the life of thomas telford-第8节

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reached　London　on　the　evening　of　the　10th；　which　was　considered　a

rapid　journey　in　those　days。



The　danger；　however；　from　footpads　and　highwaymen　was　not　greatest

in　remote　country　places；　but　in　and　about　the　metropolis　itself。

The　proprietors　of　Bellsize　House　and　gardens；　in　the

Hampstead…road；　then　one　of　the　principal　places　of　amusement；　had

the　way　to　London　patrolled　during　the　season　by　twelve　〃lusty

fellows；〃　and　Sadler's　Wells；　Vauxhall；　and　Ranelagh　advertised

similar　advantages。　　Foot　passengers　proceeding　towards　Kensington

and　Paddington　in　the　evening；　would　wait　until　a　sufficiently

numerous　band　had　collected　to　set　footpads　at　defiance；　and　then

they　started　in　company　at　known　intervals；　of　which　a　bell　gave

due　warning。　　Carriages　were　stopped　in　broad　daylight　in　Hyde

Park；　and　even　in　Piccadilly　itself；　and　pistols　presented　at　the

breasts　of　fashionable　people；　who　were　called　upon　to　deliver　up

their　purses。　Horace　Walpole　relates　a　number　of　curious　instances

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