322 ON THE TRACK OF THE MAIL-COACH 



the eighteenth century occurred, much after the same 

 fashion, in the consulate of Sir Kowland in the 

 nineteenth. 



Hill used to describe the Surveyors as the ' eyes of 

 the de23artment.' They certainly had, and have still, 

 to look about them betimes. They must be ready at 

 all hours to supervise the machinery of their district. 

 On one occasion there was an especial reason to take 

 particular note of the working of a certain night mail 

 cart in the South of England. One of my colleagues 

 of the Secretary's office was at that moment travelling 

 with the Surveyor. The two officials rose at about 

 four a.m., and posted themselves a mile from the 

 town to watch for the cart's arrival. They were 

 speedily noticed by a vigilant policeman, who thought 

 that at that untimely hour they must be hanging 

 about for no good purpose. He therefore ' shadowed ' 

 them all the way to their lodgings, took a note of 

 their address, and then came confidentially to warn 

 the postmaster to be on his guard, as two suspicious 

 characters had been seen that morning watching the 

 arrival of the mail, and no doubt were preparing to 

 rob it. 



Akin to this is the experience of a provincial clerk- 

 in-charge, or temporary postmaster. There being a 

 deficiency in the accounts of an Essex sub-postmaster, 

 he went down to take over the control and hold 

 what balance in cash was available. The sub-post- 

 master was absent, raising money to make good the 

 deficiency ; his wife was deaf, nervous, and naturally 



