38 THE COACHING AGE. 



tors, and learnt their opinions on the construction of 

 roads, their information, like his own, being derived 

 from practical experience, and the influence of good 

 or bad roads upon their horses. Mr. Waterhouse said 

 his horses working near London lasted about foUr 

 years, but in remoter districts about six ; and he 

 agreed with Mr. McAdam that a slight convexity 

 only was more desirable for a road than a greater, 

 and that the gravel near London was too often Used 

 without being sufiiciently sifted. What were then 

 called the light coaches with their loads were com- 

 puted to weigh about two tons and a half, divided 

 thus : the coach one, the passengers one, and the 

 luggage a. half. Another proprietor, in corroboration 

 of Mr. McAdam's plan as to the exclusion of soft mate- 

 rials from the stones put on the road, said that since 

 the adoption of flints instead of gravel, sixteen miles 

 were as easily performed on it by his horses as twelve 

 were before the alteration. 



Having originated and thoroughly established his 

 mode of constructing and repairing roads, McAdam 

 instilled his principles into the minds of his sons, 

 and one of them (who afterwards became Sir James 

 McAdam) succeeded to his father's reputation, making 

 such improvements in roads as to become known 

 throughout the kingdom. His system was named 

 after himself, and the appellation is in use to this 



