Do you find that you sustain much inconvenience from the state of the roads over which you travel?—Yes. As to inconvenience, I find much more in the neighbourhood of London than the more distant parts. How long do you find that your horses upon an average last, that are employed in the first stages from London?—My horses, upon an average, don’t last above three years in the fast coaches. Including the mails?—Yes. And those horses in the neighbourhood of London, are of greater value than those employed at a distance?—They are. Upon an average, how long do the horses last that are employed in the more distant parts?—They last as long again. Do you attribute that in a great degree to the badness of the roads in the neighbourhood of London?—I attribute it to the distress the horse receives from the badness of the roads near town; but I attribute it also in a great degree to the meeting of different carriages, and crossing the road, which makes it more laborious to the horse, though he does not appear to go so many miles. Do you not consider that that particular evil is occasioned in a great degree by the convexity of the roads in the neighbourhood of London, the materials being generally heaped up in the middle?—I do; it “tears their hearts out,” as the coachmen express it. The roads are inconvenient from the quantity and quality of the gravel heaped in the middle. Have you known any instances in which a different system has been pursued, and the roads greatly improved, in the neighbourhood of London?—The road from London to Cranford Bridge has been improved of late, and from London to Hounslow more particularly, in consequence of the pavement in the crown of the road, which has done away with the gravelling, or shingle rather. Is not the gravel upon that road generally employed without sifting or washing?—It is half clay. Have you known instances in which this inconvenience has been remedied by superior skill and experience in the surveyor of the roads?—Yes; in the same line of road that Mr. Horne referred to; in the Kent road particularly. If that same skill was employed in the application of materials to the other roads, do you not think that they might be brought generally to the same state of improvement?—I have no doubt of it; there is no question about it. The Surrey road has been improved on the same principle. What do you call the Surrey road?—From London to Guildford. Do you know under whose management that is?—I don’t know now; a person named Baker had the management of it. Was it under him it was improved?—Yes. How many miles of road does that consist of?—Thirty miles. And it is very much improved?—Yes. By what means?—The materials are harder than the gravel. He brings the rag flints and breaks them, but in a different manner from other parts of the road. He has improved it so much, that it does not look the same road at all; I can go now sixteen miles better than I could twelve before.