356 DRIVING. 



In France the first front portion was the coupe, carrying 

 three persons, looking on the horses and exposed to the dust, 

 mud, smell, and neighing of the great stallions usually em- 

 ployed. Next came the berline (or coach proper), carrying six 

 inside transversely, and face to face ; after this came the 

 rotonde, or omnibus, carrying eight persons, also sitting face 

 to face, but on each side as an omnibus. The banquette 

 was on the roof of the coupe, and carried three or four persons, 

 protected from the weather by a leather hood, with folding 

 glass windows in front. 



On the floor of this was carried treasure heavy sacks of 

 silver five-franc pieces, being consigned to bankers or for 

 making payments in connection with the business of the 

 'diligence' company, and sadly incommoding the feet and legs 

 of travellers on a long journey. The fares varied in respect of 

 place. i. The coupe ; 2. berline ; 3. rotonde ; 4. banquette. 

 The last, affording the best view and most fresh air, generally 

 attracted young Englishmen on their travels. 



Screw-breaks, to retard the speed of the carriage down 

 mountain roads, were general on the French carriages long 

 before they were taken up in England the steep Alpine 

 gradients probably led to their use. The journey from Paris 

 to Geneva would occupy three days and two nights, the 

 longest rest being at Dijon ; a halt of twenty to thirty minutes 

 was made at intervals for meals, and the horses were generally 

 changed very rapidly. The diligence leaving Paris early on 

 Monday morning reached Geneva on Wednesday night. 



The same guard (or 'conducteur') would go through, getting 

 down from his seat on the banquette at every change of horses, 

 sleeping as he could at intervals ; but the driver, a peasant in 

 a blue linen suit, would drive his team of five horses one stage, 

 and be replaced by another, so that on such a journey there 

 may have been sixty different drivers, each driving about an hour. 



Five horses was the regulation allowance for such a dili- 

 gence, which, besides the passengers, carried a large quantity of 

 luggage on the roof behind the banquette, and over the berline 



