ON ACCIDENTS. 301 



He had a young team — not put together more than three 

 or four journeys — and I thought he handled them well. 

 They were very fine horses and cost large prices. 



However necessary it may be to catch up wheel 

 horses, and to make them hold back their coach down a 

 hill, there is no part of the system in which a light finger 

 is more essential to safety. To see the manner in which 

 some persons calling themselves coachmen, pull and haul 

 at horses' mouths when descending a hill with a load, is 

 not only most annoying, but it considerably adds to the 

 danger by trying the strength of the tackle. This, 

 however, is not all. They are, perhaps, not aware that 

 all this force which they employ on their horses' mouths, 

 is so much force added to the pressure of the coach, and 

 in proportion to it is that pressure increased. The horses 

 at this time are drawing by their heads ! It is wonderful 

 to see with what little trouble to themselves and their 

 horses, some coachmen will take a loaded coach down a 

 hill. Taylor, on the Southampton ' Telegraph ' shines 

 here. My friend Mr. Ackers, and myself, were once 

 looking his coach over at Southampton, when the former 

 observed how small his pole chains were. ' Oh, sir,' 

 said Taylor, ' there is never any stress on our pole- 

 chains.' Taylor has some awkward hills to go down on 

 his ground, and those who wish to see execution must 

 travel with him. 



There are, however, some horses which no man, 

 however clever, can make to hold a loaded coach down 

 a hill. Of this description is, first, the stiff-necked one 

 (as he is called, and which I have before described), 



