Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-07-10
RAMBLBs A-wHHEL.
Rev. L. ID. Temple Writes OF His EHpe-
rIence In England and Scotland.


rIence In England and Scotland.
Editor Phunir:-I have now been riding
the bicycle in England and Scotland some
thing over three weeks. 1t is possible that
some of your readers may be curious to
know how have Jared upon my journey.
Up to the present time have ridden 964
miles. This represents 10 riding days.
mounted the wheel at Southampton the
day after landing from the steamer My
route lay to the north through Stratford-on-
Avon, Oxford, Warwick, Lincoln, York,
Durham, Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth to
Inverness at the north end of Lcch Ness |
have been favored with splendid weather.
Two out of the 10 riding days have been
very rainy, but the remainder of the time
the days have been favorable for my work.
This is one of the dryest seasons known in
this country for many years. In the south
of England the grass looks brown from
lack of moisture.
The English roads, with rare exceptions,
are surprisingly good. Americans do not
know the pleasure of cycling until they
have ridden some of these roads. They
are carefully graded, the hills being cut
down and the valleys filed up, and kept in
perfect repair Even cross roads are built
of stone and well cared for. The perfect
condition of roads in the south of England
has very marked effect on the character
of bicycles used. When the roads are
smooth and level any kind of a machine
can be ridden. The result is that the most
tatterdemalion lot of cycles ever saw is TO
be seen in daily use in that region. In
Scotland, on the contrary, and especially
in the rougher parts, the bicycles are all
modern and apparently of a good grade.
| The people in this country have little faith
in light weight wheels. The most of those
| have seen weigh from IS to 80 pounds.
They are surprised to see me travelling
with a 22-pound machine. There are no
wood rims in use here so far as | know.
They also are regarded with distrust. The
cyclometer is curiosity. Small boys in
squads pursue me TO see the watch" |
have seen but one other on bicycle in the
Kingdom.
AS a means of travelling in a foreign
country the bicycle has many advantages.
do not mean TO say that it has no limita-
tions, for it most certainly has. Among
its advantages is the means it affords Of
going through sections of country mac
cessible to ordinary travellers and of visit
| ing places of interest at some distance
| from ordinary routes without the delay in
cident to waiting for regular trips by coach
or train. Last week | wished to go from
Inverness to Glasgow, a distance of 10
miles. The road led along a series of
| lochs, Ness, Oich, Eli and Leven, the lat
ter OF which had to be crossed in a row
boat and then through Glen Coe, a region
made famous by the massacre of clan
Macdonald in 1892. This glen contains
the widest scenery Of Scotland. 1t is sew
eral miles in length and think 1t is very
| Pa 70 haf FNfr1 IL
| though they often 90 to the entrance near
Loeb Leven. The mountain scenery OF
Scotland is very weird because the mount
aims have no trees upon them.
One evening on this ride from Inverness
to Glasgow | found it necessary to stop
over night with an old Highlander on the
estates of Lord Breadalbane 1t was on
the banks of a fine mountain salmon
stream above which rose the mountains of
the lords shooting grounds, u miles
| across. These mountains, like others, had
no trees upon them. During the evening
| met Lord Breadalbane's head forester,
an intelligent middle aged man, who told
me that these mountains were once no
doubt covered with a fine growth of fir
trees, but that at some very remote period
the forests had been destroyed, probably by
| fire. The evidence of this is the fact
that the roots of fir trees are found in
abundance in the formations which are
abundant in places on the mountains. l
saw in the yard of my highland host i'm
mense fir roots in perfect preservation
which he has taken from the peat bog for
| fuel
l have not neglected going to church
since | have assumed the role of a cyclist.
One Sunday worshipped in the church
where Shakspere is buried. l have at
tended weekday services in Lincoln cathe-
dral and ST. Giles in Edinburgh. have
also attended on Sunday the cathedrals at
| Durham and Glasgow. Cathedrals were
not built for preaching purposes, neither
are they furnished for comfort. 1t is diff
cult for utilitarian American to under
stand system which expends $500 upon
baptismal font las at Inverness) and fur
nishes worshippers with plain fiat boards
to sit upon. Since have been a listener
for few Sundays l am more than ever a
| friend to cushioned pews.
wish to say through The Phoenix TO
my friends in Brattleboro that am more
than pleased with my experiences thus far.
| This week go to Ireland. July Is am
to sail for home, and If good fortune favors
me l shall be in my pulpit again July 26,
| doubtless much the better for my rambles
a-wheel. L. d. TEMPLE.
Glasgow, June 20, 1896.