ACCIDENTS. 373 



come in contact with a hay-cart on its way to London, 

 which caused them to turn suddenly round, break the 

 pole, and blunder down a steep embankment, at the 

 bottom of which was a narrow deep ditch, filled with 

 water and mud. The mail-coach pitched on the 

 stump of a willow-tree that overhung the ditch ; the 

 coachman and outside passengers were thrown over 

 into the meadow beyond, and the horses went into 

 the ditch. The unfortunate wheelers were drowned 

 or smothered in the mud. There were two inside 

 passengers, who were extricated with some difiiculty ; 

 but fortunately no one was injured. I managed 

 to take the passengers with the guard and mail-bags 

 on to London, leaving the coachman to wait for 

 daylight before he could make an attempt to get the 

 mail up the embankment. They endeavoured to 

 accomplish this with cart-horses and chains. They 

 had nearly reached the top of the bank, when some- 

 thing gave way, and the poor old mail went back 

 into the ditch again. I shall never forget the scene. 

 There were about a dozen men from the powder-mills 

 trying to render assistance, and with their black faces, 

 each bearing a torch in his hand, they presented 

 a curious spectacle. This happened about 1840. 

 Posts and rails were erected at the spot after the 

 accident. I passed the place in 1870; they were 

 there still, as well as the old pollard-willow stump.' 



