228 RECORDS OF OLD TIMES 



safely at her kennels in about thirteen hours. But 

 here is another story still more wonderful. In the 

 beginning of this century, when I was a young man, 

 my father told me that whilst living at Amersham, 

 the Right Hon. Mr. Ward, who, I believe, was then 

 a Lord of the Admiralty, and lived at Hyde Heath, 

 between Chesham and Amersham, had a very fine 

 highly bred Newfoundland puppy, which he prevailed 

 on my father to take charge of, and rear for him. 

 This he did ; and when the dog was nearly a year 

 old, Mr. Ward wished him to be sent to his 

 Yorkshire residence not far from Hull. There was 

 much difficulty in then forwarding anything a dis- 

 tance of two hundred miles, and no railways, or any 

 direct communication with the North, at that time 

 existed. The dog was therefore sent to London, 

 being tied under one of the broad-wheeled waggons 

 of the day, which was drawn by eight strong, heavy 

 horses, and carried produce to and from London. 

 The animal was then taken to the docks, and put on 

 board a Hull sailing packet, through the North Sea, 

 and up the H umber to Hull, where it was met and 

 taken to its destination some eight miles from the 

 port. A letter was received by my father, thanking 

 him for his attention, and informing him that the 

 dog was greatly admired, and had arrived quite 

 safely. About a fortnight afterwards everyone was 

 astonished at seeing the Newfoundland enter the 

 yard, wagging his tail, but very thin, tired, and dusty. 

 Here was instinct combined with reason. He must 

 have come along the Great North Road, as long 



