COURIERS. There are two distinct classes of couriers. The first to be noticed are employed by government to carry, securely and expeditiously, important dispatches to and from ambassadors at foreign courts. Active and accustomed to travel, speaking several languages, and with a sufficient idea of their own consequence, they will set out at a moment's notice, pursue their way by steamer, by rail, by hired voiture, or on horseback, with little intermission by night and by day, until they reach their destina tion. Acquainted with routes, officials, and methods of clearing the way, and provided with all proper credentials, including a requisite supply of cash, nothing interrupts them in their eager course. Such are government C., a useful class of public servants. The other class of C. are not dissimilar in accomplishments, but their services are limited to private parties, and coming more generally into notice, we may enter more minutely into a description of their character.
Plicate Couriers.—These are persons of middle age, natives of Switzerland, France, or Germany, who have either been at some time gentlemen's servants, or been long employed as attendant on families while traveling on the continent. In some instances, they are of English origin, and have traveled again and again through Europe with employers who relish the dignity of having a man-servant, and dislike personal. responsibility and trouble. Of whatever country, the courier has settled down into a perfectly cosmopolitan character. With equal fluency, he speaks English, French, Italian, and German, with perhaps Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian; he is acquainted with processes of getting passports and vises; knows the best routes, the best hotels, and where anything curious is to be seen. Acting for the time as a servant, he is not intrusive. IN nether by railway or steam-boat, he knows his place, and makes his appearance only when he is wanted. No doubt, the courier is an expensive luxury; his usual wages being from £8 to £10 a month, independently of traveling-fares. His keep at inns is nominally paid by himself; but, of course, it weighs with the hotel keeper in making out the bill. " A courier, however, though an expensive luxury, is
one whiCh conduces much to the ease and pleasure of traveling, and few who can afford one will forego the advantage of his services. He relieves his master from mucn fatigue of body and perplexity of mind, in unraveling the difficulties of long bills and foreign moneys, sparing his temper the trials it is likely to endure from disputes with innkeepers, postmasters, and the like. If clever and experienced, and disposed to con sult the comfort of his employer, he is a most useful person. His duties consist in pre ceding the carriage at each Stage, to secure relays of post-horses; he must make arrange ments for his employer's reception at inns where lie intends to pass the night; must secure comfortable rooms, clean and well-aired beds, and order meals to be prepared, fires to be lighted, taking care that his master is called and the post-horses ordered at the right hour. He ought to have a thorough knowledge of everything that relates to a carriage; be should examine it at the end of each day's journey; to ascertain whether it requires any repairs, which should be executed before setting out. He should superin tend the packing and unpacking of the luggage, etc. It falls to the courier to pay inn keepers and post-boys; and he ought to take care that his master is not overcharged. Besides this, he performs all the services of waiting and attendance, cleaning and brush ing clothes; and he is not perfectly accomplished unless he has a smattering of the art of cookery" (Murray's Hand-book for Travelers on the Continent). As among ordinary domestics, there are honest and dishonest C., and it is of importance that travelers should not hire them proper recommendations as to character. For places at which C. are to be heard of, we refer to the work just quoted, also to Bradshaw's Con tinental Railway Guide. In Paris, information respecting them will be obtained at Meurice's hotel.