Puslapio vaizdai
PDF
„ePub“

that this depends upon the horse and its treatment when on the journey, and very greatly on the driver, for of course you must to a certain extent consider and look to the welfare of your animals if your tour is to be successful. By walking them up the worst hills, and moderating your pace when the going is heavy, you save your horses wonderfully, for it is speed rather than distance that tells upon them, and who, when out on pleasure bent to see the country, would care to hurry? As for horses not being able to go day after day for a distance of twenty miles or so, I can only say that I took my useful little pair of cobs-useful, but nothing out of the ordinary wayto Scotland and back, going a round by the Lake District, and covering altogether about a thousand miles of ground, that we averaged twenty miles a day on the journey, and brought our horses home again, not only well and sound, but fresh enough to shy at the first London omnibus they met, and I even think better able to perform such a journey than when they started. Facts are more conclusive than statements. And it must be remembered that some portions of our way took us over a very 'hard' and trying country, some of the roads across the wild Yorkshire moors being stony, rough, and severe upon horses, the stabling, too, in many out-of-the-way places by no means all that could be desired, and as luck, or rather ill-luck, would have it, just where the roads and accommodation were the worst the weather was very stormy.

We always take a copy of 'Paterson's Roads ' with us, a truly wonderful work, published in the

ABOUT DRIVING TOURS.

397

heyday of the coaching age, and which we have always found of the greatest service; for however the country may have changed since it was compiled, the roads remain the same, even frequently the very inns made mention of still exist under the same titles. In this most useful book, every highway in England is given, also nearly every cross road; even the bridges are set down, and the chief objects of interest passed are duly noticed. The work is, unfortunately, becoming rare, but now and again copies may still, I believe, be picked up at second-hand bookshops. We always take with us Smith & Sons' shilling Reduced Ordnance Maps;' these are very clear and correct, though some of the minor country by-ways are not marked thereon. The maps are mounted upon linen, so that they are not liable to be torn into shreds if opened in the wind, as those of paper; moreover they fold conveniently for the pocket.

It is well before starting on a driving tour to get, say, five pounds' worth of small silver in a bag from the bank; the possession of this convenient change often saves giving a shilling where a sixpence would suffice, and so on. We keep our spare silver with sundry other articles, such as sketch-books, spiritlamp, maps, books for a wet day (which on this journey we never opened), spare brake blocks, and candles for lamps, in the driving-box, which is provided with a good lock.

A brake is really needful; it not only wonderfully saves the horses going downhill, but may prevent an accident: it should be remembered that it takes nearly as much force to keep a carriage back running

downhill as to start it, and therefore without a brake there is a perfectly needless waste of horse-power. Our brakes are patent rubber ones, far superior in every respect to those of leather and more lasting, which is a consideration; in wet weather, too, the rubber has a far better bite upon the wheels, and more holding power-rubber brakes have every virtue but cheapness.

It is well to take candles for the lamps with you (not forgetting matches), in case of being belated, not so much to help to see the way, for the light is useless in this respect, but to prevent being run into, for we have found that country people on unfrequented rural roads have a bad habit of not keeping to their side of the way.

The continual change of stabling is not so trying to a horse as the frequent change of the water he has to drink. This is the worst evil to contend with on the road, and we always insist upon having our water with the chill off,' for sometimes, when just taken from a deep well, it is, even in the summer, icy cold; also we take the precaution to put a handful of oatmeal in the water.

If you can always have loose boxes for your horses, nothing rests them more than the ability to roll about in freedom on a good bed of straw after a long day's journey; even if you have to pay extra for such a luxury, it is money wisely expended, though, as a matter of fact, we were never charged anything additional for these. Ostlers are always anxious to please; their expected tip depends upon their pleasing. We have always found them most

ABOUT DRIVING TOURS.

399

willing to do anything in their power for us. Change your horses' food now and again; one day give them their oats with chaff, another with oatmeal (if this is slightly damped they will enjoy it the more), another time mix a few beans with their oats; if in some country places the corn is light, give an extra feed between them. We always carry a few beans with us, in case the corn should not be good at the remote wayside inns, and replenish our small stock from time to time when passing through a town. There is no harm in enquiring of your landlord as to the inns ahead on your road; you may also learn the ostler's views on the matter, but on arriving at a country town it is as well to drive round the place and prospect all the inns for yourself and choose the one that best pleases you, and appears to possess the best stabling.

We pack our personal belongings in tin uniform cases, to be had from almost any military outfitter ; these cases have the combined advantages of being light, strong, dust-tight, waterproof, and reasonable in price. A horn may be considered a needless article, to be taken more for the sporting look of the thing than for any real service. However, it is a matter of individual preference. We always carry a horn for use; it sometimes saves a deal of shouting (and personally I strongly dislike to have to bawl out at the top of my voice). Moreover, a horn can be heard a long way off; it at once attracts attention, far more so than any mere shouting will do-shout you ever so loudly-and when overtaking one of those hideous road monsters, the terror of the timid

traveller, a traction engine to wit, the sharp twang of the horn will make itself heard at a distance, when the noise of the steam puffing would effectually drown a simple shout from the driver; also we have found it supremely useful to wake up sleepy wagoners, who are so accustomed to be shouted at that they will contentedly slumber on, even though you halloo at the top of your voice; but especially useful is the horn to unearth the gateman at level crossings where there is not much traffic, who sometimes is anywhere but at his post. Yes, the horn is really very useful on the road-if you can sound it.

« AnkstesnisTęsti »