396 lUGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



There are two things which naturally suggest 

 themselves to the minds of those interested in the 

 improvement of carriages ; the comfort of the people 

 who ride in them, and the ease with which they 

 can be drawn. Perhaps the introduction of springs 

 was one of the greatest improvements ever made in 

 carriages. It is mentioned in the Memoirs of the 

 French Academy, that the idea of applying springs 

 to carriages was suggested by M. Thomas, in 1 703, 

 and that he actually gave a drawing of a carriage 

 constructed upon that principle. It appears, how- 

 ever, from the same work, that he considered it an 

 improvement rather of a theoretical nature, than one 

 capable of being reduced to practice. The result, 

 however, has proved the contrary ; and whether 

 M. Thomas is really entitled to the invention or 

 not, it is the greatest improvement that has ever 

 been made in the construction of carriages. 



The next improvement I must mention, is the 

 present method of constructing carriages to open at 

 the top, giving at once all the advantages of a close 

 and open carriage. Although it is not long since 

 this improvement was introduced, yet it has so 

 gradually come to its present state of perfection, 

 that I cannot say when the first carriage of the 

 kind was constructed, which could be said completely 

 to answer the intended purpose. 



The old-fashioned, long-perch carriages having 

 been found to occupy a large space in turning, the 

 crane-neck was introduced for the purpose of reme- 

 dying this inconvenience. The crane-neck, however, 

 soon gave way to the short perch, which is found 

 equally to answer the purpose of turning in a short 

 space, although it requires the body to be hung higher ; 



