422 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



are untaxed in Ireland, they must pay a yearly duty in 

 England, Scotland, and Wales. 



A peculiarity of most foreign carriages is the 

 difference of the track of the front and hind wheels ; 

 this is caused by the continual striving of foreign 

 builders to shorten to the utmost the distance between 

 the front and hind wheels ; they effect their object 

 partly by complicated arrangements of the fore 

 carriage, aided by a shortening of the front axle 

 several inches. In England we submit to a longer 

 space between the front and hind wheels, with these 

 advantages : the hind wheels following in the two 

 tracks marked or cut by the front wheels, have that 

 portion of the road rolled for them, whereas in the 

 foreign plan, each of the front and hind wheels has to 

 roll a track of its own, thereby increasing the drauglit 

 to the horses. 



Besides this, the driver of an English carriage 

 can rely on his hind wheels passing where his front 

 wheels have cleared ; not so the driver of a foreign 

 carriage with short front axles, for his front wheels 

 may have passed without collision or accident, but he 

 can hardly ever be sure of his hind wheels being safe, 

 unless he has a tolerably clear space on each side. 



It may be interesting to some persons to know that 

 the waggonette, which has enjoyed great popularity for 

 many years, was introduced by the late Prince Consort, 

 in the year 1845. 



Sir Joseph Whitworth steel is sometimes used 

 in the construction of carriages instead of iron. For 

 many years the late firm of Raworth produced large 

 quantities of excellent carriage axles forged by 

 machinery ; experience has proved how sound and 

 crood the forgings by such means can be made. 



