4 BALLANTYNE. 



complete his instruction in this wide- 

 spread art, that he should spend the 

 last year or two with the Messrs. Bal- 

 lantyne, of Edinburgh, whose establish- 

 ment was then considered the most 

 complete in Europe. The terms being 

 settled, I was sent for to accompany him 

 to the northern capital. Although I had 

 my hands full, and could but ill afford 

 the time it would take from my business, 

 I was rather pleased than otherwise at 

 the prospect of the journey. 



I quitted home the last day of the 

 old year ; and, leaving my wife and 

 child with my married sister at their 

 comfortable house on the Downs, drove 

 to Petersfield, where I got into the night 

 coach, and arrived safe in London the 

 following morning. The next day we 

 started from the " Saracen's Head," Snow 

 Hill, in the old York coach, the " Nelson." 

 There had been as yet no stoppages on 



