he benefit derived by the post-office also from our railways is
incalculable. We cannot afford space to enter into details, but it may
be truly said that but for railways the Post-Office Savings Bank system
could not have existed; and of course, also, our frequent deliveries of
letters and rapid as well as cheap communication with all parts of the
kingdom would have been impossible. The railway service of the
Post-Office is over 60,000 miles a day, and the gross sum paid by the
Post-Office to railways in one year was 570,500 pounds.

These are but a few of the amazing statistics connected with our railway
system, which, if fully enlarged upon, would fill a bulky volume. If
our readers desire more there are several most interesting and
instructive works on the subject, which are well worthy of perusal. See
note 2 at the end of the chapter.

Before closing this perhaps too statistical chapter, we shall say a few
words as to the construction of a railway. No one who has not looked
pretty closely into the subject can form any adequate conception of the
difficulties that beset an engineer-in-chief in the formation of a line
of railway. We will suppose that all the Parliamentary battles have
been fought, opposition overcome, the heavy expenses connected therewith
paid, and the work begun.

The engineer has walked again and again over the country through which
the railway is to be carried and selected the best route, his assistants
having meanwhile taken for him "flying levels" and "cross levels." Too
frequently prejudice, ignorance, and selfishness interpose to prevent
the best route being taken, and immense sums that might have been saved
are spent in constructing the line on the next best route. As soon as
the course of a line is fixed, accurate surveys are made by the
assistant engineers, copies of which are placed, according to Act of
Parliament, with the various clerks of the peace of the counties,
through which the line is to pass, with the Commissioners of Railways
and others, besides which there has to be prepared for each parish its
proportion, and for each landholder a section showing the greatest depth
of cutting or embankment in any of his fields.

As soon as all this has been done, and the Act of Parliament authorising
the line obtained, an accurate plan and section of the whole line is
made, from which the engineer ascertains and lays down its gradients, in
other words its ascents and descents, determ