nd white on the other. If the
white side were shown to the passing motorist, the road ahead was clear;
but the red was a caution for moderate speed for several miles. This
system, which we found in operation in many places, is the means of
saving motor drivers from numerous fines. The bicycle courier receives a
fee very thankfully and no doubt this constitutes his chief source of
revenue for service rendered.

About ten miles from Oxford we passed through Henley-on-Thames, famed
for the University rowing-matches. Here the river lies in broad still
stretches that afford an ideal place for the contests. The Thames is
navigable for small steamboats and houseboats from London to Oxford, a
distance of sixty miles, and the shores of the stream throughout afford
scenes of surpassing beauty. Just at sunset the towers of Oxford
loomed in the distance, and it was easy to recognize that of Magdalen
College, which rises to a height of two hundred feet. Though Oxford is
one of the older of the English towns, parts of it seemed as up-to-date
as any we had seen, and the Randolph Hotel compared favorably with the
best we found anywhere.

[Illustration: DISTANT VIEW OF MAGDALEN TOWER, OXFORD.]

The time which a tourist will devote to Oxford will depend upon his
point of view. To visit the forty-four colleges in detail and to give
any time to each would manifestly require several days--if not
weeks--and especially would this be true if one were interested to any
extent in student life in the University. Manifestly, people touring
England in a motor car do not belong to the class described. In order to
get the most out of the trip, there is a constant necessity for moving
on. By an economical use of time, one may gain a fair idea of Oxford in
a few hours. This was what we had done on a previous trip and
consequently we spent little time in the city on our second visit,
merely remaining over night. I think the method we pursued would be the
most practical for anyone who desires to reach the most interesting
points of the town in the shortest time. We engaged an experienced
hack-driver, who combined with his vocation the qualities of a well
informed guide as well. We told him of our limited time and asked him to
make the most of it by taking us about the universities, stopping at
such as would give us the best idea of the schools and of university
life. He did this to our satisfaction, and as we passed the various
institutions his commen