CHAP. IX. RETURN JOURNEY TO NEWCASTLE. 155 



and as they had already paid away several hundred 

 pounds, and found themselves very little advanced, 

 Mr. Pease asked that this new survey should be done 

 at as little expense as possible. This Stephenson readily 

 assented to ; and after Mr. Pease had pledged himself to 

 bring his application for the appointment of engineer 

 before the Directors on an early day, and to support it 

 with his influence, the two visitors prepared to take their 

 leave, informing Mr. Pease that they intended to return 

 as they had come, " by nip ; " that is, they expected to 

 get a smuggled lift on the stage-coach, by tipping Jehu, 

 for in those days the stage-coachmen were wont to 

 regard all casual roadside passengers as their special per- 

 quisite. They had, however, been so much engrossed 

 by their interesting conversation, that the lapse of time 

 was forgotten, and when Stephenson and his friend Wood 

 left Mr. Pease's house to make enquiries about the return 

 coach, they found the last had left ; and they were there- 

 fore under the necessity of walking the eighteen miles 

 to Durham on their way back to Newcastle. 1 



Mr. Pease having made further inquiries respecting 

 Stephenson' s character and qualifications, and having 

 received from John Grimshaw also a Friend, the 

 inventor of endless spinning a very strong recommen- 

 dation of him as the right man for the intended work, 



1 Mr. Nicholas Wood has given Mr. Pease; and lastly, we walked 



the following account of this remark- from Darlington to Durham, eighteen 



able day's proceedings: "It was my miles further. Unfortunately for me, 



good fortune to have accompanied Mr. I broke down, about three miles from 



Stephenson as you will have seen ; Durham, at the "Traveller's Rest." 



recorded in his Life on his visit to I hoped I might get accommodation 



Darlington, to communicate with Mr. there ; but unfortunately I was told 



Pease on the establishment of the \ there was no room in the house, and 



Darlington and Stockton Railway, j had to go the remaining three miles. 



It was rather a heavy day for us, as j That was a joke, and a very satisfac- 



we first of all started from Killing- ! tory one, with Mr. Stephenson against 



me, during the whole of his life. This 



worth, and rode six miles; we then 

 went upon a coach thirty miles or 

 more to Stockton; then we had 



was only one instance of the very 

 great energy which he displayed in 



walk of twelve miles through the accomplishing objects he had under- 

 fields over the line of the proposed j taken." Speech at Newcastle, 26th 

 railway; then had an interview with I October, 1858. 



