140 COACHING. 



gers perceived that the driver was very much 

 intoxicated, and they insisted that he should 

 not drive the coach further ; accordingly the 

 guard took the reins, and the coachman took his 

 seat behind. 



Shortly before reaching the " Jamaica Inn," 

 situate on Bodmin Moors, and ten miles from 

 that town, there is a very steep descent, with a 

 sharp turn at the bottom of the hill, and then 

 a steep ascent up to the inn, where the coach 

 changes horses, and its proper time of arrival 

 was about twelve o'clock. The people at the 

 public-house were alarmed by several horses 

 galloping up to the door and then stopping, and 

 upon going out they discovered they were the 

 mail horses, but with scarcely any harness upon 

 them. 



It appeared that the guard intended to drag 

 the wheel down the hill, but, the night being 

 very dark and wet, and not well knowing the 

 road, he had got beyond the brow of the hill 

 before he was aware of it ; he endeavoured to 

 pull up, and it was believed the coachman got 

 down to tie the wheel, but that he was too tipsy 

 and fell down. The coach then proceeded down 

 the hill at a most frightful pace. Being heavily 

 laden, it rocked from side to side, and on 



