382 DRIVING. 



giving a character not possessed by those having merely the 

 iron stay support. 



Wagonettes have one general feature, being suspended on 

 four wheels and carrying four or more people behind, sitting 

 sideways and face to face. Many small ones are made with 

 the hind seat removable, so that they can be readily converted 

 into phaetons, carrying two persons in the principal seat in front 

 and two persons facing the horses in the railed seat behind. 



The wagonette break is of larger size than the one-horse 

 carriages of that type ; it is always made with a high driving- 

 seat, and fitted for two, and sometimes four horses. 



Chars-a-bancs are more various in form than most other 

 carriages ; they are generally high and strongly made, to carry a 

 good many persons. Some have four seats, each carrying three 

 or four persons, on the top of a high and long boot ; the seats 

 are reached by convenient folding and sliding steps concealed in 

 the boot and shut in by a small door. Others have the central 

 seats kept low ; the four persons sit as in a coach, facing one 

 another ; doors and folding steps provide easy access. The 

 front driving-seat is made high in this class of carriage, and fre- 

 quently the hind seat for the grooms is also high, being carried, 

 as in the case of drags, on strong ornamental irons ; at other 

 times this seat is kept low, and the grooms sit with their backs 

 to the horses. Most of the large carriages of this type are used 

 with four horses and are suspended in various ways, some on 

 perch under-carriage with mail springs, others have in addition 

 under-springs, while others again have four ordinary elliptic 

 springs. Some are now made on a smaller scale and go well 

 with a pair of horses. A char-a-bancs is essentially a carriage 

 for a 'grande maison,' and for country use, and it is rarely 

 found where a coach-house has not room for more than four 

 carriages. 



Beaufort phaetons have been made in recent years to meet 

 a special want ; they carry six persons on a compact and strong 

 carriage to hunt-meetings. They are strictly a gentleman's 

 carriage, and, although provided with doors to facilitate reach- 



