358 DRIVING. 



greatly. in the hands of the Prince of Turn and Taxis, who 

 for some reason in a former age had been granted a sort of 

 monopoly. If the postilions of the olden time in France 

 were gay in colours, the German postilions were gayer still : 

 some wore canary-coloured suits, others blue, with a multi- 

 tude of gold-coloured tassels, aiguillettes and white plaited orna- 

 ments, resplendent with buttons, buckles, and head-gear, and 

 some in scarlet. But neither the French nor German service 

 was so rapid as the English ; for the vehicles were heavier, 

 the breed of horses coarser, and the men not animated with 

 the desire to show off to advantage, as was the case in England. 



In Switzerland a light narrow four-wheeled vehicle differing 

 from those of all other countries was in general use. It is difficult 

 to describe to the uninitiated, and somewhat doubtful whether 

 an English coachmaker could make one from any written 

 description, though he might do so had he a full-sized working 

 drawing made by one who had graduated in any of the good 

 modern technical schools, such as we now have in England. 



Its name was a char-a-cote, and the body was like that of a 

 tilbury ; but, instead of carrying two persons, it carried three 

 instead of going forward like a tilbury, it was suspended on 

 four wheels coupled together by two elastic poles, the body 

 being fixed sideways ; the driver sat * somewhere,' probably on 

 the higgage over the front wheels, if there was any ; if not, then 

 on the head of the perch-bolt, his face on a level with the 

 horse's hind-quarters, and his feet dangling close to the sur- 

 face of the road ; luggage was also carried on a board between 

 the hind wheels. There was a fixed panelled head over the 

 seat part of the body, and with a leather apron, a step and 

 a pair of shafts, the trap was complete absolutely but not 

 perfect, as some of our readers may have found out to their 

 cost, in days gone by. It was generally so suspended that the 

 passengers entered the carriage and looked out on the near 

 (or left) side, which was all very well if the view on a mountain 

 road was on that side ; but it sometimes happened that the 

 view nearly all day long was on the right side of the road, and 



