212 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



when he comes to go down a steep hill, drawing the 

 wheel-rein through his hand, in which case he is at that 

 time, certainly, driving with the long one. If he trust to 

 the short one, without pulling it through his hand, he 

 will find that, as the horses in the position of holding 

 back their coach, will be so much nearer to the box than 

 when they are on the collar, the rein, if left resting on 

 the hand, will be almost useless, by reason of his being 

 obliged to draw his hand up to his chin, to obviate the 

 difference of situation in which his horses are placed ; 

 and then he has but little power over them, for that 

 ' chin-work,' as we call it, will never do. If he do not 

 draw his hand up in this way, he must divide his reins 

 with his other hand, in which case he loses the use of his 

 whip, which is more often wanting in descending than in 

 ascending a hill, and is frequently the only means of pre- 

 venting a coach being upset. When, however, a coach- 

 man has drawn all his reins through his hands, and got 

 fast hold of them, he has got his horses, as it were, in a 

 vice, and his other hand is at liberty for any emergency 

 that may occur. An advantage also attends long wheel- 

 reins in the event of a wheel-horse falling ; for, if he gets 

 quite down on his side, he cannot pull the coachman 

 from his box, which has happened, and proved fatal, to 

 many who drive with the short one ; — not, by the bye, 

 that I have any idea of a man, awake to his situation, as 

 a coachman, and seated properly and firmly on his box, 

 with his feet out before him, being pulled off by a horse 

 dropping in this manner ; but if he sits, as many of the 

 awkward ones do, either sideways, or with his legs crossed 



