he navvy wandered about from one public
work to another--apparently belonging to no country and having no home.
He usually wore a white felt hat with the brim turned up, a velveteen or
jean square-tailed coat, a scarlet plush waistcoat with little black
spots, and a bright-coloured kerchief round his herculean neck, when, as
often happened, it was not left entirely bare. His corduroy breeches
were retained in position by a leathern strap round the waist, and were
tied and buttoned at the knee, displaying beneath a solid calf and foot
encased in strong high-laced boots. Joining together in a "butty gang,"
some ten or twelve of these men would take a contract to cut out and
remove so much "dirt"--as they denominated earth-cutting--fixing their
price according to the character of the "stuff," and the distance to
which it had to be wheeled and tipped. The contract taken, every man put
himself on his mettle; if any was found skulking, or not putting forth
his full working power, he was ejected from the gang. Their powers of
endurance were extraordinary. In times of emergency they would work for
12 and even 16 hours, with only short intervals for meals. The quantity
of flesh-meat which they consumed was something enormous; but it was to
their bones and muscles what coke is to the locomotive--the means of
keeping up the steam. They displayed great pluck, and seemed to
disregard peril. Indeed the most dangerous sort of labour--such as
working horse-barrow runs, in which accidents are of constant
occurrence--has always been most in request amongst them, the danger
seeming to be one of its chief recommendations.

Working, eating, drinking, and sleeping together, and daily exposed to
the same influences, these railway labourers soon presented a distinct
and well-defined character, strongly marking them from the population of
the districts in which they laboured. Reckless alike of their lives as
of their earnings, the navvies worked hard and lived hard. For their
lodging, a hut of turf would content them; and, in their hours of
leisure, the meanest public-house would serve for their parlour.
Unburdened, as they usually were, by domestic ties, unsoftened by family
affection, and without much moral or religious training, the navvies came
to be distinguished by a sort of savage manners, which contrasted
strangely with those of the surrounding population. Yet, ignorant and
violent though they might be, they were usually good-