LONG AND SHORT WHEEL-REINS. 211 



one ; and in the course of my observations I will tell 

 you why. 



I hope I shall not give offence when I say that it is 

 not because London coachmen generally use the long 

 wheel-rein, that it must be the best ; for although London, 

 as relates to most other occupations in life, contains the 

 best performers in their way, yet there are more bad, 

 powerless coachmen out of London, in proportion to 

 their number, than are to be found in any other place or 

 country. There are not half the difficulties to call the 

 power and skill into action, on their fine roads, and with 

 their picked cattle that there are in the country ; and 

 being able to hold their horses together, and knowing 

 their right hand from their left, is nearly all that half of 

 them have got to do. As to driving in London streets, 

 no coachmanship is required there, as is proved by 

 the ragamuffins — I cannot call them coachmen — who 

 drive, by dozens, the short four-horse coaches in and out 

 of London, every hour in the day. In the streets there 

 are always two coachmen at work, as I avoid you, and 

 you avoid me ; and God help the passengers by these 

 coaches, if it were not so. London coachmen know but 

 little of heavy loads and weak horses, or bad roads and 

 steep hills, when skill, judgment, and coachmanship are 

 necessary. 



With respect to long wheel-reins, I am ready to 



admit that when horses go straight and well up to their 



bits, a coachman has more power over them generally, 



(though not individually), than with the short ; and the 



proof of this will be found in almost every coachman 



p 2 



