the life of thomas telford-第9章
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of this sort; he himself having been robbed in broad day; with Lord
Eglinton; Sir Thomas Robinson; Lady Albemarle; and many more。
A curious robbery of the Portsmouth mail; in 1757; illustrates the
imperfect postal communication of the period。 The boy who carried
the post had dismounted at Hammersmith; about three miles from Hyde
Park Corner; and called for beer; when some thieves took the
opportunity of cutting the mail…bag from off the horse's crupper
and got away undiscovered!
The means adopted for the transport of merchandise were as tedious
and difficult as those ordinarily employed for the conveyance of
passengers。 Corn and wool were sent to market on horses'
backs;*'18' manure was carried to the fields in panniers; and fuel
was conveyed from the moss or the forest in the same way。 During
the winter months; the markets were inaccessible; and while in some
localities the supplies of food were distressingly deficient; in
others the superabundance actually rotted from the impossibility
of consuming it or of transporting it to places where it was
needed。 The little coal used in the southern counties was
principally sea…borne; though pack…horses occasionally carried coal
inland for the supply of the blacksmiths' forges。 When Wollaton
Hall was built by John of Padua for Sir Francis Willoughby in 1580;
the stone was all brought on horses' backs from Ancaster; in
Lincolnshire; thirty…five miles distant; and they loaded back with
coal; which was taken in exchange for the stone。
'Image' The Pack…horse Convoy
The little trade which existed between one part of the kingdom and
another was carried on by means of packhorses; along roads little
better than bridle…paths。 These horses travelled in lines; with
the bales or panniers strapped across their backs。 The foremost
horse bore a bell or a collar of bells; and was hence called the
〃bell…horse。〃 He was selected because of his sagacity; and by the
tinkling of the bells he carried; the movements of his followers
were regulated。 The bells also gave notice of the approach of the
convoy to those who might be advancing from the opposite direction。
This was a matter of some importance; as in many parts of the path
there was not room for two loaded horses to pass each other; and
quarrels and fights between the drivers of the pack…horse trains
were frequent as to which of the meeting convoys was to pass down
into the dirt and allow the other to pass along the bridleway。 The
pack…horses not only carried merchandise but passengers; and at
certain times scholars proceeding to and from Oxford and Cambridge。
When Smollett went from Glasgow to London; he travelled partly on
pack…horse; partly by waggon; and partly on foot; and the
adventures which he described as having befallen Roderick Random
are supposed to have been drawn in a great measure from his own
experiences during; the journey。
A cross…country merchandise traffic gradually sprang up between the
northern counties; since become pre…eminently the manufacturing
districts of England; and long lines of pack…horses laden with
bales of wool and cotton traversed the hill ranges which divide
Yorkshire from Lancashire。 Whitaker says that as late as 1753 the
roads near Leeds consisted of a narrow hollow way little wider than
a ditch; barely allowing of the passage of a vehicle drawn in a
single line; this deep narrow road being flanked by an elevated
causeway covered with flags or boulder stones。 When travellers
encountered each other on this narrow track; they often tried to
wear out each other's patience rather than descend into the dirt
alongside。 The raw wool and bale goods of the district were nearly
all carried along these flagged ways on the backs of single horses;
and it is difficult to imagine the delay; the toil; and the perils
by which the conduct of the traffic was attended。 On horseback
before daybreak and long after nightfall; these hardy sons of trade
pursued their object with the spirit and intrepidity of foxhunters;
and the boldest of their country neighbours had no reason to
despise either their horsemanship or their courage。*'19'
The Manchester trade was carried on in the same way。 The chapmen
used to keep gangs of pack…horses; which accompanied them to all the
principal towns; bearing their goods in packs; which they sold to
their customers; bringing back sheep's wool and other raw materials
of manufacture。
The only records of this long…superseded mode of communication are
now to be traced on the signboards of wayside public…houses。
Many of the old roads still exist in Yorkshire and Lancashire; but
all that remains of the former traffic is the pack…horse still
painted on village sign…boards things as retentive of odd bygone
facts as the picture…writing of the ancient Mexicans。*'20'
Footnotes for Chapter II。
*'1' King Henry the Fourth (Part I。); Act II。 Scene 1。
*'2' Part of the riding road along which the Queen was accustomed
to pass on horseback between her palaces at Greenwich and Eltham is
still in existence; a little to the south of Morden College;
Blackheath。 It winds irregularly through the fields; broad in some
places; and narrow in others。 Probably it is very little different
from what it was when used as a royal road。 It is now very
appropriately termed 〃Muddy Lane。〃
*'3' 'Depeches de La Mothe Fenelon;' 8vo。; 1858。 Vol。 i。 p。 27。
*'4' Nichols's ' Progresses;' vol。 ii。; 309。
*'5' The title of Mace's tract (British Museum) is 〃The Profit;
Conveniency; and Pleasure for the whole nation: being a short
rational Discourse lately presented to his Majesty concerning the
Highways of England: their badness; the causes thereof; the reasons
of these causes; the impossibility of ever having them well mended
according to the old way of mending: but may most certainly be
done; and for ever so maintained (according to this NEW WAY)
substantially and with very much ease; &c。; &c。 Printed for the
public good in the year 1675。〃
*'6' See Archaelogia; xx。; pp。 443…76。
*'7' 〃4th May; 1714。 Morning: we dined at Grantham; had the annual
solemnity (this being the first time the coach passed the road in
May); and the coachman and horses being decked with ribbons and
flowers; the town music and young people in couples before us; we
lodged at Stamford; a scurvy; dear town。 5th May: had other
passengers; which; though females; were more chargeable with wine
and brandy than the former part of the journey; wherein we had
neither; but the next day we gave them leave to treat themselves。〃
Thoresby's 'Diary;' vol。 ii。; 207。
*'8' 〃May 22; 1708。 At York。 Rose between three and four; the
coach being hasted by Captain Crome (whose company we had) upon the
Queen's business; that we got to Leeds by noon; blessed be God for
mercies to me and my poor family。〃Thoresby's 'Diary;' vol。 ii。; 7。
*'9' Thoresby's 'Diary;' vol。 i。;295。
*'10' Waylen's 'Marlborough。'
*'11' Reprinted in the 'Harleian Miscellany;' vol。 viii。; p。 547。
supposed to have been written by one John Gressot; of the
Charterhouse。
*'12' There were other publications of the time as absurd (viewed
by the light of the present day) as Gressot's。 Thus; 〃A Country
Tradesman;〃 addressing the public in 1678; in a pamphlet entitled
'The Ancient Trades decayed; repaired again;wherein are
declared the several abuses that have utterly impaired all the
ancient trades in the Kingdom;' urges that the chief cause of the
evil had been the setting up of Stage…coaches some twenty years
before。 Besides the reasons for suppressing; them set forth in the
treatise referred to in the text; he says; 〃Were it not' for them
(the Stage…coaches); there would be more Wine; Beer; and Ale; drunk
in the Inns than is now; which would be a means to augment the
King's Custom and Excise。 Furthermore they hinder the breed of
horses in this kingdom 'the same argument was used