Dougal pointed out to his policemen friends the evidence of the Thames silt in the under-soil. ‘One time,’ he said, ‘the Thames was five miles wide, and it covered all Peckham.’

to part the curtains

There was a rough and ready rule-of-thumb test of truth[…]

In a now-classic 2002 article, they warn museum professionals that the remnants of mercury from the carroting process still remain a threat.