s to
control the sending and receiving of all despatches.[221] The
incorporation of Prussia and Cleve in the Mark of Brandenburg rendered
necessary the improvement and extension of the messenger service, and in
1614 the Elector John Sigismund appointed twenty-four messengers, who
were paid at a fixed rate, according to the length of the route
traversed. Thus, for the Strasburg, Cologne, and D[:u]sseldorf routes the
payment was 10 thalers, and for the Cracow, K[:o]nigsberg, and Mainz
routes, 8 thalers. Once a year they were supplied with an outfit of
clothing. When not travelling, they were required to report themselves
every hour to the _Botenmeister_, and to hold themselves in readiness at
all times to set out if necessary without delay. The journeys were made
according to set times, and the messengers, who carried both letters and
parcels, were provided with a way-bill, on which the times of arrival at
and departure from the various points were entered. The
_Boten-Anstalten_ really comprised two kinds of undertakings--the
so-called _Post-boten_ and the _Landkutschen_. The former were the
ordinary messengers; the latter a kind of stage-coach system, which
carried both passengers and merchandise.[222] The rates of charge were
based on the actual length of the journey, and also upon any accidental
circumstance which might have a relation to the question, such as high
general prices.[223]

In 1634 a riding post between C[:o]ln a. d. Spree and Crossen was
established, and shortly afterwards a similar post to Glogau, in order
to provide a means of communication between the Government and the
Swedish Army. For the same purpose in 1635 a daily messenger service
(_Botenpost_) was established from Tangerm[:u]nde to Berlin, and in 1646 a
military post (_Dragonerpost_) was established between Berlin and
Osnabruck, in connection with the conference preceding the signing of
the Treaty of Westphalia.

All these services were for the conveyance of the Court and
Administrative correspondence only. The _Botenmeister_ nevertheless
frequently undertook the conveyance of private letters, for which
special charges were made, and often the messengers themselves
clandestinely carried private letters.

In 1618 the _Botenmeister_ of Berlin established a special messenger
route for the conveyance of private letters (_Ordinari-Boten-Cours_)
from Berlin to Leipzig and Hamburg, and at about the same time the
_Botenmeister_ of K[:o]nigsberg est