h gave three sitters to two of the seats and two
to the third; by way of relief, my servant or myself frequently mounted
the box, enabling the parties to separate,--a luxury of no mean
importance. On this occasion I noticed, on being about to take my seat,
which was the front one, that it was unoccupied, Sam being on the box,
and three persons on each of the other seats. On requesting that one of
the sitters by my fat friend would share the vacant front with me, the
Major informed me that the arrangement was preconcerted, as they knew I
was not quite so well used to rough roads as they were, and had work
before me on getting to my journey's end; begging me to fix myself
comfortably on the seat, and try and sleep for an hour or two.

This being a piece of unpurchasable, unthought-for consideration and
civility, I conceived it as well worth notice as the many instances of
brutality which ill-used travellers put on record; but it is by no means
the only example I have seen of these rough subjects' innate kindness,
and, I may add, good-breeding. There is, with them, a give-and-take
system whilst thus roughing it in company, they seek no exclusive
advantage, and evince no selfishness; but they are quick-sighted and
shrewd observers, and I would recommend any who desire to travel
comfortably with them, to carefully suppress any exhibition of
over-regard for self.

With this precaution, let a stranger, and a British subject, be only
known as such, and if a preference should occur, I will answer for his
standing a good chance of getting it.

Here I enjoyed my first lesson in what is familiarly termed riding a
rail; and from all such railways I hope to be spared henceforward. The
term is derived from a fence-rail being occasionally used to supply the
place of a broken thoro'-brace, by which all these stages are hung; and
these are, in fact, the only sort of spring that would endure the load
and the "rough breaks" their virtue must go through.

We broke down by a sudden plump, into a hole, that would have shaken a
broad-wheeled waggon into shavings. Our driver did not approve of any of
the fence-rails in the vicinity, so plunged into the wood, accompanied
by one of my Western companions; and in ten minutes they returned,
bearing a young hickory pole, that the driver assured us was "as tough
as Andrew Jackson himself,[10] and as hard to break, though it might
give a leetle under a heavy load." This was shoved under the body of