Old Coaching Days: Some Incidents in the Life of Moses James Nobbs, the last of the Mail Coach Guards — John Shaqi
Old Coaching Days: Some Incidents in the Life of Moses James Nobbs, the last of the Mail Coach GuardsNobbs, Moses James
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Old Coaching Days: Some Incidents in the Life of Moses James Nobbs, the last of the Mail Coach Guards
Nobbs, Moses James
Nobbs, Moses James, 1817-; Postal service -- Great Britain -- Employees
And yet another winter adventure on this Mail. We had left Gloucester,
and all went on pretty well until we came to Radnor Forest, where we got
caught in such a snow-storm that it was impossible to take the coach any
further, so we left it. I took the Mail bags, and, with the assistance
of two shepherds, made my way over the mountains. It took us five hours
to get over to the other side to an inn at Llandewy. There we met the up
Mail Guard Couldry, who took my guides back again. It was not many hours
before the abandoned coach was completely covered with snow, and there it
remained buried for a week. Well, the up guard Couldry fell down in the
snow from exhaustion, and had to be carried by the two shepherds to the
Forest Inn on the other side of the mountain. There he remained some
days to recover himself. I had to proceed with my bags, so I got a
chaise and pair from Penybont and another at Rhayader, but was unable to
take that very far owing to the snow. There was nothing for it but to
press on again on foot, which I did for many miles until I came to
Llangerrig. There I found it was hopeless to think of going over
Plinlimmon, and was informed that nothing had crossed all day, so I made
up my mind to go round by way of Llanidloes, and a night I had of it! I
was almost tired out, and benumbed with cold, which brought on a
drowsiness I found it very hard to resist. If I had yielded to the
feeling for an instant I should not have been telling these tales now.
When I got about eight miles from Aberystwith I found myself becoming
thoroughly exhausted, so I hired a car for the remainder of the journey,
and fell fast asleep as soon as I got into it. On arriving at
Aberystwith I was still sound asleep, and had to be carried to bed and a
doctor sent for, who rubbed me for hours before he could get my blood
into circulation again. I had then been exposed to that terrible weather
for fifty hours. Next day I felt a good deal better and started back for
Gloucester, but had great difficulty in getting over the mountain. Again
I had the honour of receiving a letter from the Postmaster-General,
complimenting me on my zeal and energy in getting the Mail over the
mountain. Even when there was no snow, the wind on the top of Plinlimmon
was often almost more than we could contend with. Once, indeed, it was
so strong that it blew the coach completely over against a rock, but we
soon got that right again, and always afterwards took the precaution of
opening both the doors and tying them back, so that the wind might pass
through the coach. Altogether I had good reason to remember Plinlimmon,
and, after all I have undergone in that country in the way of floods and
snow-storms, it is little wonder if I am troubled with rheumatism now.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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