74 THE COACHING AGE. 



gate, and that cleared the next, and then you had to 

 pay again at the next gate. The pike was also a 

 standard of locality or distance in rural districts, 

 as on your inquiring of an intelligent native or any 

 local cottager the whereabouts of a place or the 

 distance to it, he would probably inform you that it 

 was near the pike, or the first turn after you got 

 through the pike, nearly Opposite the pike, or a mile 

 from it. If you chanced to be in Somersetshire, 

 and made inquiry as to the way of the agri- 

 cultural labourer, you would very likely get some 

 such answer from him as the following ; but as every- 

 one is not conversant with Somersetshire dialect, I sub- 

 join a translation. Inquiring pedestrian : ' Which is 

 the way to Satterly village V Agricultural labourer : 

 ' Ye do gar alang thic thar h'rod till e' d' cum handy 

 to the pike, then e' d' tarn arf to the laft and kape 

 arn for aboot of a haff-marl ar nigh apon dree- 

 quarters aboove the gite as do stand agin the public 

 housen, and thar 'ell zee a vinger-post as '11 pint the 

 wi.' Which being translated is — You go along up 

 this road till you come handy to the pike, then you 

 turn off to the left and keep on for about a half- 

 mile or handy upon three-quarters above the gate 

 that stands against the public-house, and there you'll 

 see a finger-post that will point the way. 



The origin or institution of turnpikes is, I believe, 



