THOMPSON'S CYCLOMETER. 469 



doubtedly, when all is accomplished that can be accom- 

 plished by mankind, then He who created will no 

 longer withhold the threatened destruction of the 

 world. Why such marvellous things should be created 

 merely to be destroyed is beyond our comprehension ; 

 the eventual fate of human beings themselves is suf- 

 ficient to make us presumptuous in our curiosity, and 

 impertinently anxious to obtain a solution of such 

 problems. 



But to descend from the sublime, not to the ridicu- 

 lous, but to matters which would almost appear so after 

 such an elevated flight into the realms of conjecture, 

 and to speak of what is significant to the subject at 

 present under consideration. I have on one of my 

 carriages a cyclometer for measuring the distance 

 travelled by carriages. The same thing is supplied to 

 bicycles and tricycles ; and I have often thought that 

 cabs might be fitted with a similar contrivance that 

 should indicate upon a dial in the interior of the cab 

 the distance traversed ; and there might even be a clock, 

 which should indicate the time during which a cab 

 waited at any particular place. Were any one to invent 

 any such contrivances, and make them so skilfully that 

 they would not get out of order, but would register 

 both time and distance correctly as explained, I have 

 no doubt there would be a very large sale for such 

 instruments, and they would, if reliable, certainly be a 

 great boon to the public, although cabmen might not 

 manifest quite the same amount of pleasure in their 

 use ; nevertheless, they would put an end to all dis- 

 putes, as, if recognised by Government, there would be 

 no gainsaying such evidence ; and there is no doubt 

 that such machines could be easily contrived and sup- 

 plied, if in large numbers, at a very low price. The 



