27G CARRyiNG HORSES. 



tte railway company was not liable to the owner of the 

 goods for damage caused to them by the delay {x). What 

 is, or is not, reasonable time, must be judged with refer- 

 ence to the means at the carrier's disposal for forwarding 

 the goods (y) ; but if his course of business is inconsistent 

 with reasonable expedition, it is no answer to an action 

 against him for damages arising from delay, that he carried 

 at the ordinary rate at which he conducted business (z). 

 Provided that he carry by a reasonable and usual route he 

 is not bound to carry by the shortest route, even though 

 empowered by statute to charge a mileage rate for car- 

 riage (a). 

 A ferryman. A ferryman is bound not only to provide a safe mode of 



conveyance, but also proper means for the embarkation 

 and landing of the animals carried by him. The defen- 

 dants, lessees of a ferry over the river Mersey, ran steam- 

 boats across for the conveyance of passengers and goods 

 for hire. They also carried animals, but it was not their 

 practice to take charge of the animals when on board. 

 The plaintiff, having paid his usual fare, led his mare on 

 board at one side of the river, and remained with her 

 untn the steam-boat reached the other side. For landing 

 the passengers and animals the defendants had provided a 

 movable slip leading from the boat to a landing-barge. 

 The slip had a hand-rail, which had been twice recently, 

 to the defendants' knowledge, broken by the pressure of a 

 horse on landing ; and in the handrail was an iron spike, 

 which appeared whenever the rail gave way. The defen- 

 dants had also been cautioned that the slip was unsafe. 

 They notwithstanding continued to use the slip, leaving the 

 broken rail slightly tied up, so that it appeared sound. 

 Over this slip the plaintiff proceeded to lead his mare 

 towards the shore ; but she pushed against the rail, which 

 immediately gave way, and the iron spike concealed in it 

 injured her severely. It was held that the defendants 

 were bound not only to find a good boat, but also a good 

 slip, and therefrom so to bridge over the space between the 

 boat and the land as to provide means for getting from one 

 to the other. And that although the mare was under the 



{x) Taylor t. Great Northern Rail. (z) Blakemore y. Lancashire and 



Co., L. E., 1 C. P. 385; 35 L. J., Yorkshire Rail. Co., 1 F. & P. 76 ; 



C. P. 210. Hales v. London and North TVestern 



(y) Hales v. London and North Rail. Co., 32 L. J., Q,. B. 292. 



V'estern Rail. Co., 32 L. J., Q. B. (a) Myers y. London and South 



292. Western Rail. Co., L. R., 5 C. P. 1. 



