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up going to town in our private carriages, for the pleasure afforded 
by the speedy and safe conduct we had.” The distance is about 
eighty miles from Lancaster to Whitehaven. Leaving Lancaster, 
the mail coaches served Milnthorpe, Kendal, Bowness, (the town 
of Windermere did not then exist,) Ambleside, Keswick, Cocker- 
mouth, Workington, and Whitehaven. The coaches generally 
crossed each other on Dunmail Raise. Arnold was quite a 
character; and for a racy account of him I commend to your 
perusal Mr. Wm. Wilson’s little book on ‘Coaching, Past and 
Present.” 
Undoubtedly Tom Preston was one of the best whips in Britain. 
_ He would suffer no delays, and his blunt determination was some- 
times set down as boorishness, but a kinder-hearted man never 
lived. Many a lift did he give to poor people tramping home 
burdened with market-day stores, when the coach was not full, 
without fee or reward, and not in the least detrimental to his 
employer or the service. Poor fellow! he had an awkward descent 
from the coach one day, which scraped his shin against the wheel, 
and brought on inflammation. The complaint reached his head, 
his mind wandered, and his ruling passion was strong in death. I 
was told he called out my name frequently, explaining the cause 
of being a few minutes late. He left his widow and family in 
good circumstances, and afforded each of his children a good 
education. 
Burdett, a very smart guard, and a handsome man, left the 
service to become his father’s successor as gamekeeper to a noble- 
man. He was succeeded by George Needles. Mr. Anthony 
_ Gibson and I travelled with him by coach on Shrove Tuesday, 
1846, on our way to London. We went to see the great city 
_ together before I settled down to the office of postmaster, to which 
_ Icalculated I would become a prisoner, if I followed the example 
_ of my predecessor. George Needles told me that he was born in 
ba post office held by his parents in the central office in England, 
wherever that may be. He was an older man than Burdett, and 
continued in the service so long as Mr. Fitzsimmons had the 
contract for the mail service. After this the mail service was from 
