The first stagecoach service on the Cariboo Road began in 1864 from Yale to Soda Creek. Although the stagecoaches and often the passengers carried large amounts of gold (in one case, $600,000. on a single trip) there were few hold-ups and passengers travelled in relative security. Much more comfortable than the freight wagons, stagecoaches were equipped with “shock absorbers” made from layered leather straps that extended the length of the stage. Women travellers were given special attention, offered the best seat, the most comfortable room at the stopping place, and the place of honour to the driver’s right at meals. Passengers were expected to defer to the demands of commerce, including a strict schedule for stagecoaches carrying mail. If coaches arrived late at a stopping place, they left almost immediately and passengers had to sleep as best they could in the swaying compartment.

A team of horses pull a wagon and trailer north to Barkerville