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第7章

the life of thomas telford-第7章

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only extricated from his position by a company of fourteen members

of the House of Commons travelling towards London; who took him

into their convoy; and set out on their way southward attended by

competent guides。  When the 〃waters were out;〃 as the saying went;

the country became closed; the roads being simply impassable。

During the Civil Wars eight hundred horse were taken prisoners

while sticking in the mud。*'10'  When rain fell; pedestrians;

horsemen; and coaches alike came to a standstill until the roads

dried again and enabled the wayfarers to proceed。  Thus we read of

two travellers stopped by the rains within a few miles of Oxford;

who found it impossible to accomplish their journey in consequence

of the waters that covered the country thereabout。



A curious account has been preserved of the journey of an Irish

Viceroy across North Wales towards Dublin in 1685。  The roads were

so horrible that instead of the Viceroy being borne along in his

coach; the coach itself had to be borne after him the greater part

of the way。  He was five hours in travelling between St。 Asaph and

Conway; a distance of only fourteen miles。  Between Conway and

Beaumaris he was forced to walk; while his wife was borne along in

a litter。 The carriages were usually taken to pieces at Conway and

carried on the shoulders of stout Welsh peasants to be embarked at

the Straits of Menai。



The introduction of stage…coaches; like every other public

improvement; was at first regarded with prejudice; and had

considerable obloquy to encounter。  In a curious book published in

1673; entitled 'The Grand Concern of England Explained in several

Proposals to Parliament;'*'11' stagecoaches and caravans were

denounced as among the greatest evils that had happened to the

kingdom; Being alike mischievous to the public; destructive to

trade; and prejudicial to the landed interest。  It was alleged that

travelling by coach was calculated to destroy the breed of horses;

and make men careless of good horsemanship;that it hindered the

training of watermen and seamen; and interfered with the public

resources。  The reasons given are curious。  It was said that those

who were accustomed to travel in coaches became weary and listless

when they rode a few miles; and were unwilling to get on horseback

〃not being able to endure frost; snow; or rain; or to lodge in

the fields;〃 that to save their clothes and keep themselves clean

and dry; people rode in coaches; and thus contracted an idle habit

of body; that this was ruinous to trade; for that 〃most gentlemen;

before they travelled in coaches; used to ride with swords; belts;

pistols; holsters; portmanteaus; and hat…cases; which; in these

coaches; they have little or no occasion for: for; when they rode

on horseback; they rode in one suit and carried another to wear

when they camp to their journey's end; or lay by the way; but in

coaches a silk suit and an Indian gown; with a sash; silk

stockings; and beaver…hats; men ride in; and carry no other with

them; because they escape the wet and dirt; which on horseback they

cannot avoid; whereas; in two or three journeys on horseback; these

clothes and hats were wont to be spoiled; which done; they were

forced to have new very often; and that increased the consumption

of the manufactures and the employment of the manufacturers; which

travelling in coaches doth in no way do。〃*'12'  The writer of the

same protest against coaches gives some idea of the extent of

travelling by them in those days; for to show the gigantic nature

of the evil he was contending against; he averred that between

London and the three principal towns of York; Chester; and Exeter;

not fewer than eighteen persons; making the journey in five days;

travelled by them weekly the coaches running thrice in the week);

and a like number back; 〃which come; in the whole; to eighteen

hundred and seventy…two in the year。〃  Another great nuisance;

the writer alleged; which flowed from the establishment of the

stage…coaches; was; that not only did the gentlemen from the

country come to London in them oftener than they need; but their

ladies either came with them or quickly followed them。  〃And when

they are there they must be in the mode; have all the new fashions;

buy all their clothes there; and go to plays; balls; and treats;

where they get such a habit of jollity and a love to gaiety and

pleasure; that nothing afterwards in the country will serve them ;

if ever they should fix their minds to live there again; but they

must have all from London; whatever it costs。〃



Then there were the grievous discomforts of stage…coach travelling;

to be set against the more noble method of travelling by horseback;

as of yore。  〃What advantage is it to men's health;〃 says the

writer; waxing wroth; 〃to be called out of their beds into these

coaches; an hour before day in the morning; to be hurried in them

from place to place; till one hour; two; or three within night;

insomuch that; after sitting all day in the summer…time stifled

with heat and choked with dust; or in the winter…time starving and

freezing with cold or choked with filthy fogs; they are often

brought into their inns by torchlight; when it is too late to sit

up to get a supper; and next morning they are forced into the coach

so early that they can get no breakfast?  What addition is this to

men's health or business to ride all day with strangers; oftentimes

sick; antient; diseased persons; or young children crying; to whose

humours they are obliged to be subject; forced to bear with; and

many times are poisoned with their nasty scents and crippled by the

crowd of boxes and bundles? Is it for a man's health to travel with

tired jades; to be laid fast in the foul ways and forced to wade up

to the knees in mire; afterwards sit in the cold till teams of

horses can be sent to pull the coach out? Is it for their health to

travel in rotten coaches and to have their tackle; perch; or

axle…tree broken; and then to wait three or four hours (sometimes

half a day) to have them mended; and then to travel all night to

make good their stage?  Is it for a man's pleasure; or advantageous

to his health and business; to travel with a mixed company that he

knows not how to converse with; to be affronted by the rudeness of

a surly; dogged; cursing; ill…natured coachman; necessitated to

lodge or bait at the worst inn on the road; where there is no

accommodation fit for gentlemen; and this merely because the owners

of the inns and the coachmen are agreed together to cheat the

guests?〃  Hence the writer loudly called for the immediate

suppression of stagecoaches as a great nuisance and crying evil。



Travelling by coach was in early times a very deliberate affair。

Time was of less consequence than safety; and coaches were

advertised to start 〃God willing;〃 and 〃about〃 such and such an

hour 〃as shall seem good〃 to the majority of the passengers。

The difference of a day in the journey from London to York was a

small matter; and Thoresby was even accustomed to leave the coach

and go in search of fossil shells in the fields on either side the

road while making the journey between the two places。  The long coach

〃put up〃 at sun…down; and 〃slept on the road。〃  Whether the coach

was to proceed or to stop at some favourite inn; was determined by

the vote of the passengers; who usually appointed a chairman at the

beginning of the journey。



In 1700; York was a week distant from London; and Tunbridge Wells;

now reached in an hour; was two days。  Salisbury and Oxford were

also each a two days journey; Dover was three days; and Exeter

five。 The Fly coach from London to Exeter slept at the latter place

the fifth night from town; the coach proceeding next morning to

Axminster; where it breakfasted; and there a woman Barber 〃shaved

the coach。〃*'13'



Between London and Edinburgh; as late as 1763; a fortnight was

consumed; the coach only starting once

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