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               THE ROYAL MAIL




[Illustration: MAIL-COACH ACCIDENT NEAR ELVANFOOT, LANARKSHIRE.]




               THE ROYAL MAIL

        ITS CURIOSITIES AND ROMANCE

                     BY

             JAMES WILSON HYDE

 SUPERINTENDENT IN THE GENERAL POST-OFFICE,
                 EDINBURGH

               THIRD EDITION

                   LONDON
          SIMPKIN, MARSHALL AND CO.
                MDCCCLXXXIX.

           _All Rights reserved._


NOTE.--It is of melancholy interest that Mr Fawcett's death occurred
within a month from the date on which he accepted the following
Dedication, and before the issue of the Work.


                     TO

            THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

            HENRY FAWCETT, M. P.

      HER MAJESTY'S POSTMASTER-GENERAL,

   THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE, BY PERMISSION,

           RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.




PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION.


The second edition of 'The Royal Mail' having been sold out some
eighteen months ago, and being still in demand, the Author has arranged
for the publication of a further edition. Some additional particulars of
an interesting kind have been incorporated in the work; and these,
together with a number of fresh illustrations, should render 'The Royal
Mail' still more attractive than hitherto.

The modern statistics have not been brought down to date; and