THE PORT OF LIVERPOOL l8l 



commencing their journeys to Liverpool and else- 

 where, Watt was preparing to enrol specifications for 

 improvements in his steam-engines, and Evans of 

 Philadelphia was breaking his heart over that grand 

 idea of high-pressure in the application of steam to 

 revolving machinery which, it seems probable, has 

 alone made the non-condensing locomotive possible. 



Meantime, the Liverpool mail-coaches, from the 

 traffic point of view, were already falling behind the 

 age. They started at both ends, from the necessity 

 of the service, late in the day. The enterprising 

 George Boulton, of the Golden Cross, Charing Cross, 

 saw his opportunity. In 1807-8, he started a six- 

 inside coach, on alternate days, at seven o'clock in 

 the morning, sent it by Burton and Uttoxeter, and 

 allowed it to spend but one night on the way. 



The Burton road was fifteen or sixteen miles the 

 longer, and in many parts sandy, deep, rutty, hilly, 

 and narrow. But the sagacious Boulton — no novice 

 as a coach-master — knew what he was about. His 

 competition thinned the mail-coach traffic. Elated 

 by success, he then established a four-inside coach, 

 taking the Lichfield route, and cutting out the mail 

 altogether. 



The eighteen contractors between London and 

 Liverpool groaned aloud ; to use the phrase of my 

 predecessor, Thomas Tasker, Boulton ' kibed their 

 heels ' — in other words, took the wind out of their 

 sails. But their lamentations were in vain. To start 

 early in the day was not to be thought of by the Post- 



