| Description | Summarised “Boulton journies in a patent coach, which makes him very ill. His remarks upon the coach. Meets Phillips and Lawson. About the Cornish mines.”
“Dear Sir,
I hope this will find you recovered from the fateagues of your journey, & flatter myself that I shall be able to say as much by tomorrow morning but of all the journeys I ever had to Cornwall I never experienced so painfull a one. Soon after entering the Mail Coach in London I observd to a Gentn. in it that it was a very uneasy carriage & when I came to the end of the first stage I took a candle to examine it & find out the cause; which I soon perceivd, as it proved to be one of the new patent improved Mail Coaches which are hung upon centers about the height of the passengers head when seated in ye coach & that center (on the hinder part of the Carriage) is supported upon a double arched spring which doth not spring at all but the coach swings sideways in a very disagreeable manner by which they say the coach can never turn over but you will find upon considering it, that it will rather sooner turn over from this center of motion being raised above the center of gravity than if there was no such center of motion & that if a plum line was hung to the said center of motion & the carriage turned on one side it will sooner pass the point of suspention of the oposite bottom points of the wheels than if it hung from the center of gravity which is below it. However at all event I cannot see any one advantage but see many disadvantages. The carriage is loaded with great weights of Iron & is very unseemly & weighs 18 C [hundredweight].
The hard jolting caused such a pain in my back as to make me sick. I therefore eat no supper neither was it possible to dose [i.e. doze] in ye smallest degree. I only took tea & broth on Monday but when I came to Charmouth I vomited & was very ill however I endeavourd to go on. I grew worse & worse 'till I came to Axminster where I was obliged to yield & suffer the coach to leave. After lying a few hours upon the Bed I got better & was able to undress & go to bed, my pulse feverish. I took water grewel only & fell asleep. On Tuesday morning I found my self much restored but durst not venture into improved patent coaches & therefore was under the necessity of taking post chaises all the way & arrived here without taking any solid food about 4 o'clock P.M. this day.
Dick Phillips & Lawson were my first Visitors. D. Ph. Was very inquisitive & yet very reservd. He seems not to digest N. Downs stoping & BW savings. Mr. Wilson is now with me & says there was a very numerous meeting last Thursday & that he has sent you the result of it.
The 2 Mr. Hunts are now at Penzance & will be here tomorrow. Chasewater is now poorish, Polgooth good.
The General Meeting will be ye 2nd instead of the first Thursday in Oct.
I go to Mr. Wilson’s tomorrow & so soon as anything occurs I will write you. In the intrim I wish you easy health & cheerfull spirits hopeing youl have good accts. of Mrs. Watt & remain
Dear Sir
Your faithfull friend
M. Boulton” |