46 DRIVING. 



quick-stepping animal that answers the bit instantly. He 

 should have plenty of room in the shafts ; the back band 

 should be adjusted loosely to enable the shafts to play freely. 

 Much depends upon whether the horse fits the carriage. The 

 expense has hitherto rendered it impossible to put these new 

 hansoms on the streets for public hire. 



Reverting to four-wheeled carriages, the firm popularity of 

 the phaeton must be noted. About the year 1830 we find the 

 extremely servicable mail phaeton, the name arising from the 

 fact that the under gear was made with a wood perch on springs, 

 like those used for the mail coaches. The carriage of 1830 

 would now seem a curiously heavy vehicle ; otherwise it had 

 much to recommend it. Amongst other things, it was easy to 

 reverse the seats, moving the hooded front seat to the back 

 if the passenger did not wish to drive and desired to make 

 himself more comfortable : it will be understood that the 

 groom's seat was then placed in front and he drove. Whether 

 the phaeton was the safest of carriages depended a good 

 deal upon the driving ; it was not at all a difficult process 

 to turn it over in going too sharply round a corner, and 

 some acrobatic dexterity was necessary for gaining the hind 

 seat. Mr. Adams considered a phaeton ' not very grace- 

 ful,' but this is a matter of opinion. Most persons will pro- 

 bably consider it a handsome and ' workmanlike ' carriage, 

 certainly preferable in appearance to the britzska, a German 

 invention, introduced about 1815, after the peace, when Europe 

 was reopened to travellers, of which Mr. Adams highly ap- 

 proves. In his book he states that ' it has become the most 

 common of all carriages.' They are now made higher and 

 hung on four elliptic springs. 



In the year 1837 a vehicle was introduced which certainly 

 has become the commonest of closed carriages the brougham. 

 The current story goes that Lord Brougham's chariot and pair 

 not being ready one day when he wanted to go out, he brought 

 his practical mind to bear on the subject, reflected that it did not 

 really require two horses to draw a man about, that a footman 



