THE STORY OF PICK FORD AND CO. 129 



London and Manchester, taking only 3G hours 

 to perform the 186 miles. 



To this, then, the " caravan " had come at last. 

 Travellers from the Ear East had originally 

 hrought the word to England. They had seen 

 the Persian kdriodns toiling under those torrid 

 skies — covered waggons in whose shady interiors 

 the poor folks travelled ; and Avhen the first stage- 

 waggons were estahlished in England, they were 

 often known by an English version of that name. 

 Some of the caravans of the late seventeenth 

 century were, however, by no means the rough- 

 and-ready affairs generally sujiposed, if we may 

 judge from the description of one offered for sale 

 in the London Gazette of May Gth, 1689. This, 

 according to the vendors, was : — 



" A Eair easie going Caravan, with a very 

 handsom Hoof Brass Work, good Seats. Glasses 

 on the sides to draw up ; that will carry 18 Per- 

 sons, with great Conveniency for Carriage of 

 Goods, so well built that it is fit for Carriage 

 of all manner of Goods — to be sold." 



But there Avas one more change before the 

 caravan in 1817. Already the j)opular voice, 

 unAvilling to enunciate three syllables Avhen one 

 could be made to serve, had clipped the name 

 to "van," and as vans all covered vehicles of the 

 kind have been known ever since. 



At the time when Baxendale appeared upon 

 the scene the headquarters of the business were 

 still at ]\Ianchester, and the London establish- 

 ments had been for many years past at the 



VOL. II. 9 



