EAST AND SOUTH-EAST 87 



By a Postal Convention of April, 1843, the Govern- 

 ment of King Louis Philippe bound itself to her 

 Majesty's Government to convey the Indian mails 

 over French territory — i.e., from Calais or Boulogne 

 to Marseilles — in seventy- two hours. 



The acceleration secured by this convention was a 

 gain of as much as thirty hours on the previous time 

 of transit under the convention of May 10, 1839, 

 when the hundred and two hours which the French 

 Post-Office were then allowed sometimes extended to 

 one hundred and twenty-one. Bad roads, inundations, 

 highways blocked, a sheet of ice twenty leagues long, 

 near Paris ; tired horses, at some stages none at all 

 available — these and other casualties soon ate into 

 time. Moreover, the old posting diligence w^as 

 cumbrous in build, and incapable of attaining, even in 

 favourable circumstances, the requisite speed. 



Under the new convention, as a material advance, 

 a very light fourgon was constructed, suitable for 

 quick travelling. It had a coupe for the English and 

 French couriers in front, and, while there was enough 

 space for the mails, these unhappy gentlemen had to 

 sit with cramped-up legs, whatever the temperature 

 or time of year, for the greater part of three complete 

 days. Mr. Fredericks remarked that once, on being 

 lifted out of the fourgon at Lyons, or wherever it was 

 that water conveyance commenced, he was quite 

 unable to stand at all, and lost for a time the use of 

 his legs altogether. 



Mr. Payne, too, had anything but pleasing ex- 



