Courtesy on the Continent. 107 



Hamburg. Inquiry being made at the hotel whether 

 they could get conveyances to proceed at once on 

 their journey, they were assured that none could be 

 had till the next day. A few of them, not satisfied 

 with the landlord's statement, went a hunting on their 

 own account. They soon found three vehicles, each 

 of which would hold four persons inside. But there 

 were thirteen passengers to be accommodated. It 

 fell to Mr. Robertson's lot to join the carnage which 

 had to take five. They agreed to take turns about 

 outside beside the driver, but as one of the number 

 was a lady, it was settled that she should keep her 

 seat inside throughout the journey. 



When Robertson, who had the first turn outside, 

 was taking his seat, one of the gentlemen offered him 

 his dressing-gown. He had a great coat, but not one 

 lined with fur as the more experienced travellers had. 

 He therefore thankfully accepted the offered garment, 

 fearing that without it the cold would be too much 

 for him. The gown was a very gay one, covered 

 with designs of long-tailed birds and similar devices. 

 Sitting on the elevated seat with the driver, he ex- 

 pected in such drapery certainly to excite the amuse- 

 ment of the passers-by, but in that he was mistaken. 

 None seemed to think that there was anything unusual 

 about his dress. He observed that both old and 

 young lifted hat or cap as they passed, This was so 

 different from what it would have been in any part of 

 Scotland, where there would probably have been a 

 crowd after them, that his interest was excited, and 

 he felt the cold less than he expected. It is true that 

 though the frost in the ground was very hard, the air 



