AN
EASY PLAN
OF
ASCERTAINING EVERY FARE
OF A
HACKNEY COACH.
Get an accurate Map of London, on a Scale of not less than 6 Inches to a Mile; set a pair of Compasses (or rather, what I believe are called Dividers, which have a screw that fixes them firmly to any distance at which you wish to keep them separate,) to a Furlong, and with them you may easily measure any distance—allow for Turnings, and keep your reckoning short by at least half a Furlong, that is, 20 Poles, i. e. 330 feet in each Mile: as some Guide to guess this, Houses in London being, on an Average, not more than 20 feet in front, stop within at least 16 houses of what you consider to be the full Mile.
A Map of the Metropolis, laid down from actual measurement on a scale of an Inch to a Furlong, i. e. of 8 Inches to a Mile, is much wanted;—with it and a pair of Compasses, all Hackney Coach Fares might be settled with the utmost ease, and with sufficient exactness, to satisfy All, except litigious triflers, who are more Nice than Wise.
I read the foregoing paragraph to Mr. Cary, the Map-maker, of St. James’s Street, who replied, “I have had thoughts of publishing a Map on the scale you mention; on such a plan, that by merely looking at it, the distances might be determined within Twenty Poles, i. e. within the ¹⁄₁₆th part of a Mile.”
Such a Map would be a very great acquisition, and I hope Mr. C. will meet with encouragement sufficient to induce him to put his design into execution speedily, as it would form a certain standard by which all questions respecting distances might be immediately adjusted, to the satisfaction of both parties.
Let Measure Stones be placed at the ends of our Streets, or at least of the principal Streets, as Mile Stones are on our Roads; or let their length be written under the Names on the Boards which are fixed up at the ends of Streets.
To make an actual Measurement of every Street with a Measuring Wheel, would not cost more than £500.; to affix the Distances under the Names of the Street, not so much: the Expense might in part be defrayed by the Sale of a Map of London, on the scale of one Inch to a Furlong, laid down accurately from such an exact survey, and a Volume like Cary’s Guide for Ascertaining Hackney Coach Fares; of which very curious and useful Work, see a specimen at the end of this Chapter.
| The length of | Mile. | Furl. | Poles. |
| Oxford Street (the longest in London) is | 1 | 2 | 19 |
| Piccadilly | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Bond Street | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| Holborn | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Tottenham Court Road | 0 | 5 | 14 |
| The Strand | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| Fleet Street | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Make a list of Fares, North, South, East, and West, from your House, of 1s., 1s. 6d., and 2s., taking care to add thereto the distance from the Stand, or Place whence the Coach is called.