IN THE CITY. 143 



streets of the town, and awakening its echo with a shrill blast on 

 his yard of tin, Hampton generally wends his way towards the 

 "George" to have a look at the "tits," when he never fails to 

 examine with a critical eye a coaching picture which hangs in the 

 bar, entitled " Three Blind 'Uns and a Bolter." W. Jackson. 



The Causeway, Chippenham, Wilts, June 14. 



There is one thing I notice about old coaching 

 prints that represent coaches passing through London 

 — the streets in these illustrations never appear crowded 

 as they are now. There Is a celebrated sketch of 

 Aiken's, entitled "Doing a Bit of City," which represents 

 a few carriages being driven at a leisurely pace through 

 an anything but crowded thoroughfare, and two horse- 

 men riding as though it were nothing unusual to take 

 a saddle horse Into the City, and were even a pleasant 

 and convenient mode of progression ; in the same 

 picture may be seen a tandem. Now I defy the best 

 coachman In the world to drive a team of horses, 

 either tandem or four-in-hand, with comfort In the 

 City of London ; and were any one to be seen doing 

 so by his friends and acquaintances, he would never 

 be allowed to forget such a foolish proceeding. 



I came across a book the other day, of no particular 

 interest although fairly well Illustrated ; the author's 

 name is J, HIssey. In driving from London to the 

 Land's End In a phaeton, he speaks of seeing in the 

 entrance-hall of an old hotel at Alton In Hampshire, 

 an old coaching-bill, of some hundred years ago, 

 hanging up against the wall, giving the fares, times, 

 and particulars of the journey to and from London. 

 Being interested in this antique document, he carefully 

 copied It ; he afterwards mislaid his notes, and there- 

 upon wrote to the landlord asking If he would be 

 kind enough to send another copy, to which letter 

 the landlord sent the following reply : 



