IX] SILSOE AND LEIGHTON BUZZARD 135 



declared that, however powerful engines were made, they 

 would be unable to draw very heavy loads on account of the 

 want of adhesion ; and all kinds of suggestions were made to 

 remedy this supposed difficulty, such as sprinkling sand in 

 front of the wheels, making the tyres rough like files, etc., all 

 of which were found to be quite unnecessary, owing to the 

 apparently unforeseen fact that as engines became more 

 powerful they became heavier. 



On the heath about a mile and a half north of Leighton 

 there was a tumulus, and I was very anxious to know if there 

 was anybody or thing buried under it. The whitesmith was 

 equally interested, and he agreed to go with me some morning 

 very early when we should not be likely to be interfered with. 

 So we started one morning about five, with a couple of 

 spades, and began digging straight down in the middle of the 

 tumulus. It was light sandy soil, easy to move, and we dug 

 a good large hole till we got down about five feet deep, which 

 was the height of the barrow, and then, having found nothing 

 whatever for our trouble, we filled the hole up again, laid on 

 the turf, and got back to breakfast, very tired, but glad to 

 have done it, even though v^e had found nothing. 



Having finished our plans of Soulbury, and made the 

 three copies needed with their books of reference, with some 

 other odd work, my brother took me up to London on 

 Christmas Eve, travelling by coach to Berkhampstead, and 

 thence on to London by the railway, which had been just 

 opened. We went third class for economy, in open trucks 

 identical with modern goods trucks, except that they had 

 hinged doors, but with no seats whatever, so that any one 

 tired of standing must sit upon the floor. Luckily it was 

 mild weather, and the train did not go more than fifteen or 

 twenty miles an hour, yet even at that pace the wind was 

 very disagreeable. The next day we went home to Hoddes- 

 don for a holiday. It had been settled that, as no more 

 surveying work was in view, I should go back to Leighton 

 to Mr. Matthews for a few months to see if I should like 

 to learn the watch and clock-making business as well as 



