BIPEDS AND QUADRUPEDS. 109 



wanted to carry its ton or two of load, with the 

 least possible exertion to the animals drawing such 

 a weight; and if, on the other hand, in lighter 

 carriages we do not want that perfection, we want 

 another, namely, facility of draught in fast work. 

 On facility of draught in carriages, mainly depends the 

 well-doing or annihilation of the draught horse ; 

 and whether he walks three miles an hour, drawing 

 twenty-five hundreds, or trots fifteen, drawing three, 

 each in his different way performs his labour with 

 more or less difficulty, in accordance with the advan- 

 tage or disadvantage under which he does it. 



Touse a technical term, the "following well" of car- 

 riages was, perhaps, of even greater importance many 

 years back, than it is since M'Adam literally " came 

 to the rescue " of horses ; for bad indeed must be 

 the vehicle that, on our present roads, does not follow 

 well, that is on level ground, but in hilly countries 

 the difference between carriages is still very great. * 



One of the parts of a carriage which calls for the 

 minutest inspection and attention, is its axles; we may 

 figuratively call them the vitality of motion in vehicles. 



There are now so many persons who can make 



