o Charing
Cross, and one-and-six pence to the City. It would stop to change horses
at the "Black Horse," in Coventry Street. Time, from Chelsea, ten in the
morning and two in the afternoon; supposed to do the journey in an
hour--which it never did. This coach appeared to be as much as was
required, as it was seldom full, although it would go round in the
morning to pick up its regular passengers.

The roads and streets had a very different appearance at that time, when
the King's Road was like a country road, with a toll gate on the
north-east side of Sloane Square. By the Asylum Wall, as far as
Whitelands, there was no path at all. Where Colville Terrace now stands
was Colville's Nursery, as far as Downing's Floorcloth Factory, with no
path, and on the opposite side from Whitelands to the White Stiles was
Siger's Nursery. The White Stiles--where is now Avenue Terrace--was an
open space with a grand avenue of horse chestnuts and some old-fashioned
wood fence with two stone steps and a stile at each end, and where
Bywater Street and Markham Square stand was Morr's Nursery.

The King's Road only took a second place in Chelsea proper. Paradise Row
and Cheyne Walk were considered the busiest and most thriving parts of
the village, as nearly all its industries were located on the river bank,
and nearly all the best families lived in Cheyne Walk or Paradise Row,
and in the Royal Hospital, where the old soldiers used to pass the board,
and pensions were paid.

For a boy in those days there were but few opportunities for amusement
and recreation. The only resources we had were rowing, running, swimming
and boxing, to learn which was the proper thing to do and nearly every
boy's ambition. I know it was mine, and as soon as I could save up
two-and-six pence and get a half holiday, I used to go up to Air Street,
Piccadilly, to a tavern on the right hand side kept by a retired
prize-fighter, there to have a lesson from a professional in the "noble
art of self-defence," as it was then called. There were always a lot of
professionals waiting about who used to take it in turns to give the
lessons, and a very shabby, disreputable lot they were. We had to pay
one shilling for the lesson and sixpence for the use of the room, the
lesson to last twenty minutes (which was quite long enough.) You could
have a wash and brush up if you knew your way about and were a regular
customer, and could always get information of the wherea