LOCOMOTION AND TRANSPORT. 



In the year 1763 there was but one stage-coach between 

 Edinburgh, and London. This started once a month from each of 

 these cities. It took a fortnight to perform the journey. At the 

 same epoch the journey between London and York required 

 four days. 



In 1835 there were seven coaches started daily between London 

 and Edinburgh, which performed the journey in less than forty- 

 eight hours. In 1849, the same journey was performed by railway 

 in twelve hours ! 



In 1763, the number of passengers conveyed by the coaches 

 between London and Edinburgh could not have exceeded about 

 twenty-five monthly, and by all means of conveyance whatever 

 did not exceed fifty. In 1835 the coaches alone conveyed 

 between these two capitals about one hundred and forty pas- 

 sengers daily, or four thousand monthly. But besides these, 

 several steam-ships, of enormous magnitude, sailed weekly 

 between the two places, supplying all the accommodation and 

 luxury of floating hotels, and completing the voyage at the same 

 rate as the coaches, in less than forty-eight hours. 



As these steam- ships conveyed at least as many passengers 

 as the coaches, we may estimate the actual number of passengers 

 transported between the two places monthly at eight thousand. 

 Thus the intercourse between London and Edinburgh in 1835 was 

 one hundred and sixty times greater than in 1763. 



At present the intercourse is increased in a much higher ratio, 

 by the improved facility and greater cheapness of railway 

 transport. 



18. Arthur Young, who travelled in Lancashire about the year 

 1770, has left us in his Tour the following account of the state of 

 the roads at that time. " I know not," he says, "in the whole 

 range of language, terms sufficiently expressive to describe this 

 infernal road. Let me most seriously caution all travellers who 

 may accidentally propose to travel this terrible country to avoid it 

 as they would the devil, for a thousand to one they break their 

 necks or their limbs by overthrows or breakings down. They 

 will here meet with ruts, which I actually measured, four feet 

 deep, and floating with mud, only from a wet summer. What, 

 therefore, must it be after a winter? The only mending it 

 receives is tumbling in some loose stones, which serve no other 

 purpose than jolting a carriage in the most intolerable manner. 

 These are not merely opinions, but facts ; for I actually passed 

 three carts broken down in these eighteen miles of execrable 

 memory." 



And again he says (speaking of a turnpike road near "Warring- 

 ton, now superseded by the Grand Junction Railway,) " This is a 

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