28 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



are chattering to them Hke so many monkeys ; the 

 white ones whooping Hke so many drovers, for the 

 main thing to be done in all kinds of hostlering here is 

 to make as much noise as possible. The coaches are 

 something like French coaches, but nothing like so 

 good. In lieu of springs they are hung on bands of 

 the strongest leather. There is little choice or 

 difference between them ; they may be likened to 

 the car portion of the swings at an English fair, 

 roofed, put upon axle-trees and wheels, and curtained 

 with painted canvas. They are covered with mud 

 from the roof to the wheel-tire, and have never been 

 cleaned since they were first built. 



" The tickets we received on board the steamboat 

 are marked No. i, so we belong to coach No. i. I 

 throw my coat on the box and hoist my wife and her 

 maid inside. It has only one step ; that being about a 

 yard from the ground is usually approached by a chair, 

 when there is no chair ladies trust to Providence. 

 The coach holds nine inside, having a seat across from 

 door to door, where we in England put our legs ; so 

 that there is only one feat more difficult in the per- 

 formance than getting in, that is getting out again. 

 There is only one outside passenger, and he sits upon 

 the box ; as I am that one, I climb up. And whilst they 

 are strapping the luggage on the roof, and heaping it 

 into a kind of tray behind, I have a good opportunity 

 of looking at the driver. 



"He is a negro — very black indeed. He is dressed 

 in a coarse pepper-and-salt suit, excessively patched 

 and darned, especially at the knees, gray stockings, 

 enormous black high-low shoes, and very short trousers. 

 He has two odd gloves, one parti-coloured worsted, 

 and one of leather. He has a very short whip, broken 



