120 CONCORD COACH CH. VII 



has to go backward and forward to counteract ihe 

 movement of the body, interfering seriously with 

 fine work. When the foot is on the brake, the 

 leg is kept constantly in motion from the same 

 cause. 



The hind wheels are high, being 5 ft. 1 in., while 

 those of the old mails were 4 ft. 8 in., and of a 

 modern coach 4 ft. 4 in. 



The front wheels are 3 ft. 10 in., the same in 

 height as those of the mails, those of a coach being 

 3 ft. 4 in. 



The body is high, being mounted upon the thor- 

 ough-braces, and it is somewhat singular that the 

 height of the roof from the ground is almost ex- 

 actly that of the old English coaches. 



An Act of Parliament passed in 1806 provided 

 that no passengers should be carried on top of a 

 coach the top of which was more than 8 ft. 9 in. 

 from the ground, an( j xha.t 2 feet of luggage could 

 be carried on top, if the whole load were not higher 

 than 10 ft. 9 in. from the ground, thus giving again 

 8 ft. 9 in. as the height, or at least the maximum 

 height, of the roof. The height of the roof of a 

 Concord coach is 8 ft. 6 in., that of a modern Eng- 

 lish coach 6 ft. 10 in. 



It will be observed that the body is as far back 

 as the opening of the door past the wheels will 

 permit, and as the heaviest baggage is put on the 

 hind rack, the load is thrown well back on the large 



w 



heels. 



