Saturday. The
Week-End holiday, as it is called, is greatly prized, and is recognized
by the railroads in granting excursions at greatly reduced rates. There
is always a heavy exodus of people from the city to the surrounding
resorts during the summer and autumn months on Saturday afternoon and
Sunday.

Owing to the extreme difficulty of getting about the city, we made but
few short excursions from London such as I have described. If one
desires to visit such places in sequence, without going farther into the
country, it would be best to stop for the night at the hotels in the
better suburban towns, without attempting to return to London each day.

The garage accomodations in London I found very good and the charges
generally lower than in the United States. There is a decided tendency
at grafting on the part of the employes, and if it is ascertained that a
patron is a tourist--especially an American--he is quoted a higher rate
at some establishments and various exactions are attempted. At the first
garage where I applied, a quotation made was withdrawn when it was
learned that I was an American. The man said he would have to discuss
the matter with his partner before making a final rate. I let him carry
on his discussion indefinitely, for I went on my way and found another
place where I secured accommodations at a very reasonable rate without
giving information of any kind.

With the miserable business methods in vogue at some of the garages, it
seemed strange to me if any of the money paid to employes ever went to
the business office at all. There was no system and little check on
sales of supplies, and I heard a foreman of a large establishment
declare that he had lost two guineas which a patron had paid him. "I
can't afford to lose it," he said, "and it will have to come back
indirectly if I can't get it directly." In no case should a motorist pay
a bill at a London garage without a proper receipt.

III

A PILGRIMAGE TO CANTERBURY

No place within equal distance of London is of greater interest than
Canterbury, and, indeed, there are very few cities in the entire Kingdom
that can vie with the ancient cathedral town in historical importance
and antiquity. It lies only sixty-five miles southeast of London, but
allowing for the late start that one always makes from an English hotel,
and the points that will engage attention between the two cities, the
day will be occupied by the trip. Especially will thi