John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

3. IV:30. Gournay sur Aronde. I left the Hotel de Hollande just at six of the Morning, and the City of Cambray at the opening of the Gates. After travelling five Posts I reached Peronne, at half-past ten O’Clock, and was detained there upwards of an hour, one of the iron Cramps, that keep the spring over the right fore wheel of the Carriage, and employed the blacksmith an hour to repair it. Two Stages further a blacksmith came and examined the Carriage and told me that my fore-right wheel was not solid— I thought he only wanted a job, and told him so— I proceeded another Stage to Roye, and there as the Carriage stopp’d at the Post-house a blacksmith came up, and told me that my left fore-wheel was so loose that I certainly should not get along a quarter of a Post further before it would break down— That it creaked so loud it could be heard quite across the Street— Though I could not perceive that there was so immediate a danger of the wheels this coincidence between two persons who could not have had any concert together gave me some alarm, and I stopped three quarters of an hour at Roye to have the fellies of the fore wheels bound with ropes; something to the disappointment of the blacksmith who had given me the notice, and who had calculated upon a much longer job of work for himself— I then proceeded three stages further to Gournay-sur-Aronde, where I resolved to stop for the Night, though it was only half past six in the Evening, and I had travelled only twelve Posts this day. With my precarious wheels I thought it better to travel before daylight in the morning rather than after dark in the Evening. I lodged at the Hotel du Grand Cerf, and ordered the horses to be ready at 4 O’Clock to-morrow Morning.