POLING-UP AND BREECHINGS. 205 



the guard to chain the wheel of a coach, without getting 

 down ; as it not only saved time and trouble, but might 

 have been most serviceable to prevent accidents from a 

 bolting horse, or the coach getting the better of the 

 horses, or the horses getting the better of the coach, 

 which will sometimes be the case. By a very simple 

 contrivance -a jack and two pulleys — the slipper was let 

 down so as to meet the wheel when in motion. It was 

 wound up again into its place by the same means ; but it 

 was, unfortunately, found to be inefficient, as the line 

 would not slide, neither would the pulleys work, when 

 clogged with mud or frozen dirt. It is to be hoped, 

 however, the plan may yet be perfected, as instrumental 

 to the safety of those who travel by coaches. 



Proprietors aho object to breechings on another score. 

 They know that when a coachman has breechings on his 

 wheelers, he gains the time otherwise taken up in lock- 

 ing and unlocking the wheel down the hills, by going 

 down them without : but then they know that this is not 

 done without risk to the passengers, and consequently to 

 their purses, as the stress on the pole, pole-pieces, neck- 

 ings, &c, as well as on the reins, is considerable — to say 

 nothing; of the wear and tear of their horses' lees. On 

 the other hand, clever and experienced coachmen will tell 

 us, that the danger in this case, with horse and tackle to 

 be depended upon, is not so great as that created by lock- 

 ing the wheel, by which, particularly in frosty weather, 

 many coaches are overturned from what is called ' striking,' 

 which a locked wheel always does, more or less, occasion- 

 ing a considerable swing to a top-heavy load. There is 



