Page:The empire and the century.djvu/338

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RATES AND SPEED
295
Up to 15 miles,  4d.
 „  20 „  5d.
 „  30 „  6d.
 „  50 „  7d.
 „  80 „  8d.
Up to 120 miles,  9d.
 „ 170 „ 10d.
 „ 230 „ 11d.
 „ 300 „ 12d.

And every additional 100 miles, 1d. One halfpenny extra on each letter entering Scotland or crossing the Menai Bridge. London to Edinburgh, 1s. 1½d., or for 1 ounce four single letter rates were charged.

1839. A uniform rate of 4d. per letter.

1840. Inland Penny Postage: 1d. per ½ ounce.

1897. Up to 4 ounces 1d.; ½d. for each addition of 2 ounces.


Speed (Inland).

Then in regard to the speed with which letters were carried:

1566. From Croydon to Croxton, 63 miles, took nearly 40 hours.

1635. Edinburgh to London and back, 6 days.

1678. Edinburgh to Glasgow, 44 miles, took 6 days.

1689. News of King's abdication reached the Orkneys in 3 months.

1696. Exeter to Bristol, 65 miles, took 24 hours.

1750. Edinburgh to Glasgow, 44 miles, took 36 hours.

1763. Edinburgh to London, a monthly service, taking a fortnight each way.

1776. The first London stage-coach reached Edinburgh in 60 hours.

1814. Thanks to macadamized roads, the coaches ran 10 miles an hour.

1836. London to Edinburgh, 42 hours.

1837. London to Liverpool and Manchester, 16½ hours.


Foreign and Colonial Mails.

The most wonderful spectacle revealed by the microscope is the circulation of the blood, say in the web of