470 PONY EXPRESS CH. XX 



ahead at a gallop, leading the fresh horse on his 

 near side. When the messenger came up along- 

 side, both horses being then at full speed, he jumped 

 from his horse to the fresh one without touching the 

 ground, and pulled the bags after him. It was cold 

 weather, December, and the last forty miles were 

 ridden after dark, over mountain trails and through 

 heavy timber, with a light snow falling. The first 

 sixty miles were covered in 2 hours and 37 minutes, 

 at the rate of 22.9 miles an hour, or of one mile in 

 2 minutes and 7,7 seconds ; the last forty miles in 2 

 hours and 36 minutes, at the rate of 16.44 niiles in 

 an hour, or of one mile in 3 minutes and 36 seconds. 

 This hundred miles was of course only a small part 

 of the whole distance traversed by the express at 

 about the same speed. The nineteen horses which 

 covered the first sixty miles, averaged 3.16 miles 

 each ; the nine which did the last forty miles, 4.4 

 miles each, the pace being slower. 



This account is taken from a Western journal 

 and was furnished by Lowden himself; while not 

 exactly 'coaching,' it is interesting as a record of 

 speed with relay-horses. 



Whatever may be the rate at which the coach is 

 timed, punctuality is most important, and the coach- 

 man should make it a point to start and to arrive 

 exactly upon time, and to be at his changes at the 

 moment marked for them. This accuracy is the life 

 of public coaching, and no delays should be per- 

 mitted nor any passenger waited for. It is a good 



