[ 44 J 



CHAPTEE lY. 



SNOW. 



Personally I have no recollection of being stopped, 

 or even hindered, in my movements about the country 

 at any time by snow, except perhaps on one occasion. 



I was staying at Matlock, and having in the fore- 

 noon cleared off my official correspondence, I decided 

 on employing the afternoon in riding across the 

 lower range of the Peak of Derbyshire, and surveying 

 the telegraph arrangements of Wirksworth and 

 Ambergate. It began to snow heavily as I started 

 from Matlock, and when I had ridden as far as 

 Wirksworth further progress was attended with risk ; 

 indeed, I saw that even to get back in due course 

 to Matlock Bath, the sooner I turned my steed's 

 head round the better for both. The Peak is not a 

 pleasant place in which to be snowbound ; so I gave 

 up the visit to Ambergate, and swiftly sought and 

 regained the warm shelter of the Bath Hotel. 



But the experience of the department in every 

 winter has been that of struggles on road or rail, 

 more or less arduous, with snow. 



