CH. XX SPEED 467 



coach did the 9 miles between Reigate and Crawley 

 in 30 minutes, stopping at a toll-gate on the way. 



The Paris and Pontoise coach, 1891, did the 7.4 

 miles from Pontoise to Acheres in 32 minutes, at 

 the rate of nearly 14 miles an hour. 



Of drives against time one of the best known is 

 that of Selby, on July 13, 1888, from London to 

 Brighton and back, 108 miles, in 7 hours and 50 

 minutes, a bet having been made that he could 

 not do it in 8 hours. This is at the rate of 13.79 

 miles an hour, including - changes. Selby had 8 

 teams ; the 14 changes took altogether 6 minutes 

 and 1 2 seconds ; which being taken out, makes 

 the driving rate 13.97 miles per hour. 



On July 12, 1892, Mr Eugene Higgins, having 

 as his invited guests Messrs James Gordon Ben- 

 nett, William G. Tiffany and T. Suffern Tailer, 

 drove from Paris to The Hotel Bellevue, Trouville, 

 124 miles, in 10 hours and 50 minutes. There were 

 13 teams, and, owing to the fact that better speed 

 was made than had been anticipated and that con- 

 sequently the horses at the later stations were not 

 ready, the 1 2 changes occupied 49 minutes, leaving 

 10 hours and 1 minute (601 minutes) actual driving 

 time, which was at the rate of 12.4 miles an hour. 



This was a remarkable performance, inasmuch as 

 the horses were strange, many of them had never 

 before been in four-horse harness, and the horse- 

 keepers along the road were entirely unaccustomed 

 to their duties. 



