704 
ANECDOTE OF MULES. 
ed fifteen stone, rode from London to Stamford (starting from the 
corner of Dover Street) in four hours and twenty-five minutes, 
using eighteen horses. 
There are many other feats on record; but none that make any 
approach to the one performed on Saturday. 
Mi&ttll&nta. 
Mules. 
The drove of mules now came in sight, one following the other; 
a few were carrying no burdens, but the rest were either mounted 
or heavily laden; and as they wound along the crooked path, the 
difference of colour in the animals, the different colours and 
shapes of the baggage they were carrying, and the picturesque 
dress of the peons, who were vociferating the wild song by which 
they drive on the mules, and the sight of the dangerous path 
they had to cross, formed altogether a very interesting scene. 
As soon as the leading mule came to the commencement of the 
pass he stopped, evidently unwilling to proceed; and of course all 
the rest stopped also. 
He was the finest mule we had, and on that account had twice 
as much to carry as any of the rest; his load had never been 
relieved, and it consisted of four portmanteaus, two of which be¬ 
longed to me, and which contained not only a very heavy bag of 
dollars, but also papers, which were of such consequence that I 
could hardly have continued my journey without them. The 
peons now redoubled their cries, and leaning over the sides of 
their mules, and picking up stones, they threw them at the 
leading mule, who now commenced his journey over the path. 
With his nose to the ground, literally smelling his way, he walked 
gently on, often changing the position of his feet, if he found the 
ground would not bear, until he came to the bad part of the pass, 
where he again stopped; and I then certainly began to look with 
great anxiety at my portmanteaus; but the peons again threw 
stones at him, and he continued his path, and reached me in safety: 
several others followed. At last a young mule, carrying a port¬ 
manteau, with two large sacks of provisions, and many other 
things, in passing hit his load against the rock, which knocked 
his two hind legs over the precipice, and the loose stone imme¬ 
diately began to roll away from under them: however, his fore 
legs were still on the narrow path ; he had no room to put his 
hind legs there, but he placed his nose on the path on his left, 
and appeared to hold on by his mouth: his perilous fate was soon 
decided by a loose mule, who came, and in walking along after 
him, knocked his comrade’s' nose off the path, destroyed his 
balance, and head over heels the poor creature commenced a fall 
