466 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



for carrying luggage, both in the boot, under the 

 driver's seat, and on the top. 



It holds four persons inside, and five outside, nine 

 in all. 



It forms both an open and close carriage, since 

 people of not too advanced an age can ride outside as 

 well as inside if sufficiently active to climb upon the 

 roof, or a ladder such as is supplied to coaches might 

 be made use of. It would be an excellent carriage for 

 travelling with a team, or with two strong horses 

 standing about 15.3 or 16 hands, or a light iron-framed 

 rumble could be fitted behind for one or two grooms, 

 and the passengers could either sit in or outside as 

 they were inclined and according to what the weather 

 might be. 



Were two seats not fitted behind, the grooms would of 

 course have to be disposed of elsewhere ; and although 

 nothing looks worse than to see grooms always rushing 

 to the horses' heads, or getting down from their seats 

 without positive occasion for so doing, they should 

 nevertheless be accommodated with seats in such a 

 position that, in the event of requiring their services, 

 they will be able to descend with quickness and in 

 safety. Grooms or a guard on the back seat of a coach 

 can manage to do this well enough, but the same 

 thing would not be the case if they had to scramble up 

 and clown from a front seat whilst the vehicle was in 

 motion. 



There is one thing to which I have omitted to call 

 attention. This is, that in the old days of coaching — 

 let us say one hundred years ago — notwithstanding the 

 great demand there must have been for horses, the 

 prices were nothing like so high as they are now ; and 

 even much later — fifty years ago — the prices were 



