GENERAL. 415 



behind to take care of the luggage on the roof, and 

 prevent persons from getting up. They were followed 

 by a cart, driven by one of the men who had driven 

 out a parcel-van in the morning, there being a 

 separate cart with the guard and bags for each 

 mail. 



The empty carts were then driven back to the 

 City, the porters who had gone up with the mails so 

 arranging that they should ride back on the several 

 day-coaches, which had not guards, and thus prevent 

 anything being purloined on the journey from the 

 West End to the City. 



For the mail-cart, man, and horse, the London 

 proprietor used to charge against the earnings of the 

 mail thirteen pounds a year, and also charge for way- 

 bills, books, and booking-offices in the City and at 

 the West End. 



That fires sometimes occurred by sparks from the 

 railway-engine, and damaged the passengers' luggage 

 during the time the mail was being conveyed by 

 train on a railway-truck, appears from the entries 

 I find in a sharing account of the Bristol mail : 



£ s. d. 

 Brymer's portmanteau, burnt by fire on rail 3 10 



Paid damages to parcels and passengers' luggage 

 by fire : Levy's parcel, £15 15s. ; Morgan, 

 passengers, £2 5s. 18 



