484 THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUITATION [CH. 



tree, the wheels not yet revolving on the axle. Then to get 

 greater lightness two or more holes were cut in the solid wheel, 

 the solid portions left being the precursors (as is supposed) of 

 the felloe and spokes made of separate pieces. Finally, the 

 axletree no longer revolves, but is firmly fixed to the cart, 

 and the wheels, now made of spokes, revolve upon it, being 

 kept in their places by linch-pins inserted into a hole in each 

 extremity of the axle. 



At first sight nothing can be more plausible than this hypo- 

 thesis, but when it is closely examined it must be confessed 

 that there are but few facts to support it, and that those few 

 are capable of other explanations. * 



In the preceding pages we have passed in review the earliest 

 vehicles used by the horse-keeping peoples of the world, and in 

 every case where we had any evidence — in Egypt under the 

 xviiith dynasty, in India under the Vedic Aryans, amongst 

 Hittites, Assyrians, Persians, Libyans, Mycenean Greeks 

 (Bronze Age), Homeric Acheans (Iron Age), the Gauls of 

 Northern Italy, as well as those of Gaul itself, ancient 

 Britons and ancient Irish — everywhere the chariot wheel is 

 formed of a felloe, a hub or nave, and of spokes ranging in 

 number from four to ten or even twelve. It is therefore clear 

 that the chariot is never found with solid wheels such as are 

 supposed to have been the forerunners of the spoked wheel. 

 Nor is this a matter for surprise. The horse, as we have seen, 

 was throughout early and medieval times used almost solely 

 for war. As speed and mobility were the grand requisite in 

 the war-chariot, it is obvious that solid wheels, such as those used 

 under Portuguese and Chinese ox-carts, would have rendered 

 the vehicle useless for war. We may, therefore, safely con- 

 clude that from the first the war-chariot never had block 

 wheels. 



But it may be said that although the war-chariot from 

 the first was fitted with spoked wheels, nevertheless the solid 

 wheel had long preceded it, having been invented for purposes 

 of agriculture, and that doubtless the ancient ox-cart, which was 

 not built for lightness and speed like the chariot, was furnished 

 with clog wheels. Yet if the reader Avill look at the picture of 



