VANNING THE THOROUGHBRED 357 



there was a similar van upon the Goodwood estate, his 

 lordship inspected it with my father, who was so convinced 

 that the principle could be adapted for the conveyance of 

 race-horses that he at once used every means in his power 

 to give effect to his master's wishes. My father judged 

 that if a valuable horse could be moved from the south to 

 the north of England so as to run well in the St. Leger, 

 the method would at once be established and adopted. 

 Having Elis engaged in the St. Leger, he thought it would 

 be a good opportunity to make trial of this plan. Accord- 

 ingly, he employed Mr. Herring, a coachbuilder in Long 

 Acre, to construct a van capable of holding two horses. 

 Mr. Herring was kept in the dark as to the object with 

 which the van was being built, and few were allowed to 

 know of its construction. It was a heavy, cumbrous 

 vehicle, with the wheels running under it — an arrangement 

 which elevated the body so high that it was not easy to 

 get the horses inside. This difficulty was surmounted by 

 raising or banking up the surface of the ground into a 

 sloping approach. At last the day arrived for the machine 

 to reach Goodwood, and preparations were made for 

 packing Elis and The Drummer into it side by side, and 

 despatching them to Doncaster. Lord George gave orders 

 that until the St. Leger was over Elis should eat no corn 

 or hay except what was drawn from my father's granary 

 at Goodwood. Even the sieve out of which the horse was 

 fed was to be taken from Goodwood. The horses entered 

 without hesitation, especially Elis, who was a very docile 

 and tractable animal. The six post-horses were attached, 

 and Mr. John Doe mounted the box, and the start effected, 

 greatly to the delight and astonishment of all who had 

 witnessed the preparation by which the first specially con- 

 structed race-horse van on record was brought into 

 active requisition. The greatest surprise and interest was 

 excited in every village and town through which it passed. 

 Some of the spectators asserted that a wild beast of extra- 

 ordinary ferocity was locked up inside ; others that a 

 notorious criminal was being sent to jail to be tried at the 

 assizes. The coachmen and passengers of the various 

 coaches were astounded at seeing six post-horses attached 

 to such a strange-looking machine. At some of the 

 towns through which it passed three pairs of horses 

 could not be obtained, at others it was thought advisable 



