412 



• KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[May 15, 1885. 



wharf, and is the principal architectural feature of the 

 place, through the town to the railway station, from whence 

 1 telegraphed home, and from there on to the chain ferry. 

 Crossing by this ferry over a narrow creek of the sea, 

 which is the mouth of the river Arun, the air felt iced, 

 after the heat and exercise on the land. We had landed and 

 ridden at least a quarter of a mile over shingle, when we 

 heard some one calling behind us, and, looking round, we 

 saw one of the ferrymen running after us. To save time, 

 we rode back to him, and discovered that the calculation 

 of the charge for carrying ourselves and our tricycles had 

 been too much for him, and that he had asked threepencp 

 too little. This sum I gave him, and, together with it, 

 mentally, my blessing ; for the delay in taking my tele- 

 gram, which could not be received until a train was 

 despatched, and the stoppage and crossing this ferry, not a 

 hundred yards wide, had hindered us half an hour. 



Riding on again, we caught up with and passed a man on 

 horseback, who had crossed with his horse in the same 

 ferry-boat with us, and then we came upon a mile or two 

 of road loosely strewn with shingle, each stone being 

 round, smooth, and quite unbroken. I would sooner have 

 ridden through mud, but, striking in my power-gearing, I 

 pegged away, and was rewarded by coming upon an ad- 

 mirable road at last ; then we went on through Climping 

 and Flansham, and passed by the rising watering-placf, 

 Bognor. Without stopping, we rode through to Owinf. 

 About here we came in sight of Chichester Cathedral, ol 

 the top of the spire of which we had had glimpses several 

 times. 



The Market Cross. 



As we entered the town at 3.53 p.m. the sun was shining 

 full on the exquisite old market cross, which is the finest I 

 have ever seen, and directly behind it stood out the noble 

 cathedral and the curious church by its .side, both sur- 

 rounded by trees. Never having been in the town before, 

 I was so surprised at its beautiful appearance that I sat still 

 admiring it for a few minutes, and then went on towards 

 the cathedral as slowly as I could ride. 



And now occurred the great disappointment of the day. 



1 wished to have tea at an hotel, and then ride on towards 

 the New Forest until 9 or 10 p.m., or return home, riding 

 as far as possible before bedtime. But my companion had 

 an engagement which compelled him to return to Croydon 

 as early as possible. 



We had ridden G3h miles in 9 hrs. 4G min., rather more 

 than 9 miles an hour, and our stoppages amounted to 



2 hrs. 49 min. 



Chichester Cathedral. 



After taking tea very leisurely, we went and looked over 

 the Cathedral and strolled about the town, and then took 

 the first up train. Mr. Salmon went on to Mitcham, but I 

 got out at Horsham at about 7 p.m., and rode to 

 my home on Reigate Hill. Between Horsham and Crawley, 

 under the shade of the trees of St. Leonard's Forest, 

 it was difficult on a hilly road to push along fast, 

 but once out on the broad open plain leading to 

 Earlswood, though it was a pitch-dark night, I rattled 

 along and reached the town of Reigate at about ten 

 minutes to nine. Coming out of the darkness, the whole 

 town seemed to be lighted up, and people thronged the 

 market-place, in which a brass band was playing not 

 unmusically. Passing between the groups with a kindly 

 word here and there, I received in return an occasional 

 good night, and rode on up the hill, arriving at my home as 

 the clocks were striking nine, having ridden upwards of 

 eighty miles. 



I was not in the least tired, and I could easily have 

 ridden twenty miles more, and would have done so had i 

 had a companion, so my ride was an easy one ; but since 

 then Hirst, of Croydon, has made me a new machine, 

 which is certainly faster than the Rucker, ridden by me on 

 this occasion, and very shortly I hope to get a Humber 

 Automatic Front-steerer, made lighter, with a higher 

 Cryptogearing. ,Such a tricycle would probably enablH 

 nie to travel nearly a mile an hour faster without in 

 creased exertion. 



A far more powerful pen than mine would fail to 

 convey to my readers a tithe of the exhilaration I felr. 

 during the glorious ride I have so feebly described. 

 Writing at an interval of more than six months, the mere 



