r32 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



cannot always be said of trains, notwithstanding that 

 whereas their efforts are merely mechanical, the 

 punctuality of the coach was dependent upon physical 

 power, and a thousand things that no skill of man 

 could foresee or overcome, heavy snow-storms, roads 

 frequently flooded, and other hindrances to progression. 

 On one occasion a Mr. Kenyon is said to have beaten 

 a celebrated coach with his post-chaise. The name of 

 this coach was the " Wonder," from Shrewsbury to 

 London. This gentleman is said, just before starting 

 from Shrewsbury, to have told his head post-boy that 

 he should like to beat the coach. The post-boy said 

 he would try his best, and he actually got into London 

 before the coach. This coach was one of the most 

 celebrated on the road. Of course the post-chaise 

 had four horses, which were changed at the end of 

 every ten or twelve-mile stage, and so it was not a 

 surprising feat, particularly as a post-chaise is lighter 

 than a coach. 



For those who are fond of driving and like horses, 

 a more pleasing sight could not have been witnessed 

 than one of the royal mail-coaches, with its four gray 

 horses going well up to their bits, driven by a noted 

 coachman, with a guard in scarlet and gold, making 

 music on his big horn and waking up the sleeping 

 villages through which the coach passed, all eager to 

 catch a glimpse of the mail. When trains start, people 

 do not as a rule go to the station merely for the 

 pleasure of seeing them off; they either intend to 

 travel by them, meet or bid good-bye to some 

 friend, or have some business to perform. But this 

 was not the case with the coaches ; people used to 

 frequent the great coach -yards in London merely 

 to see the coaches start ; and we are told that quite 



