MOTOR CARS. 275 



west in the strono-est and most business-like fashion, 



and the third, containing- four individuals, in exactly 

 the opposite direction. As our chances of doing- 

 better on the morrow were more or less problem- 

 atical, we returned to town without even having 

 unpacked the camera. 



November being, according to our veteran natural- 

 ist friend, Mr. Swaysland, one of the best months in 

 the year for our purpose, we hurried down again 

 at the end of the week, and arrived at Brighton in 

 time to hear all the cabbies in the station crying- 

 out, "Motor car! Motor car, sir!" in anticipation 

 of the horseless vehicles which made their historic 

 initial run from London on that date. I have good 

 reason for remembering- the introduction of motor 

 cars, for on the f(jllowing day, after having obtained 

 permission to ride on one for a short distance, the 

 thing suddenly went wrong, and although I patiently 

 waited for an hour and a half in a biting cold wind, 

 it utterly refused to make a start. Whatever may 

 be the ultimate development of these vehicles it is 

 impossible to foretell, but a great deal of uncertainty 

 prevailed in regard to their movements when they 

 were first introduced to our public roads. The 

 engineer in charge of the one in question told me 

 that it had been driven an aggregate of ten thou- 

 sand miles on the Continent without a hitch, and 

 that its refusal to start was inexplicable. 



When I think of the picture that car and its 

 owners made as they slowly trundled ix, out of 

 Brighton Railway Station, to the great delight of a 

 crowd of jeering cabmen, I can thoroughly apj^reciate 

 the humour of the small boy who, in similar 

 circumstances, walked solemnly in front of a motor 

 'bus and whistled "The Dead March in Haul!'^ 



On the occasion of our second visit, we started 

 s2 



