CHESTER AND THE DEE 249 



ancient Britons, which very likely they are in 

 blood. What a body knows is that their goods 

 are there, and do look simply beautiful. If I am 

 asked what I consider the most remarkable 

 features of Chester on the good side, I should 

 not name the Rows first, nor the city walls, nor 

 the Cathedral, but the fishmongers' and poulterers', 

 and orreeno^rocers', who are also fruiterers, stores 

 — their goods are so clean and fresh and well 

 displayed. 



For the Thames I always do stick up. I 

 believe that you ought to stick up for your river 

 on the Fatherland principle, and a bit more. But 

 I'll tell you where the Dee beats the Thames, all 

 ends up. Whoever bosses the business there 

 does what the Referee has begged and prayed the 

 Conservancy to do, and wasted its time at that. 

 About the Chester boathouses and along the 

 river's course you find posted plain direction 

 for navigation. There being only a little stream 

 above the weir, no need exists to give the craft 

 going against it the preference, as Is only fair 

 with a market current, letting those with the 

 stream come down In the middle and leaving the 

 slack water under the banks to such as have to 

 meet its force. Yet coming down-stream on the 

 Thames you must keep a perpetual look-out, 

 because of the misguided crowd who will make 

 their labour as hard as they possibly can. Dear 

 creatures, they don't know any better. Why 

 should they know at all ? No one ever told them, 

 and if they use their wits they are pretty sure 

 to go wrong, because they will follow on the 

 river the rule of the road for horse traffic or 

 the rule of the path for foot passengers. 

 Cyclists are the worst next to the attaches of a 



