The Dumfries Post Office, 1642-1910. 69 



and three-quarters beyond Moffat. Five days later the bodies of 

 the two men were found, and convened to Tweedshaws to await 

 interment. 



Even in the face of death their thoughts had been of duty, 

 their purpose having evidently been to leave the mails where they 

 would readily be found. 



There were other sources of danger, viz., accident and 

 robbery. Although the coaches to and from Dumfries seem to 

 have escaped the attentions of the highwayman, they were by 

 no means immune from accident. 



On one occasion, on the morning of the 14th April, 1806, 

 the mail-coach was obstructed in coming out of Dumfries by some 

 evil-disposed persons placing boughs or branches of trees across 

 the turnpike road, by which the lives of the passengers were put 

 in peril and the mail much delayed.^ 



From the "Dumfries Journal" for September 17th, 1811, 

 we learn that : — " On Tuesday afternoon the mail-coach betwixt 

 Port Patrick and this town was overset near Tarf Bridge. It 

 seems that immediately after delivering the mail there the horses 

 went off at full speed, and before they could be checked the 

 accident happened. We are sorry to add that several of the 

 passengers were severely hurt. Mr Gordon, innkeeper at Port 

 Patrick, and his wife were considerably bruised and cut, and 

 James Davidson, of the same place, had his leg broken; a 

 gentleman from Whitehaven got his shoulder dislocated, and his 

 daughter, who was in the inside, was much cut with glass. Both 

 the guard and driver also received injury." 



Again, from the "Dumfries Courier" of date November 

 13th, 1827, we extract the following: — "An accident bad enough 

 in itself, and which might ha\e been attended with more serious 

 consequences, happened to the Galloway mail on the night of 

 Wednesday last at 7 o'clock. When about 4 miles to the west 

 of Castle-Douglas, the horses took fright at something on the 

 road, and rushed or rather leapt to the one side. By this sudden 

 and unexpected movement the poor driver was pitched from his 

 seat, and dashed with such violence on the stony ground that his 

 arm was fractured and his body otherwise seriously bruised. 

 \Mien freed from all control the horses set off at full speed and 



26. Hyds's "Royal Mail." p. 35. 



