_August 16th._--It was _very_ hot to-day. In the evening we went to see
the owls at the castle. There is a great deal of fine ivy about the
keep. There are altogether seven owls. One they call 'Lord Thurlow,'
another 'Lord Ellenborough,' and two others 'barons of the Exchequer';
they crack their bills very badly. One that had come from Hudson's Bay
could mew, bark, and make various noises. We afterwards went along a
new walk they were making, and then through a field in which were some
deer.
_August 18th._--We were surprised to observe this morning that the sun
was a bluish silver colour, more like the moon; we afterwards saw it
was noticed in the newspaper. We went to see the dresses of Mr. Wyndham
(the Catholic priest), who lived next door; he was a very civil old
man, and used to bring us in apricots and gooseberries. His dresses
were very splendid-purple, red, green, gold, etc. We saw the chapel;
there were artificial flowers, gold candlesticks, etc., on the altar.
As we were walking on the terrace we saw the Duke and Duchess of
Clarence, the Duchess of Kent, and the Princess Fedor, the Duchess of
Kent's daughter. We saw them afterwards in a carriage. I never saw any
place with such swarms of children as Arundel; but I thought them very
pretty after what I had lately seen. The weather continued oppressively
hot.