BEARING REINS, FAST COACHES, AND LINCH-PINS. 241 



it being ' a case,' that he really believed two pounds 

 weight more, on either side of the roof, would have 

 brought us all to the ground. 



In galloping coach-horses I have observed the fol- 

 lowing fact : — If the leaders lead off with two opposite 

 legs, the motion of the coach is considerably truer than 

 when each horse uses the same lee ; and the swine bars 

 also will be much more at rest. The bulk of mankind is 

 made to act rather than to think ; but in the course of 

 my subject I intend going a little more philosophically to 

 work on these matters, and will endeavour to point out, 

 on unerring principles, the chief causes of most of the 

 accidents that happen to coaches on the road. 



Were I in Parliament I would long since have 

 brought in a bill to prevent any stage-coach travelling 

 the road with their wheels secured only by the common 

 linch-pin. In the first place, as proprietors make their 

 own charge to passengers for their fares, and against 

 which they have no appeal, they are bound to secure 

 them, as much as is possible, from danger, in their jour- 

 ney. For several years past no coach has gone out of 

 the ' Bull and Mouth ' yard without the patent box to 

 the wheels, and their coaches run to Exeter and back 

 without a wheel being taken off ; as also to Shrewsbury, 

 and farther. This completely answers the common 

 objections made to this safe-guard — namely, that if a 

 wheel with the patent box should fail, the coach is hung 

 up on the road. Now, although I have made particular 

 inquiries, I cannot hear of such an occurrence having 



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