OLD COACHING DAYS. 197 



coaches also had a cradle under the coach, which consisted of 

 a large square piece of wood, suspended from the perch by 

 ropes or chains, on which luggage was also carried ; add to 

 this fifteen passengers of twelve stone each, and we must not 

 be surprised that the cattle sometimes sobbed a little when 

 going over the brow of the hill. 



I had often driven this mail, and one night it was proposed 

 that I should begin at once, take the reins in the Bull and 

 Mouth yard, drive into the Post Office yard, take up the 

 mail-bags and drive out again. Now this was very unusual 

 for an amateur ; however I did it, and nothing was known or 

 said about it, so we trotted off at once, and I drove 146 miles, 

 the longest drive that I ever had at one sitting. I then began 

 to grow sleepy, as we had had heavy rain all night, and the 

 sun came out very hot the next day. About midday the 

 coachman begged me to go on driving, declaring that the 

 next team was the best between London and Edinburgh ; but 

 having driven about seventeen hours, I declined. I once went 

 to Fort William, returning by the Pass of Glencoe, and the 

 coachman told me that, as nearly all the harness happened to 

 be worn out at the same time, new harness had been ordered 

 for the whole seventy miles at once, but it had arrived without 

 winkers. Strange to say, no accident happened, as not one 

 horse in all the seven teams appeared to miss anything. I 

 regret that coaching did not last a few years longer, as in 1830 

 it had scarcely reached perfection, and in 1840 it came to an 

 end, as railways in all directions were opened that year. I also 

 regret that the Government did not forbid the opening of more 

 than a few lines at first, to see how they answered, as in that 

 case those connected with the road would not have suffered as 

 they did, many being utterly ruined. Few people are aware 

 of the misery caused by railways to innkeepers, coachmen, 

 guards, postboys, ostlers, and horse-keepers, as it all came to 

 pass so suddenly. Nor could anybody foresee exactly the 

 effects they would have, as the proprietor of a coach on the 

 Western Road was offered Soo/. by the railway company to take 



