No place within equal distance of London is of greater interest than
Canterbury, and, indeed, there are very few cities in the entire Kingdom
that can vie with the ancient cathedral town in historical importance
and antiquity. It lies only sixty-five miles southeast of London, but
allowing for the late start that one always makes from an English hotel,
and the points that will engage attention between the two cities, the
day will be occupied by the trip. Especially will this be true if, as in
our case, fully two hours be spent in getting out of the city and
reaching the highway south of the Thames, which follows the river to
Canterbury.

Leaving Russell Square about ten o'clock, I followed the jam down
Holborn past the Bank and across London Bridge, crawling along at a
snail's pace until we were well beyond the river. A worse route and a
more trying one it would have been hard to select. With more experience,
I should have run down the broad and little-congested Kingsway to
Waterloo Bridge and directly on to Old Kent road in at least one-fourth
the time which I consumed in my ignorance. Nevertheless, if a novice
drives a car in London, he can hardly avoid such experiences. Detailed
directions given in advance cannot be remembered and there is little
opportunity to consult street signs and maps or even to question the
policeman in the never-ending crush of the streets. However, one
gradually gains familiarity with the streets and landmarks, and by the
time I was ready to leave London for America, I had just learned to get
about the city with comparative ease.

Old Kent road, which leads out of London towards Canterbury, is an
ancient highway, and follows nearly, if not quite, the route pursued by