Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/317

 ii s.vn. APRIL w, 1913.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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EARLY RAILWAY TRAVELLING (11 S. vii. 109, 193, 271). In 1844 the King of Saxony, Friedrich August II., visited England, and an account of the two months he spent in this country Was Written by his physician, Dr. C. G. Cams. The book was translated by Dr. S. C. Davison, and published by Chapman & Hall in 1846 under the title ' The King of Saxony's Journey through England and Scotland in the Year 1844.' The King landed at Dover on 29 May, and sailed from Gran ton, near Leith, on 4 Aug. Between these two dates he visited many parts of England and Scotland, and although, as a rule, he drove in his own carriage, he sometimes used the railway. The following extracts from Dr. Carus's book throw some light on early railway travelling.

When the royal party arrived at Dover the carriages were left on board the steamer, which " could not enter the harbour till the evening," the King landing in a boat " through the surge on the beach." Later, the party were conducted

" by a dark vaulted passage, under one of the batteries, in which a stair led directly down to the point where the course of the railroad is about to enter the tunnel under Shakspeare's Cliff."

" The train started arrived stopped, and we entered an elegant coupd decorated with red velvet, which was reserved for the use of his majesty. This railroad is called the South Eastern, and leads through Folkestone and Ash- ford to London. We availed ourselves of it only as far as Tunbridge, where carriages with post-horses w f ere in waiting, in order to convey us through Tunbridge Wells to this place [Buckhurst]." The next few days were spent driving, the King visiting Brighton, Arundel, Chichester, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, and South- ampton. From Southampton he went by special train to London.

" The distance is about eighty miles, which was performed with almost frightful speed in two hours."

London was left in the middle of June, the journey being made by road to Hatfield, Cambridge, Bedford, and Woburn. From there the railway Was used to Chesterfield.

" W T e left Woburn at six in the morning, and reached the large station of the London and Birmingham Railway at W 7 olverton at a quarter before eight o'clock. The carriages were imme- diately placed upon the proper trucks ; the train from London arrived. His majesty preferred our remaining in the open carriage on the truck, and immediately after eight the train started, which brought us through Leicester to Derby at twelve o'clock. Riding in an open and shaking carriage so elevated was at first somewhat startling ! Dragged along backwards by the snorting engine with such rapidity, under thunder- ing bridges, over lofty viaducts, and through long dark tunnels filled with smoke and steam !

By and by, however, we became accustomed even to this, and came to look with composure upon the extensive, pretty, and quickly changing country, the loaded boats as they passed on the canals, the roaring and w r histling trains as they rushed past (one with a whole herd of oxen, penned in carriages), and the wonderful pushing, going and coming, getting out and getting in, carrying and bringing at the different stations.

" Did time permit, there were materials for extended considerations. A sentimental journey a la Yorick becomes more and more impossible ! "

The writer then goes on to describe the railway station at Derby, where there was half an hour's delay, and the scenery between that place and Chesterfield, where the train Was left. This was on 22 June. The railway was not used again till 6 July, when the King was in Exeter, whose " (as yet) tolerably quiet railway station " was then the terminus of the Great Western line.

" We were only just in time to have our car- riages put upon the trucks, and attached to the train. We set off. A loose screw, intended properly to secure the travelling carriage on the truck, gave me some uneasiness when we thus started off against the wind, but, as I afterwards discovered, unnecessarily. Some distance fiu-ther, in a valley, our train was obliged to stop, because a luggage train was on the rails and could not get off. There were three locomotives there altogether, blowing and steaming, but it was of no use. At last everything was arranged, and we darted off again."

Bristol was the destination, and the writer describes the station as a " large structure in the Anglo-Gothic style, with towers and turrets."

" The waiting rooms for the passengers are arranged in a particular manner ; for as the line is on a level with the first floor of the building, the passengers' luggage is weighed, and then let down through a trap-door, and delivered to the owner, who has meanwhile descended by the stairs to the lower floor. W T e had time to observe these proceedings while our carriages were being taken from the trucks and post-horses sent for."

Ten days later the railway was used again, this time from Liverpool to York, Man- chester being passed on the way :

" The railroad leaves Liverpool by a very strange outlet. The station is in the middle ot the town, and no exit is perceived, nor are any locomotives to be seen. The carriages all stand drawn up ready to start the passengers enter at a given signal the train is set in motion, being drawn along by a powerful rope, and with lanterns all along the train, we entered a long tunnel, which rises slightly and passes under a consider- able portion of the town ; after fourteen or fifteen minutes, we arrived at the open air again, where the stationary machine is; and now the loco- motive was attached to the train. Hardly an hour later, and we were in Manchester ; but whereas in Liverpool the railway passes under the town, it runs here over the tops of the houses into the centre of the town."