

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Edwin C. Bolles papers

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1851

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http://hdl.handle.net/10427/14951

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	Title Page
	INTRODUCTION
	Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Metal Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Metal Trays, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Linen, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Curtains Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Carpeting, Flannels, Stocking-Legs, &c., &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Bed-Ticking, Sacking, Fringe, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Glass and Crockery Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Miscellaneous Articles Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Musical Instruments Of the Music 'Duffers' Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Weapons Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Curiosities Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Telescopes and Pocket Glasses Of the Street-Sellers of Other Miscellaneous Second-Hand Articles Of Second-Hand Store Shops Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Apparel Of the Old Clothes Exchange Of the Wholesale Business at the Old Clothes Exchange Of the Uses of Second-Hand Garments Of the Street-Sellers of Petticoat and Rosemary-Lanes Rosemary-Lane Of the Street-Sellers of Men's Second-Hand Clothes Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Boots and Shoes Of the Street-Sellers of Old Hats Of the Street-Sellers of Women's Second-Hand Apparel Of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Furs Of the Second-Hand Sellers of Smithfield- Market
	Of the Street-Sellers of Live Animals Of the Street-Sellers of Live Animals Of the Former Street-Sellers, 'Finders,' Stealers, and Restorers of Dogs Of a Dog-'Finder' -- A 'Lurker's' Career Of the Present Street-Sellers of Dogs. Of the Street-Sellers of Sporting Dogs Of the Street-Sellers of Live Birds Of the Bird-Catchers Who are Street- Sellers Of the Crippled Street Bird-Seller Of the Tricks of the Bird-Duffers Of the Street-Sellers of Foreign Birds Of the Street-Sellers of Birds'--Nests Of the Street-Sellers of Squirrels Of the Street-Sellers of Leverets, Wild Rabbits, Etc. Of the Street-Sellers of Gold and Silver Fish Of the Street-Sellers of Tortoises Of the Street-Sellers of Snails, Frogs, Worms, Snakes, Hedgehogs, Etc.
	Of the Street-Sellers of Mineral Productions and Natural Curiosities Of the Street-Sellers of Mineral Productions, &c. Of the Street-Sellers of Coals Of the Street-Sellers of Coke Of the Street-Sellers of Tan-Turf Of the Street-Sellers of Salt Of the Street-Sellers of Sand Of the Street-Sellers of Shells Of the River Beer-Sellers, or Purl-Men Of the Numbers, Capital, and income of the Street- Sellers of Second-Hand Articles, Live Animals, Mineral Producions, Etc. Income, or 'Takinags' of the Street-Sellers of Second-Hand Articles
	Of the Street-Buyers Of the Street-Buyers Of the Street-Buyers of Rags, Broken Metal, Bottles, Glass, and Bones Of the 'Rag-and-Bottle,' and the 'Marine-Store' Shops Of the Buyers of Kitchen-Stuff, Grease, and Dripping Of the Street-Buyers of Hare and Rabbit Skins Of the Street-Buyers of Waste (Paper) Of the Street-Buyers of Umbrellas and Parasols
	Of the Street-Jews Of the Street-Jews Of the Trades and Localities of the Street-Jews Of the Jew Old-Clothes Men Of a Jew Street-Seller Of the Jew-Boy Street-Sellers Of the Pursuits, Dwellings, Traffic, Etc., of the Jew-Boy Street-Sellers Of the Street Jewesses and Street Jew-Girls Of the Synagogues and the Religion of the Street and Other Jews Of the Politics, Literature, and Amusements of the Jews Of the Charities, Schools, and Education of the Jews Of the Funeral Ceremonies, Fasts, and Customs of the Jews Of the Jew Street-Sellers of Accordions, and of their Street Musical Pursuits Of the Street-Buyers of Hogs'--Wash Of the Street-Buyers of Tea-Leaves
	Of the Street-Finders or Collectors Of the Street-Finders or Collectors Bone-Grubbers and Rag-Gatherers Of the 'Pure'-Finders Of the Cigar-End Finders Of the Old Wood Gatherers Of the Dredgers, or River Finders Of the Sewer-Hunters Of the Mud-Larks Of the London Dustmen, Nightmen, Sweeps, and Scavengers Of the Dustmen of London Of the London Sewerage and Scavengery
	Of the Streets of London Of the Streets of London Of the Traffic of London Of the Dust and Dirt of the Streets of London Of the Street-Dust of London, and the Loss and injury Occasioned by it Of the Horse-Dung of the Streets of London Of Street 'Mac' and Other Mud Of the Mud of the Streets Of the Surface-Water of the Streets of London Of the Master Scavengers in Former Times Of the Several Modes and Characteristics of Street-Cleansing Of the Contractors For Scavengery Cleansing Of the Contractors' (or Employers') Premises, &c. Of the Working Scavengers Under the Contractors Of the 'Casual Hands' Among the Scavagers Of the Influence of Free Trade on the Earnings of the Scavagers Of the Worse Paid Scavagers, or Those Working For Scurf Employers Of the Street-Sweeping Machine, and the Street-Sweepers Employed With it Of the Cleansing of the Streets by Pauper Labour Of the Street-Orderlies Street Orderlies -- City Surveyor's Report Of the 'Jet and Hose' System of Scavaging Of the Cost and Traffic of the Streets of London Of the Rubbish Carters Of Casual Labour in General, and That of the Rubbish-Carters in Particular Of the Casual Labourers among the Rubbish-Carters The Effects of Casual Labour in General Of the Scurf Trade Among the Rubbish- Carters
	Of the London Chimney-Sweepers Of the London Chimney-Sweepers Of the Sweepers of Old, and the Climbing Boys Of the Chimney-Sweepers of the Present Day Of the General Characteristics of the Working Chimney-Sweepers Sweeping of the Chimneys of Steam-Vessels Of the 'Ramoneur' Company Of the Brisk and Slack Seasons, and the Casual Trade among the Chimney- Sweepers Of the 'Leeks' Among the Chimney-Sweepers Of the Inferior Chimney-Sweepers -- the 'Knullers' and 'Queriers' Of the Fires of London Of the Sewermen and Nightmen of London Of the Wet House-Refuse of London Of the Means of Removing the Wet House-Refuse Of the Quantity of Metropolitan Sewage Of Ancient Sewers Of the Kinds and Characteristics of Sewers Of the Subterranean Character of the Sewers Of the House-Drainage of the Metropolis as Connected With the Sewers Of the London Street-Drains Of the Length of the London Sewers and Drains Of the Cost of Constructing the Sewers and Drains of the Metropolis Of the Uses of Sewers as a Means of Subsoil Drainage Of the City Sewerage Of the Outlets, Ramifications, Etc., of the Sewers Of the Qualities, Etc., of the Sewage Of the New Plan of Sewerage Of the Management of the Sewers and the Late Commissions Of the Powers and Authority of the Present Commissions of Sewers Of the Sewers Rate Of the Cleansing of the Sewers -- Ventilation Of 'Flushing' and 'Plonging,' and Other Modes of Washing the Sewers Of the Working Flushermen Of the Rats in the Sewers Of the Cesspoolage and Nightmen of the Metropolis Of the Cesspool System of London Of the Cesspool and Sewer System of Paris Of the Emptying of the London Cesspools by Pump and Hose Statement of a Cesspool-Sewerman Of the Present Disposal of the Night-Soil Of the Working Nightmen and the Mode of Work
	Crossing-Sweepers Crossing-Sweepers Of the Adult Crossing-Sweepers Juvenile Crossing-Sweepers

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