COACHMEN. 313 



muzzle downwards, I could not catch him up in time 

 to prevent his going on the inside of it. In the 

 same instant, seeing that the leaders' bars would be 

 caught by the post, having my wheel-horses tight in 

 hand, I drew their reins back. This caused them to 

 throw their heads up, and that, acting upon the pole- 

 chains, jerked the bars over the top of the post ; at the 

 same moment, as it were, hitting the near wheel- 

 horse, he brought the splinter-bar clear, and neither 

 horse, harness, nor any part of the coach or carriage 

 touched the post. This occupied only a few seconds, 

 for the wheels never ceased turning, and the escape 

 from any accident must be attributed to the care and 

 nicety with which the horses were harnessed and put 

 to, and proves the necessity of a coachman having a 

 perfect knowledge of the bearings of every part of the 

 harness, so as to have a perfect command of his wheel- 

 horses ; for here there were three chances, that is, of 

 the bars coming in contact with the post, the pole 

 breaking in the splintef-bar, or the near fore-wheel 

 striking the post, either .of which might have been 

 attended with bad consequences, and was avoided by 

 the pole-chains being of a proper length, and the 

 wheel-horses being properly curbed up. 



' Many accidents, some of them of a most serious 

 nature, have occurred from neglect or want of know- 

 ledge of these indispensable rules, and no man can be 



