THE GREAT WESTERN ROAD. 95 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE GREAT WESTERN ROAD. 1 



Of the splendid travelling along - one of the most important 

 lines of coach road in the kingdom, the Great Western 

 road, the following details with reference especially to 

 the performances of the ' Telegraph ' and the ' Quick- 

 silver ' mail-coaches, have been furnished me by a friend. 

 I may just state in the first place that ' The Quicksilver 

 mail,' commonly called ' The Devonport,' running to 

 Exeter, 175 miles from London, did the journey in 

 eighteen hours. It passed through Wincanton (a new 

 route). A lamp was carried on each side of the coach, 

 and one under the footboard. 



' I am old enough,' says my friend, ' to remember the 

 days of " the road " well, when our journey from Exeter 

 to London was very different from what it is now. We 

 then thought it very wonderful (as it really was) to go 

 either in the " Ouicksilver " mail in eighteen hours, or in 



1 A most invaluable book for travellers by road through England is 

 ' Paterson's Roads,' in which you will find every road (turnpike and cross) 

 described with distances, inns, etc., together with notes of all places worth 

 speaking of that are passed on or near to the road. It is a book difficult to 

 obtain, being, I believe, out of print, but, with the exception of the inns, which 

 have (some of them) changed, it is the only standard work of its kind, and 

 is really a book no dragsman should be without. 



