i6. YORKSHIRE. 273 



gateway there would be no difficulty in con- 

 dudlng a carriage with dilhed wheels run- 

 ning five feet or even fix feet wide. 



This increafe of width would operate in a 

 variety of ways to the advantage of land- 

 carriage. Roads would be Icfs injured; team- 

 labour would be facilitated ; carriages would 

 laft longer ; and loads would be lefs expofcd 

 to danger than at prefent. 



Nor would thefe be the only advantages : 

 the increafed difi:ance between the wheels 

 would admit of a proportional increafe in 

 the width of the body of the carriage ; and this 

 of a proportional reduftion of the height of 

 the load. Advantages thefe, befides the ad- 

 ditional flrength which the carriage vx'ould 

 by this means receive, which appear to mc 

 too obvious to require further argument *. 



Vol. I. T 2. Plow 



* Thefe principles are applicable to every fpscies 

 of carriage. The accidents which are daily occurring' 

 upon the roads form a fubjedt worthy of humanity. If 

 the ingenious promoter of the prefent improved mode 

 of conveying poll-letters would order his carriages to 

 be fo conlli-udted as to move U'jon bafes one foot wider 

 than the narrow foundations on which they at prefent 

 totter, we fliould hear of fewer bones being broken in 

 mail-coaches. 



