_And yet those poor men, robbed of their beer, applauded (says our author), and, like Oliver Twist, asked for more._ _Then an American coach-party had driven over part of our route, following the example of_ “An American Four-in-Hand in Britain,” _by Citizen Carnegie. Indeed, we easily recognise the Citizen again, under the name of Mæcenas, among this party, which produced the_ “Chronicle of the Coach.” _The same Americanese pervades both books; the same patronage of John Bull, and the same laudation of those States, is common to them; but for choice, the Citizen’s own book is in the viler taste. Both jig through their pages to an abominable “charivari” of their own composing, an amalgam of_ “Yankee Doodle” _and the_ “Marseillaise,” _one with (renegade Scot!) a bagpipe “obbligato.”_ _They anticipate the time when we shall be blessed with a Republic after the model of their own adopted country; the Citizen (I think) commonly wears a cap of liberty for headgear, and a Stars and Stripes for shirt. This last may possibly be an error of mine. But at any rate I should like to see him tucking in the tails of such a star-spangled banner._ _These were the works which were to forbid a newer effort at a book aiming at the same destination, but proceeding by an independent route, and (as it chanced) written upon different lines--written with what I take to be a care rather for personal impressions than for guide-book history._ _We won to the West by no known route, but followed the inclinations of irresponsible tourists, with a strong disinclination for martyrdom on dusty highways and in uninteresting places. This, too, is explanatory of our taking the train at certain points and our long lingering at others. If, unwittingly or by intent, I have here or there in these pages dropped into history, I beg your pardon, I’m sure; for all I intended was to show you personal impressions in two media, pictures and prose._ CHARLES G. HARPER. LONDON, _October 1893_. [Illustration] CONTENTS I. PAGES Leaving London--The Spirit of the Silly Season--An Unimportant Residuum--The Direct Road--And the Indirect--To Richmond by Boat 1–5 II. Radical Richmond and its Royal Memories--The Poets’ Chorus--The Social Degradation implied by Tea and Shrimps--No Water at Richmond 6–9 III.