240 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



that the lecture was delayed ; and so, after delivering 

 his lecture, and taking down and packing the drawing- 

 frame, my father was unable to reach his hotel until 

 very nearly half-past eleven. Even yet, however, his 

 day's work was not completed, for he found a newspaper 

 reporter waiting for him when he arrived, and had to 

 give an abstract of the lecture for publication before he 

 could obtain any refreshment. Consequently, it was 

 fully one o'clock before he could retire to rest ; and at 

 a quarter before five he had to rise, in order to drive 

 over to Savernake in time to catch the early train to 

 London. 



On the 1st of November, the now famous " Horse " 

 lecture was delivered at Brixton, in the Geological 

 Museum belonging to Dr. Chaning Pearce, in which the 

 original sketch-lectures of all had been given rather 

 more than five years previously. " Dolly," an unshod 

 horse belonging to the doctor, was exhibited in the 

 greenhouse adjoining as a living illustration of the main 

 point of the lecture ; and as she had been in regular 

 carriage work for several months, over ordinary London 

 roads, while her hoofs were nevertheless in perfectly 

 sound condition, proof positive was given of the 

 lecturer's contention that shoes are not necessary, and 

 that horses are better, and less liable to accident and 

 disease, without them. 



Then followed in quick succession lectures at Eossall, 

 West Bromwich, and Leeds ; and then came a few days 

 spent at home, in the necessary preparations for de- 

 parture. Then, on the llth of November, my father 



