INTRODUCTION. 9 



board of the box, and he should then immediately sit down 

 upon his driving seat. Some people are in the habit of stand- 

 ing up after they reach the footboard, but this is an aimless, 

 and, indeed, a dangerous proceeding, for the simple reason 

 that if the horses should make a sudden move forward the 

 driver is very likely to be jerked off the box, when the horses, 

 already in motion, will be left without government or guidance, 

 and, unless by some fortunate accident they are promptly 

 stopped, the passengers will find themselves in a very uncom- 

 fortable situation. 



Before proceeding to point out what the driver should do 

 next, I will take the opportunity of making a few remarks as 

 to what the box-seat of a coach should be. Observers will 

 perceive that many of the coachbuilders turn out gentlemen's 

 coaches with a box at an angle of forty-five degrees, so that it is 

 utterly impossible for a coachman to sit upon it ; and therefore 

 his position is that of a man leaning against a wall with his legs 

 stuck out. A coachman thus placed has no firmness or security. 

 If the wheel-horses should fall, he would certainly be^plucked 

 over ; if he happened to run over a heap of stones or some 

 such obstacle, he would almost inevitably be shot over on to 

 his horses' backs. It is very essential that the box should be 

 suited to the driver: that it should be sloped according to his 

 height, and length of leg. Nothing is more absolutely neces- 

 sary to good driving than that the coachman should be placed 

 with ease and comfort to himself on his seat ; and when we 

 say ' seat ' we do not mean a structure placed behind him so 

 that he may lean against it. There must be a slight slope. 

 Speaking rather at a venture, I should be inclined to say that 

 the back of the box should be three inches, or from that to 

 four inches, higher than the front part of the cushion. This 

 is ample slope for anybody. 



Having seated himself on the box, the coachman should 

 put both his feet close together. His left hand should be 

 about where the top of his trousers would come that is, 

 the forearm pretty nearly or absolutely horizontal the hand 



