ng 27,000
gallons of water, supplies several tubs, against which each omnibus is
placed. There is a watchman, who comes on at nine at night and receives
the omnibuses as they come in, and ranges them in the order in which, on
the following morning, they will commence their respective exits. At
half-past seven the first omnibus leaves the yard; the next follows eight
minutes afterwards, and so on all the rest of the day. The omnibuses
that commence early, finish their day's work about nine. Those who go on
duty later wait and bring home the pleasure-seekers returning from the
theatres and exhibitions, and other places of public resort. For the
accommodation of these latter classes extra omnibuses are required. Some
of the omnibuses, we must add, work early and late; but then they have a
good rest in the middle of the day. It is a hard life, that of an
omnibus--citizens are apt to get fat, and stones are very trying. At a
considerable expense, every 'bus must be done up and repainted and
revarnished every two years. The original cost of each 'bus is about 120
pounds. They are all built in the yard, of iron and good oak and ash.
In one part of the premises there is a steam-engine at work, sawing wood
and turning machinery. In another part there are 'buses in all stages of
development--here a frame, there a complete body, and there one with
wheels waiting for the varnish, and paint and velvet cushions and plate
glass, which shall make it differ from what it now is, as does Sappho

"At her toilette's greasy task,
With Sappho fragrant at an evening mask."

But let us return to the horses. We have spoken of those in good health
and in active work. Some of them are really capital cattle; and I was
shown a pair of chestnuts worth at least a hundred pounds. We will now
proceed to the infirmary, just premising that in so enormous a yard every
precaution is taken against disease. A man is constantly at work
whitewashing the stables. This takes him four months, and by the time he
has done he has to commence anew. The infirmary consists of a series of
roomy, brick stables, very warm and snug, where the dumb animals are
treated more tenderly than many Christians. In another part there is a
large inclosure, more than half covered, but open on one side for the
recovery of the horses, who, having nothing particularly the matter with
them, but who have lived too fast or worked too much, require a month or
two