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REMINISCENCES
363

Mr. Ellis resolved to bring his car to England, in the hope that he might be summoned by the police and thus draw public attention to mechanical transit. An account of one of his drives was given by Mr. Frederick R. Simms, the originator of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland, who accompanied him, from which I make the following extracts:—

It was delightful travelling on that fine summer morning. We were not quite without anxiety as to how the horses we might meet would behave towards their new rival, but they took it very well, and out of 133 horses we passed on the road only two little ponies did not seem to appreciate the innovation. . . .

Going down the steep hill in Windsor, we passed on to Datchet, and we arrived right in front of the entrance hall of Mr. Ellis's house beyond Datchet at 5.40, thus completing our most enjoyable journey of fifty-six miles, the first ever made by a petroleum motor carriage in this country, in 5 hours 32 minutes, exclusive of stoppages. The average speed was 9·84 miles per hour. In every place we passed through we were not unnaturally the objects of a great deal of curiosity. Whole villages turned out to behold, open-mouthed, the new marvel of locomotion. The departure of coaches was delayed to enable their passengers to have a look at our horseless vehicle, while cyclists would stop to gaze enviously at us as we surmounted with ease some long and (to them) tiring hills.

Mr. Ellis continues:

I then drove from Datchet to Windsor, and from Windsor to Malvern. I was very little troubled by the police, and they were generally satisfied by my producing my ordinary carriage licence. One old stone-breaker threw down his hammer and threw up his arms in amazement as he saw the carriage approaching him, and said, 'Well, I'm blessed if Mother Shipton's prophecy ain't come true! Here comes a carriage without a horse.'


Mr. and Mrs. Koosen's enterprise and determination in the face of difficulties form an example for all. Their reminiscences are so interesting from many points of view that no excuse need be made for giving them nearly in extenso. It is delightful to find that one of the earliest pioneer endeavours