ON ACCIDENTS 149 



descending hills. It was a matter of surprise to Nimrod, 

 as it is to me, that surveyors of roads have not adopted 

 his plan, on the suggestion of coachmen who, says Nim- 

 rod, know the value, of the bite. It is merely this : ' If a 

 strip of gravel or broken stone, about one yard wide and 

 four or five inches deep, was left on the near side of a hill, 

 and never suffered to bind or diminish, it would afford that 

 additional friction (technically called a bite) to the two 

 near side wheels, that not only would the necessity of a 

 drag chain (never to be trusted) be done away with, but 

 in case of a hame-strap or pole- chain giving way, one 

 wheel-horse would be able to hold back a coach however 

 heavily laden. No inconvenience to the road could arise 

 from this precaution as carriages ascending the hills would 

 never be required to touch the loose gravel, it not being on 

 their side the road.' Custom is the only excuse I can 

 find given for not adopting this excellent suggestion. 



The charge of the roads in the time of the Romans 

 was, Pliny informs us, ' entrusted to men of the highest 

 dignity.' Their roads, some of which remain to the 

 present day, evince their skill and labour in this direc- 

 tion. 



The following remarkable instance of a narrow escape 

 from accident is on record as recently as January 



1S73 :— 



'On Wednesday night, when the "Queen" coach 



from Okehampton to Holsworthy was within five miles 



of the latter place, the coachman got down at an inn and 



the horses started off, and ran thence to Holsworthy in 



perfect safety, though the road is exceedingly dangerous 



