When any Journey was an Adventure: Travelling before Railway era
In this time of 21st century when a direct flight from Melbourne to Islamabad or one from Lahore to Los Angeles, cruising at a 1,000 km/hr takes just about 14 hours, it is hard to imagine what travel was like before the early 19th century pre-railways era when the only means of commuting over land was a cart or a wagon driven by beasts of burden plying at a leisurely speed of 2 to 3 km/hr on uncertain and unpaved roads. This article will study the means of travel in the pre-railways era and evaluate the social conditions in the absence of a safe and reliable travel conditions. Before introduction of railway in 1830, animals -mainly horse, bullock and camel- provided the driving power for wheeled vehicles. Two-wheeled bullock/ox carts were the preferred beasts of burden in the sub-continent because of their better availability and tolerance for hot humid weather. In Europe, the four-wheeled horse driven wagons were more popular because of equine-friendly environment. Animal driven t