The collieries situated away from the river had tramways of wood let into the ordinary roads, in such a manner as to form wheel-tracks for carriages. These, drawn by horses, were the only means thought of for bringing the coals to the river bank. Some of these tramways were nearly as old as the times of Queen Elizabeth or James I., when the increase of London and other causes began to overcome the prejudice against the use of "sea-coal." Many of the tramways passed amid green and shadowy woods and other pleasant places, and we have often thought when wandering through them, of the difficulties that beset travellers at that time. Even at a more recent date, in 1673, day coaches were considered dangerous, and it was suggested that the multitude of them in London should be limited, and not more than one be allowed to each shire, to go once a week backwards and forwards, and to perform the whole journey with the same horses they set out with, and not to travel more than thirty miles a day in summer, and twenty-five in winter. The arguments advanced in favour of these proposals were, that coaches and caravans were mischievous to the public, destructive to trade, and prejudicial to the land--because, firstly, they destroyed the breed of good horses, and made men careless of horsemanship; secondly, they hindered the breed of watermen, who were the nursery of seamen; thirdly, they lessened the revenue. In 1703, the road from Petworth to London (less than 50 miles) was so bad that the Duke of Somerset was obliged to rest a night on the road. In March, 1739 or 1740, Mr. Pennant, the historian, travelled by the _stage_, then no despicable vehicle for country gentlemen, and in the first day, with "much labour," got from Chester to Whitechurch--twenty miles; and, after a "wondrous effort," reached London before the commencement of the sixth night.