ide passengers, and carried
twenty-two inside. Now the same distance is traversed by omnibuses
carrying twenty-four passengers--twelve inside and twelve out--and drawn
by two horses, for sixpence. At one time the passengers were provided
with periodicals--a custom that would be quite superfluous when for a
penny the traveller can get all the day's news. Shillibeer's first
conductors were two sons of British naval officers, who were succeeded by
young men in velvet liveries. Shillibeer met with the usual fate of
those who labour for the public, and was ruined; but the system he
introduced has expanded with the growth of London, and has reached a
gigantic extent. One company alone--the General Omnibus Company--a
company which has effected a thorough reform in the omnibus service, and
deserves the thanks of the public, had, in the first half year of the
year 1858, 602 omnibuses running, travelling in the half-year 5,815,036
miles, and carrying 16,800,000 passengers, and pays Government a duty of
4,000 pounds a month. As their yard in Highbury is the largest of the
kind, let me conduct the reader thither.

On the main Islington road, not far from Highbury-corner, just opposite
Union Chapel, there is a stable-yard, at the entrance of which there are
generally two or three 'buses changing horses; a board over it denotes
that it is the stabling of the London General Omnibus Company. If we go
up that yard we shall find that we are in a vast square, occupying nearly
twenty acres of ground, and running as far back as the Liverpool-road.
To the right of us are enormous stables, each stable containing forty
horses, all comfortably bedded down in straw, resting after their
labours, and recruiting their strength for fresh ones. The horses do not
work too hard, not more than three hours out of the twenty-four, and
consume daily 18 lbs. of corn and 10 lbs. of chaff. To each
omnibus--with the exception of the few drawn by three horses, which have
a dozen--there are ten horses attached--which are never changed--which
are all numbered, and the fullest particulars of which are entered in a
book kept by the active and intelligent foreman of the yard. There is a
horse-keeper to each set, who knows the times of his omnibus, and acts
accordingly. In the middle of the yard is an immense shed, under which
the omnibuses are drawn at night and washed and cleaned for the next day.
This washing is done very easily. An enormous tank, holdi