A Years Coaching, 137 



away through Horndean, stopping at Waterloo to 

 change horses for the last time ; then, spanking along 

 through Cosham, we descend Portsdown Hill and see 

 Portsmouth lying at our feet, and reach the George 

 Inn, which is the termination of the journey, pi'ecisely 

 as the clock strikes the hour of six, at which moment 

 we are timed to arrive, having performed the distance 

 (seventy-two miles) in eight hours and a half, includ- 

 ing stoppages — capital work, considering the severe 

 country that has to be traversed between Godalming 

 and Portsmouth. 



On the occasion of my trip Captain Hargreaves 

 quitted us at Liphook to return to London, having 

 done his share of the work in exceedingly good style ; 

 and we were handed over to Fownes, the regular 

 coachman, who drove in right good form, springing 

 his horses like a workman whenever the opportunity 

 offered, and keeping his time to a second. The coach 

 is one of HoUand^s make, and, together with the 

 harness, is turned out in first-rate style; the horses 

 are in excellent condition, as they need be to go the 

 pace over the exceedingly heavy line of road, and 

 they may be described as a very useful and handy lot 

 of animals, well up to their work, doing the journey 

 throughout at the rate of ten miles an hour, without 

 showing any symptoms of distress, though the day 

 was exceedingly hot and the load heavy. 



To any one liking to sit behind four good nags and 

 to travel through a lovely country at a rattling pace, 

 I strongly recommend a trip by the Rocket, and I 

 shall be greatly surprised if he does not coincide with 

 me — especially if he is fortunate enough to select a 

 day when Captain Hargreaves works the coach him- 



