202 ROADS AND TRAVELLING I'AKT III. 



he notes another bad feature in the roads, and that is the 

 perpetual hills; "for," he says, "you will form a clear 

 idea of them if you suppose the country to represent the 

 roofs of houses joined, and the road to run across them." 

 Passing still further west, the unfortunate traveller, who 

 seems scarcely able to find words to express his sufferings, 

 continues : 



" But, my dear Sir, what am I to say of the roads in tliis 

 country ! the turnpikes ! as they have the assurance to call them 

 and the hardiness to make one pay for ? From Chepstow to the 

 half-way house between Newport and Cardiff they continue mere 

 rocky lanes, full of hugeous stones as big as one's horse, and 

 abominable holes. The first six miles from Newport they were so 

 detestable, and without either direction-posts or milestones, that I 

 could not well persuade myself I was on the turnpike, but had mis- 

 took the road, and therefore asked every one I met, who answered 

 me, to my astonishment, ' Ya-as! ' Whatever business carries you 

 into this country, avoid it, at least till they have good roads : if they 

 were good, travelling would be very pleasant." 1 



At a subsequent period Arthur Young visited the 

 northern counties ; but his account of the roads in that 

 quarter is not more satisfactory. Between Richmond 

 and Darlington he found them like to " dislocate his 

 bones," being broken in many places into deep holes, and 

 almost impassable ; " yet," says he, " the people will drink 

 tea ! " a decoction against the use of which the travel lei- 

 is found constantly declaiming. The roads in Lancashire 

 made him almost frantic, and he gasps for words to 

 express his rage. Of the road between Proud Preston 

 and Wigan he says : " I know not in the whole range 

 of language terms sufficiently expressive to describe this 

 infernal road. Let me most seriously caution all tra- 

 vellers who may accidentally propose to travel this 

 terrible country, to avoid it as they would the devil ; for 

 a thousand to one they break their necks or their limbs 



1 ' Six Weeks' Tour in. the Southern Counties 

 pp. 153-5. 



