DRIVING. 65 



DRIVING. 



In driving, a man should sit up against Lis work, and 

 he thoroughly propped by his legs and feet, with the 

 left or rein hand held well into his body, in front of 

 or a little below the waist. Nothing looks more un- 

 graceful than to have the reins at arm's-length, held out 

 at a distance from one's chest. 



A driver should always be seated before any one else 

 in or about the vehicle ; and having carefully taken a 

 firm hold of the reins in his left hand before mounting 

 his seat, they should so remain, and never be shifted. 

 But should the driver be either obliged or find it con- 

 venient to allow others to be seated first, he will then 

 of necessity have to mount from the off or right side, 

 in which case he will in the first place have to take the 

 reins in his right hand until seated, when he will at 

 once transfer them to their proper position in his left. 



The whip should invariably be placed in the socket, 

 or be handed carefully to the driver after he has mount- 

 ed. To mount with it in hand is highly dangerous; the 

 sight of it over the blinkers, or an accidental touch to 

 an animal when the driver is unprepared, may startle 

 and set off a team — while holding a whip in the act of 

 mounting renders that piece of gymnastics doubly awk- 

 ward to accomplish. All turns and manoeuvres may be 

 effected by the fore-finger (and thumb if necessary) of 

 the right or whip hand, either on the off or the near side 

 rein, according as the direction of the intended move- 

 ment is towards the right or left." But in driving four- 



* Yankee fashion is to drive with a rein in each hand. This style 

 in Ireland is humorously described as "driving with a rein in 

 each hand and a whip in the other." 

 E 



