BEARING REINS, FAST COACHES, AND EINCH-PINS. 245 



into their places, in the very short space of sixty seconds ; 

 but so it is. A quarter of an hour, or at least ten 

 minutes, was the usual time allotted to this purpose 

 when I first knew the road ; but at the present day, 

 unless some business is to be transacted — such as taking 

 fares for passengers, setting" down, getting out parcels, 

 etc. — I should say, the average is three minutes for each 

 change, with fast coaches. There is, however, one 

 practice attending this harlequin-like performance which 

 I must condemn, and which I would not surfer, were I 

 the proprietor of the fastest coach in England ; and that 

 is — having no buckles at the end of either leaders' or 

 wheelers' reins. This is what I call throwing away a 

 chance ; for should one of them drop out of the coach- 

 man's hand, it would not be in his power to recover it, 

 and an accident must be the consequence. Let us sup- 

 pose that the one-minute-time, with the opposition in 

 sight, will not allow a coachman to buckle his reins at 

 the hand before he gets on his box, there is no reason 

 why he should not do so after he has proceeded a little 

 way on the road. Prevention is always preferable to 

 cure ; and well inclined as I am towards everything 

 belonging to the road, yet, were I on a jury, and an 

 action were brought against a coach for injury sustained 

 by a passenger, I would lay it on thick if I found it pro- 

 ceeded from the cause I have alluded to. It may be 

 very ' swell,' but it is not safe ; and this is not only my 

 own suggestion — I have heard the subject canvassed 

 more than once, and I know the feeling towards it. A 

 word then to the wise ! 



