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318
The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
53
"If
in
travelling
from
London
an
accident
happens,
use
all
possible
expedition
in
repairing
the
coach
to
proceed;
and
if
it
cannot
be
repaired
in
an
hour
or
two,
take
the
mail
forward
by
horse
or
chaise--if
the
latter,
the
passengers
will
go
with
you."
In
pursuance
of
these
instructions,
many
instances
of
devotion
to
duty
were
given
by
the
mail-guards,
in
labouring
to
get
the
mails
forward
in
the
midst
of
the
snowstorm
of
1836.
On
the
26th
of
December
the
Birmingham
mail-coach,
proceeding
to
London,
got
rather
beyond
Aylesbury,
where
it
broke
down.
Some
things
having
been
set
right,
another
effort
was
made,
and
some
little
further
way
made;
but
the
attempt
to
go
on
had
to
be
given
up,
for
the
snow
was
getting
deeper
at
every
step.
A
hurricane
was
blowing,
accompanied
with
a
fall
of
fine
snow,
and
the
horses
shook
with
extreme
cold.
In
these
circumstances,
Price
the
mail-guard
mounted
one
of
the
horses,
tied
his
mail-bags
on
the
back
of
another,
and
set
out
for
London.
He
was
joined
farther
on
by
two
postboys
on
other
horses
with
the
bye-bags,
and
all
three
journeyed
in
company.
The
road-marks
being
frequently
effaced,
they
were
constantly
deviating
from
their
proper
course,
clearing
gates,
hedges,
and
ditches;
but
having
a
general
knowledge
of
the
lie
of
the
country,
and
Price
being
possessed
of
good
nerves,
they
succeeded
in
reaching
the
metropolis.
The
guard
was
in
a
distressing
state
of
exhaustion
when
he
reached
his
destination.
This
was
only
one
instance
of
the
way
in
which
the
guards
acquitted
themselves
during
this
memorable
storm,
and
for
their
great
exertions
they
received
the
special
thanks
of
the
Postmaster-General.
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