3^8 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



prietors against a coachman, and that was by Messrs. 

 Ibberson, Waddell, & Co. of the Birmingham and 

 Shrewsbury ' Old Prince,' for overturning the said coach, 

 in coming out of the ' Angel' Inn yard at Oxford, on its 

 road to London. The man in question paid one hundred 

 guineas in part of the damages sustained, as it was 

 proved that, though an excellent coachman, he had 

 driven his horses at an unsafe pace round a corner, 

 which produced the accident. Coaches, at that period, 

 used to drive into inn yards, which was a very re- 

 prehensible practice. 



Numerous accidents have happened to coaches from 

 want of proper attention to the security of the horses' 

 bridles. The throat lash — particularly of the wheelers — 

 should be as tight as can be allowed without injuring the 

 respiration, or there is always danger of the bridle being 

 pulled off. The improvement, however, lately made in 

 harness is some security against this, as far as relates to 

 the middle territs on the wheelers' pads, and the double, 

 or what is called ' the guide territ ' to their bridle heads, 

 through which the leaders' reins pass. The former serve 

 to make these reins run from the coachman's hand to the 

 leaders' mouths in very nearly a straight line, whereas 

 with old-fashioned harness there was a considerable 

 bearing inwards, which frequently was the means of 

 stripping a horse of his bridle. But this is not all. The 

 guide territ prevents the leaders' rein from cutting a 

 wheel horse's ear, which always makes him fretful, and 

 unpleasant to drive. Some of the old ones — Mr. Fagg for 

 instance — will not accede to the improvement of the 



