STAGE-COACH. 31 



or five miles and gives his horses an ad libitum 

 dose of water. Including the long delays in 

 changing horses, dining, breakfasting, &c. the 

 average speed does not exceed four miles an 

 hour. The coachees are paid by the proprie 

 tors at the rate of twelve dollars per month 

 and receive no fee from passengers ; and this 

 latter is the rule also with all public servants 

 in the States, as in hotels, steam-boats, and 

 railways. 



My anticipations, it may be supposed, were 

 none of the most pleasurable, when in one of 

 the vehicles I have endeavoured to describe, 

 I found myself placed beside eight large men 

 and a child. For a time I submitted to 

 threatened suffocation added to the risk of dis 

 located joints, but soon finding my position 

 no longer endurable I tried what effect the 

 offer of a fee would have in inducing the Ame 

 rican coachee to favour me with a seat be 

 side himself ; for outsiders, no doubt from a re 

 gard for people s bones, are not here encouraged. 

 A fee had the same virtue with him as it has 

 in such quarters in other parts of the world, 



