i8o STAGE-CO AC II AND MAI I IN DAYS OF YORE 



was able to jiroceed next day in a post-cliaise. 

 The landlady in the ' London Inn ' at Exeter 

 assured me that the passengers who arrived every 

 night were in general so ill that they were obliged 

 to go supperless to bed ; and unless they go back 

 to the old-fashioned coach, hung a little lower, 

 the mail-coaches Avill lose all their custom." 



Some debated points respecting the early mails 

 are cleared up in a series of replies by Palmer 

 to questions put by the Prench Post Office in 

 1791, respecting the English mail-coach system. 

 "What," asks M. de Richebourg, " is a Mail- 

 coach ? " and among other details we learn that 

 " it is constructed to carry four Inside Passengers 

 only, and One Outside Passenger, Avho rides with 

 the Coachman." Here we perceive the beginning 

 of the outsides. 



Then the question is asked : " When there 

 are no Travellers on the Mail-coaches, do they 

 put-to the same number of Horses as Avhen there 

 are ? " To this the answer was : " They are all 

 drove Avitli four Horses, sometimes, in Snow and 

 very bad weather, Avitli Six ;— never less than four, 

 whether they have Passengers or not." This 

 disposes of the statements made that the early 

 mails were two-horsed. 



