SOME MEMORABLE MATCHES 341 



of The Firs, Burnt Ash Road, Lee, S.E.. 

 promptly denounced the feat as a deed of cruelty, 

 which Mr. Davies as promptly repudiated, claim- 

 ing to have ' broken the record of one-horse 

 driving,' without having over-taxed the strength 

 or endurance of the horse, ' as,' he ingenuously 

 remarks, ' that would have been fatal to the 

 success of the journey.' Was there no other 

 reason } There is no other reason mentioned ; 

 but thit which is given is undoubtedly very 

 potent, though, as some of these records will 

 testify, it is not always sufficient to prevent abuse 

 of a noble animal. 



A.D. 1891 : On Friday, September 4, Mr. E. 

 Mackenzie, of Colchester, an ' amateur whip,' who 

 ' tooled ' the Rocket coach between London and 

 Colchester, drove for a wager a one-horse buggy 

 (containing ' self and friend ') that had belonged 

 to the ' professional whip,' James Selby, from 

 London to Canterbury, about 60 miles, in about 

 5 hours, being about 10 minutes under the 

 stipulated time. Horses had been sent on to 

 Dartford, Gravesend, Rochester, and Sitting- 

 bourne, and the last 16 miles of stiff road, between 

 Sittingbourne and Canterbury, were said in the 



