426 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



action of the wheels when in motion. Four-horse 

 coaches make use of colza oil lamps, a number of 

 which are supplied by Mr. Salisbury, of Long Acre. 

 These are upon the very simplest principle. The wick 

 is flat, and passes up through the lid which covers the 

 oil, and is continued through two narrow channels or 

 tubes, on the sides of which are two small openings 

 into which a pin may be inserted, by which means the 

 wick can be raised or lowered. Other colza lamps on 

 a different principle have been introduced, some in 

 which the wick turns up and down by means of a 

 handle ; but the one I have mentioned is the simplest 

 and least likely to get out of order. Mr. Salisbury's 

 drag-lamps are very large ; I always speak of them as 

 lighthouse lamps, as they remind me of the huge 

 lamps and reflectors in a lighthouse. A number of 

 dash lamps of great power are sold, and these are 

 extremely useful if kept low and away from the line 

 of vision, particularly when driving a pair of horses. 

 When driving only one horse I do not approve of 

 their being used ; but in driving a pair the light shoots 

 right ahead between the horses, lighting up the road 

 for a considerable distance in advance. 



Because a letter happens to appear in a newspaper, 

 it does not follow that it is worth referring to ; and an 

 immense deal of rubbish is written in the sporting 

 papers by persons w'ho think they are qualified to 

 express an opinion upon a subject after the very 

 briefest acquaintance with it. Every one is entitled 

 to express an opinion, but it does not follow that, 

 having done so, their opinion is worth anything. Mr. 

 Hooper's papers, to which I have been referring, are 

 the opinions of an experienced coach-builder ; and 

 although his observations are frequently rather wide of 



