igo ON THE TRACK OF THE MAIL-COACH 



river-boats, and so on — had not a single travelling 

 230st-office, on land or water, at the time when British 

 sea post-offices were established. But now we have 

 given up sorting on board, while the Americans, in 

 connection with the Germans, have recently revived 

 the plan. 



It would probably cost thirty thousand pounds a 

 year to sort the Anglo-American mails on board the 

 Cunard and White Star steamers — at all events this 

 is the best estimate I can form — and if so, it is more 

 than doubtful whether any occasional acceleration 

 which would result could be in any sense remuner- 

 ative. One may pay too much even for a good thing. 

 The sortation resources of our large home post-offices 

 are so great that there is little to be gained by doing 

 the work at sea, even under the most favourable 

 circumstances. Still, marine sorting has a shew of 

 energy and enterprise about it which I cannot but 

 regard with friendly interest. 



'Eome,' writes a friend, 'consolidated her con- 

 quests and maintained intercourse with her colonies 

 by constructing roads. England has done much to 

 the same purpose by her sj)lendid mail-packet ser- 

 vices, that of which I write extending even to the 

 shores of the Pacific' Most people will agree. 



If mail-coaches no longer bring mails to the 

 Mersey, mail-ships pour in enormous masses. Liver- 

 pool is the only provincial port at which an inward 

 mail of considerable bulk is ever sorted on the spot. 

 Bags landed at other ports are, as a rule, sent on 



