CH. II GENERAL CHARACTER OF A COACH 1 7 



plain mouldings worked on the edges of the under- 

 carriage timbers, and with a little carving on the 

 ends of the splinter-bar and the futchells, which in 

 a public-coach are always perfectly plain. 



There are, however, between the two kinds of 

 coaches, some essential differences which should be 

 observed. In a public-coach, the rumble is supported 

 on the hind boot by a solid wooden bench, and seats 

 three or four persons, including the guard ; in a 

 drag, the rumble holds only two persons, usually 

 the grooms, and is supported by open irons. It is 

 quite easy to have both kinds of rumble fitted to a 

 coach, so that it can be used either as a drag or as 

 a public-coach. On a road-coach there is an iron 

 rod running; between the side-irons of the roof-seats 

 along both sides of the coach, and this usually has 

 a net of leather straps (see Plates XVIII. and 

 XIX.), connecting it with the roof, so that wraps 

 thrown on the roof cannot fall off. This net should 

 be omitted in a drag, although for long trips one 

 may be made with buckles in such a way that it can 

 be taken off. The door of the hind boot of a public- 

 coach is hinged on the off side ; that of a drag is 

 hinged at the bottom (see Fig. 36). The public- 

 coach is not trimmed inside, but is usually finished 

 in hard wood. This hard-wood finish is, however, a 

 modern fashion, as in old coaching days the inside 

 passengers paid higher fares than those outside and 

 were made as comfortable as possible. The interior 

 of a drag is trimmed plainly in morocco, cloth, or 



