4IO HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



active in harness than larger ones ; horses over sixteen 

 hands are generally very slow in harness, although 

 there are exceptions. 



In speaking about brakes these jurors commend 

 highly both the screw and lever brake ; the preci- 

 pitous slopes of the Alps are daily descended at a trot 

 by the diligences and vetturini, all owing to the safety 

 and convenience afforded by the brake. 



At the previous Dublin Exhibition of 1853, one of 

 Mr. Bianconi's four-wheel outside cars was shown. It 

 was made to take a large number of passengers, and was 

 of a very light weight, although unsuitable as regards 

 shelter in bad weather, and it is nearly always raining 

 in Ireland. These cars, nevertheless, possess many 

 advantages ; the weights are kept low, thereby affording 

 safety in case of a collision or break-down ; and the 

 seats being low, it was easy for passengers to alight or 

 mount the vehicle quickly. 



In this Exhibition it was reported that the use of 

 steel instead of iron gradually increases. Attempts 

 were being made to use it for axles ; since then it has 

 been used for axles, Bessemer steel having been 

 procured for the purpose, although some difficulty 

 appears to have arisen when welding, to prevent the 

 parts flying asunder. Mr. Hooper advocates bolts, 

 nuts, and screws of toughened steel, on account of 

 their not requiring large holes to be bored in the 

 wood-work to take them, by which the wood is not 

 weakened. 



Mr. Hooper speaks highly of French roads ; but in 

 a previous report, I remember he says that the Paris 

 omnibus need be strong and heavy, because the roads 

 away from the English quarter of Paris are so intoler- 

 ably bad. 



