32 DRIVING 



in the nature of a coach. If the conveyance of packages was 

 desired, there were waggons, but for all purposes of human 

 transport there was ' the coach ; ' and one coach was very much 

 like another, except that royal and distinguished personages 

 had more luxurious vehicles than those who were less wealthy 

 or less anxious about maintaining their position, for the last 

 century was marked by much display. If a great man rode in 

 his carriage there was something to show that he was a great 

 man, something about his carriage, and horse, and attendants, 

 as well as his dress ; unpretentiousness and disregard of outward 

 show were fashions of a later day and have so remained. Now 

 the Prince of Wales goes about in his brougham, and except to 

 the critical eye which may discern that it is a remarkably well- 

 turned-out equipage though this is not entirely a distinguish- 

 ing mark, as very many other gentlemen's carriages are in the 

 most perfect taste also there is nothing to suggest that a 

 royal personage is the occupant. Two-wheeled carriages were 

 not, of course, unknown after having been used for thousands 

 of years. There was, for instance, ' the sedan cart/ a sedan 

 chair with the poles extended so as to form shafts and also 

 continued at the back so as to meet an axle. There was just 

 room inside for one sitter, who must have been jolted terribly, 

 for the chair was fastened on to the pole with nothing in the 

 shape of a spring to ease the motion. The * driver ' rode the 

 single horse, his legs outside the shafts. 



It may possibly have been some ingenious but suffering 

 traveller in a sedan cart who devised the gig, an illustration of 

 which in 1754 shows the germ of a whole array of two-wheeled 

 carriages. The early gig may easily have been developed from 

 the vehicle just described. Instead of the sternly straight shafts, 

 there is a curve in those fixed to the later carriage ; but what is 

 more to the point is the fact that the body of the gig is hung 

 on leather straps attached to iron braces which rise from the hind 

 extremity of the shafts. The wheels were heavy and rather low ; 

 there is a curious appearance of clumsiness about it ; still it 

 was an advance, a distinct invention, and paved the way to the 



