We are again indebted to Mr Chambers for the following statement of careless blunders made by postboys in connection with the Edinburgh mails:--"As indicating the simplicity of the institution in those days, may be noticed a mistake of February 1720, when, instead of the mail which should have come in yesterday (Sunday), _we had our own mail of Thursday last returned_--the presumption being, that the mail for Edinburgh had been in like manner sent back from some unknown point in the road to London. And this mistake happened once more in December 1728, the bag despatched on a Saturday night being returned _the second Sunday morning after_; 'tis reckoned this mistake happened about half-way on the road." We hardly agree, however, that these mistakes were owing to the simplicity of the institution, but rather to the routine nature of the work; for it is the fact that blunders equally flagrant have occurred in the Post-office in recent times, even under elaborate checks, which, if rightly applied, would have rendered the mistakes impossible. [Illustration (facsimile): CAUTION to POST-BOYS. By the Act of 5th of _Geo._ III. If any Post-Boy, or Rider, having taken any of His Majesty's Mails, or Bags of Letters, under his Care, to convey to the next Post Town or Stage, shall suffer any other Person (except a Guard) to ride on the Horse or Carriage, or shall Loiter on the Road, and wilfully misspend his Time, so as to retard the Arrival of the said Mails, or Bags of Letters, at the next Post Town or Stage.--Every such Offender shall, on Conviction before One Justice, be committed to the House of Correction, and confined to hard Labour for one Month. All Post-Boys and Riders are therefore desired to take Notice of this, and are hereby cautioned not to fail in the regular Performance of their Duty, otherwise they will most assuredly be punished as the Law directs. And it is hoped and requested, for the Benefit of public Correspondence, that all Persons, who may observe any Post-Boy or Rider, offending as aforesaid, will give immediate Notice to Surveyor of the General Post-Office, Johnson Williamson (About 1792)]