London at the End of the Century:A Book of Gossip
a Beckett, Arthur William
1900
LONDONERS AND THE CHANNEL.
ABOUT the time of year when the House is up, the clubs are closed, and only barristers desirous of remain in town, everyone who can afford the luxury of a trip to the Continent thinks of To most of us it is not a very pleasant thought, scarcely (as Mr. Burnand would say) a But Englishmen who would set foot upon foreign shores, must face the difficulty and overcome their repugnance to . After all, nowadays, in the very worst weather, thanks to the magnificent boats of the South Eastern and Chatham and Dover Companies, the journey only takes a little over an hour. I believe the and the , if put to it, can cover the sea between harbour and harbour, in fifty-five minutes. I need scarcely say, that this is a vast improvement | |
285 | upon the times of long ago, when the and her sister ships used to journey slowly and surely from port to port. I fancy the vessels to which I refer still exist, and some times appear in the night time, but the day mail passengers have the advantage of the pick of the Companies' fleet. And nine times out of ten the passage is charming-that is to say, when the equinoctial gales (like the spot stroke) are barred. But the latter, unfortunately, are of villainous quality and rapidly pull down the average. Still, crossing the Channel is a solid or rather liquid fact and cannot be shirked by a Londoner. He must visit , which, according to the Institute of Journalists, is a part of the London District. |
