Notes and Queries, Number 05, December 1, 1849 by Various
page 13 of 63 (20%)
page 13 of 63 (20%)
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wonderful account of Schultz's journey of fifty miles in six hours, a
hundred years ago. I am inclined to think the explanation consists in a misprint. The distances are given in figures, and not in words at length, if we may trust your correspondent's note on p. 35. May not a 1 have "dropped" before the 6, so that the true lection will be, "dass wir auf dem ganzen Wege kaum 16 Stunden gefahren sind"? This time corresponds with the time of return, on which he set out in the evening (at 8?) of one day and arrived at noon the next. It was also most likely that the spring carriages of fifteen years later date should go much faster than the old springless vehicles. Any one who has corrected proofs will appreciate the "dropping" of a single type, and may be ready to admit it on such circumstantial evidence. I may remark that 1749 was still Old Style in England; but the German Schultz, in dating his expedition on _Sunday_, 10 Aug. 1749, has used the _New Style_, then prevalent in Germany. Sunday, 10 Aug. 1749, O.S., was on Thursday, 31 July, 1749, N.S. The York coach-bill cited on the same page is in O.S. Is not "_Stäts_-Kutsche," in the same communication, a misprint? A.J.E. G.G. has perhaps a little overrated the import of the passage he quotes from Schultz's travels. "_Dass wir kaum 6 Stunden gefahren sind_"--even supposing there is no misprint of a 6 for an 8 or 9, which is quite possible--will not, I apprehend, bear the meaning he collects from the words, viz. that _the journey occupied no more than six hours_, or less even than so much. |
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