Automobiles or Horseless Carriages. 43 



for the road traffic. That Britain was not a pioneer in the 

 employment of the mechanically-propelled road carriage was 

 due not to any want of ingenuity in her sons, but solely to 

 popular opposition and prohibitive legislation in favour of the 

 horse, regarded as he is with so much sentimental tenderness, 

 and, as it were, hereditary gratitude, for his great services of 

 many kinds. Hence the mechanically-propelled road carriage, 

 which approached practical completion sixty years ago, has not 

 yet been allowed to perform the good services which other 

 nations have now shown to be possible. While the horse would 

 now to a certain extent be superseded, it would be chiefly in his 

 more menial duties that he would be relieved. The tram horse, 

 'bus horse, and cab horse would disappear. The hunter, the 

 race horse, the cavalary charger, and, to a considerable extent, 

 the carriage horse would remain, an ennobled race of noble 

 animals at present often ignobly used. Among the numerous 

 names suggested for the new form of vehicle the lecturer 

 preferred the French term automobile as more etymologically 

 correct than " horseless carriage," "non-equine," " motor-car," 

 &c. For valuable information on the historical part of his 

 subject the lecturer was indebted to the Cantor lectures of Mr. 

 Worley Beaumont, who sent also a fine set of lantern slides. 

 For other sets he had to thank also Sir David Solomons, Bart , 

 of Tunbridge wells ; Mr. Shrapnell Smith, of Liverpool ; and 

 Mr. J. H. Knight, of Farnham, the inventor of a successful 

 motor tricycle. Mr. T. F. Shillington had also given a valuable 

 suggestion for heating the steam generator of the carriage 

 exhibited, and had kindly lent the apparatus for carrying it 

 out. It was pointed out that the desire for automobiles dated 

 from early times as shown by the great appreciation of the 

 enchanted horse or the seven-leagued boots of the fairy tales. 

 In Chaucer's " Canterbury Tales " we hear of a " steed of brass," 

 the presentation of which made "ful glad and blithe this noble 

 doughty kynge." It was not, however, till 1769 that the first 

 practicable automobile was invented by Cugnot, a native of 

 Lorraine. It was a steam tricycle, and ran about Paris at a 



