The lobster-catcher's donkey

When I see his red car with the oxygen cylinder in it parked outside the market I pop in to say hallo to my old friend Roy. When he is well enough he conducts a brief rendezvous with friends on a Thursday morning here, always eager to share  his latest captured  Ebay images of vintage local postcards or else old newspaper cuttings he has unearthed. Test your local knowledge!  he says showing me these ancient gems. This one, dated around 1900, caught my interest today.The caption says 
For over half a century [Thomas Davies] the veteran lobster-catcher, seen above with his donkey and cart, has traversed the nine miles from Abercastle to Fishguard almost daily to vend his much-sought-after lobsters.
Quite a feat for the old salt you have to agree, but what about the donkey?  An 18 mile  daily round trip pulling Tommy  his cart and his catch up and down the rugged coastal  lanes...  I wonder how many donkeys were worn out on the 50-mile daily lobster run? It doesn't bear thinking of, does it?

Norwegian lobster catching I don't why, I just like it.