OLD COACHING DAYS. 177 



the up-mail, when I got on to that and drove back again. The 

 first night that I drove this mail out of London the old coach- 

 man would drive with short-wheel reins, which just came round 

 the middle finger. He called the usual reins 'a newfangled 

 French fashion.' It was a dark, wet night, and rather foggy. 

 When half-way down Henley Hill he began chirping at the 

 leaders, which set them pulling. All he said was, ' It's a nasty 

 hill with a bridge at the bottom, but we must go along, only 

 mind what you're at, as this is just the spot where my partner 

 was killed this day week ; he ran up the bank and turned 

 her over.' Some of these men were terribly reckless. I soon 

 left this road for the Basingstoke or Exeter, which I much pre- 

 ferred to any other, and I never left it as long as coaching 

 lasted. The ' Quicksilver,' or Devonport mail, and the Exeter 

 Telegraph,' were simply perfection such coachmen, such 

 guards, and such horses ! How well I remember the four 

 blood chestnuts, with ring-snaffles, out of London ! Then 

 there was a grey leader over Hounslow Heath, who refused to 

 start at all unless he had ear-caps on. These looked very odd 

 when the ground was covered with snow. I often wondered 

 who found out this horse's peculiarity, for it was such a strange 

 remedy for a bad starter. 



We left Paine's Old White Horse Cellar, opposite Hatchett's, 

 at half-past eight ; we changed at Hounslow and at Bedfont 

 Gate (invariably called Bellfound Gate, but I never knew why), 

 and reached Bagshot at a quarter before eleven twenty- six 

 miles. Here I slept, was called at half-past three, left at four, 

 reached London at half-past six ; then to bed till eight or 

 nine, as the case might require. Sometimes I drove right down 

 to Whitchurch, near Andover, met the up-mail and drove it 

 back again, thus driving all night. 



On two coaches, the * Quicksilver ' and * Telegraph,' we had 

 no side- reins or check-reins, never crossed or lapped the traces, 

 nor throat-lashed the leaders ; four reins in one hand and 

 whip in the other was deemed sufficient. The mail-coaches 

 carried four passengers inside and three outside, the guard 



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