I have been induced to enter into this subject because one sometimes now-a-days meets with people who appear to have a somewhat hazy idea about it, and talk glibly of twelve miles an hour as if it was nothing so very great after all. Well, I am not going to deny that it can be done, because I know that it has been effected by the Birmingham day mail, as already stated, and I have also been told by an old inspector of mails that in the latter days they did contrive to screw some Scotch mails up to that speed; but I am sure I can safely say that no mail or stage-coach ever was timed at even eleven miles an hour during the main coaching days, however much faster they might have gone when racing or on special occasions, though I believe it would have been attempted, at any rate, if road travelling had not been put an end to by the railways. Twelve miles an hour is very great work to accomplish. Why, when stoppages of all sorts are allowed for, it means thirteen miles, and that means galloping for the greater part of the way. Though the subjoined List is not comprehensive, nor indeed absolutely accurate, it may be worth inserting, as conveying a fair idea of what coaches ran. PRINCIPAL NIGHT MAILS SOME NOTED DAY COACHES Time (including stoppages) Miles from of Mail London. TO h. m. 110-1/2 BATH 11 0 { "Beaufort Hunt," "York { House," "White Hart." 50 BEDFORD "Times." 119 BIRMINGHAM 11 56 { "Tally-Ho," "Tantivy," { "Greyhound," "Economist," { "Rocket," "Eclipse," { "Triumph," "Crown Prince," { "Emerald," "Albion," "Day," { etc. BRECON "Red Rover." 53 BRIGHTON { "Red Rover," "Times," { "Age," "Quicksilver," { "Pearl," "Dart," "Arrow," { "Vivid." 121 BRISTOL 11 45 { "Prince of Wales," "Monarch," { "Regulator." 50 CAMBRIDGE "Star." 95 Cheltenham (_see below_) { "Berkeley Hunt," "Rival," { "Magnet," "Favourite." 181 CHESTER "Criterion." 217-1/2 DEVONPORT 23 45 "Quicksilver." 71 DOVER