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The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
47
It
seemed
a
hopeless
task
to
control
the
horses
under
the
circumstances,
and
to
attempt
to
take
the
turn
at
the
foot
of
the
hill
would
have
assured
the
upsetting
of
the
coach
and
all
its
belongings.
At
this
juncture
the
passengers
observed
a
strange
smile
creep
over
the
coachman's
face,
while
he
gathered
up
the
reins
in
the
best
style
of
the
profession,
at
the
same
time
lashing
his
horses
into
a
good
gallop.
Terror-struck,
the
passengers
saw
nothing
but
destruction
before
them;
yet
they
had
no
alternative
but
to
await
the
issue.
Opposite
the
foot
of
the
hill
was
a
stout
gate
leading
into
a
field,
and
this
was
the
goal
the
driver
had
in
view.
Steadying
the
coach
by
keeping
its
course
straight,
he
gave
his
horses
all
the
momentum
they
could
gather,
and
shot
them
direct
at
the
gate.
The
gate
went
into
splinters,
the
horses
and
coach
bounded
into
the
field,
and
were
there
immediately
drawn
up,
neither
horses,
coach,
nor
passengers
being
seriously
hurt
by
the
adventure.
Of
all
the
interruptions
to
the
mail-coach
service,
none
were
so
serious
as
those
which
were
occasioned
by
snowstorms,
nor
were
the
dangers
attending
them
of
a
light
nature
to
the
drivers,
guards,
or
passengers.
The
work
achieved
by
man,
either
for
good
or
evil,
how
insignificant
does
it
not
seem
when
contrasted
with
the
phenomena
of
nature!
In
the
year
1799
a
severe
snowstorm
occurred
in
the
country,
which
very
much
deranged
the
mail-service,
as
may
be
gathered
from
the
following
circular
issued
by
the
London
Post-office
on
the
27th
April
of
that
year:--
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
