THE BRIGHTON ROAD. 105 



the quickest, in less than six hours. It is not at all un- 

 usual to see Mr. Snow's "Dart" at the "Elephant and 

 Castle " at a quarter past eleven, having- left Brixton at 

 six ; and several others — Goodman's coaches and the 

 " Item," for instance — keep the same time. 



' Within my recollection the Brighton road was always 

 a good one ; but from the innumerable improvements 

 made on it during the last ten or twelve years, it is now 

 as close to perfection, and very nearly as much shortened, 

 as it ever can be. On neither of the new lines of roads 

 is there occasion more than twice or thrice for the drae 

 chain, even by the most stiff-necked team ; and the old 

 road, with the exception of Reigate and Clay ten Hills, 

 (which are certainly puzzlers for a fresh catched one to 

 take a load either up or down), is equally free from diffi- 

 culty or danger, and both are capitally hard and good for 

 wheels at all seasons of the year. 



' This excellence of the roads, however, has produced 

 one defect, — it has nearly annihilated the breed of coach- 

 men between Brighton and London. Out of a list of 

 forty-five that I have now before me, who are regularly 

 at work, there are not more than seven or eight who are 

 worth looking at as real artists — workmen who can " hit 

 'em and hold 'em." And I could name more than one 

 or two of the lot who are, even on such a road as this, 

 unfit to be trusted with the lives of their passengers, and 

 totally incompetent to take along a heavy load in safety 

 at the pace at which their coaches are timed. This very 

 day I saw one of " the awkward squad" keep his coach 

 on her legs by pure accident in bringing her with a heavy 



