SNOJV AND FLOODS 169 



horse and leading another loaded with the hags, 

 set off for GlasgoAV ; while the coachman, with the 

 other horses, set off' in the opposite direction to 

 secure a fresh team, pursued hy the entreaties of 

 the four terrified jiassengers, heseeching him to 

 use all dilii2:ence and return soon. There, on a 

 lonely road, immovahly stuck in huge snowdrifts, 

 they remained throughout a Intter night, made 

 additionally miserahle hy one of the windows heing 

 hroken. It Avas not until nine o'clock the next 

 morning that the coachman returned, with another 

 man, hut only two horses. Having loaded them 

 with some luggage and parcels, he was, with a 

 joke upon his lips, leaving the passengers to shift 

 for themselves, l)ut was compelled to take one 

 who had fallen ill. The remaining three extricated 

 themselves as hest they could. 



On Septemher 11th, 1829, a month later than 

 the Avatery adventures at Banff, the Birmingham 

 and Liverpool Mail had an unfortunate experience 

 at Smalhvood Bridge, near Church Lawton, a point 

 Avhere the road is crossed l)y an affluent of the 

 Biver Weaver. Unknown to those on the mail, 

 the flooded stream had hurst the arch of the 

 bridge, and Avhen the coach came to the spot, 

 along a road almost axle-deep in water, it fell into 

 the hole and was violently overturned. Of the 

 three inside passengers, only one escaped. He 

 Avas an agile young man, who hroke the windoAV 

 and so extricated himself. The horses Avere 

 droAvned, but the coachman Avas fortunate enough 

 to he Avashed against a tree-stump as the river 



