THEORNAMENTS OF CARRIAGES,
If for common use, cannot be too simple and plain: Expense is saved in the purchase, and Time in the cleaning;—it is not so much the Quantity of furniture about the Carriage and Harness that makes it appear to advantage, as the having what there is, kept nicely Clean and Bright.
I would not advise any Brass or Plated Beading on the Body of a Carriage, as in the rubbing it bright, you are very apt to rub off the Varnish and Paint contiguous to the moulding—which, for this reason, had better be painted black, or of the same colour as the Body.
The Key-hole of the Lockon the Carriage Door is sometimes of Brass, or Plated, and covered with a Plate; but it is much neater to have it Black;—as we have already observed, of all Ornaments attached to the Body,as often as they are cleaned, some of the Varnish and Paint is carried away, and in the same proportion that those Metallic additions are kept bright, the Body becomes blemished. For this reason, we recommendthe Accommodation Handles, if any are fixed, (the Body looks infinitely more elegant without), to be Black.
ThoseBuckles, &c. are best formed for wear that have fewest sharp edges;—Round moulded furniture is also the cheapest.
Nothing varies in quality more thanthe Plated Furniturefor Horses and Carriages—the inferior kind of Plating is cheaper than Brass, but at first looks as well as the best strong plating, which costs twice as much, although it will not wear half so long.
The making ofLamps for Carriagesis a distinct branch of business—and those who are desirous of choosing for themselves, should ask their Coachmaker to attend them to his Lamp Maker, where they may see the various patterns which are in vogue.
The same with regard tothe Door Handles.
There are several Shops for both these Articles in Long Acre.
The present fashion for Lamps is preposterous—many are made so large and so heavy, that they are evidently too great a Load on the Front Pillar of the Carriage. HaveSquare Lamps, about six inches square:—these are sufficiently large to hold air enough to feed the Lamp or Candle, and the less they are, the lighter they are, and the less injury they do to the Carriage Pillars:—Two sides of this Lamp are to be of Glass, and the others furnished with Reflectors, which will increase the light on the Road, and exclude it from the interior of the Carriage.
Circular Lampsare the most elegant; but if your Carriage is much used in Travelling, we must recommendthe Square sort; because if a Square Glass is broken, it can be replaced easily, and costs not one-half so much as a Circular one, which it is also difficult to find, except at the place where the Lamp was bought; moreover, they seldom fit so nicely and so closely as the Square ones, and the Air rushing in, your Candles are quickly consumed, without any additional light being given.
Lamps are generally lighted byWax Candles,which weigh each a quarter of a Pound, and cost about 1s.each: if the Lamp is well made and well glazed, and no air gets in except where the air-holes are, they will burn about five hours: such Candles will burn about 7½ Hours when still in a Room; but the motion of the Carriage, and the current of Air in the Lamp, so greatly accelerates their consumption, that they will sometimes flare away in three or four hours.
Lamps with two Flat Wickswill burn for the same time as a quarter of a pound Wax Candle, at one-fourth part the expense.
However,Candlesare most commonly used, because they remain ready for immediate use for half a year together, without being injured in quality, but will burn as brightly as if only put in the day before:—Oilsoon loses its spirit by remaining in Lamps; and in a little time it will hardly burn at all, therefore can only be recommended to those who use their Lamps and trim them carefully every day.
The Best Lampsare those which give plenty of light around the Carriage, but do not throw any into it,—unless the Passengers think thereis an absolute necessity for letting those without see who are within.
Now the Streets are so well lighted,Lamps are useful in London only in Foggy Weather: the lighting them in London at any other time—is an act of Puerile Pomposity.
Springsshould be made of the best Steel—the longer they are,ceteris paribus, the easier they are.
Improvements in the mechanism of Modern Carriages, by which they are made to convey a person from place to place almost without giving him a sense of motion, may be one of the circumstances that have contributed to the increased prevalence of Nervous and Bilious Complaints, which originate in a great degree from an indulgence in Lassitude and Languor. The notion of takingExerciseupon Springs of such construction, is scarcely less absurd, than that of taking anAiringwith all the windows closed!
Valetudinarians who wish to derive all the good effects from the Exercise of riding in a Carriage, must not be super-curious about having it suspended on extremely elastic Springs. The Jolting of strongSprings is a salutary concussion, which is extremely convenient to Nervous, Indolent, and Infirm persons who do not take other Exercise, and must be classed among the most agreeable of Anti-bilious remedies.
The Coachmaker’s usual phrase of commendation—that such a Carriage “is as easy as a Boat,” should be a prohibition to Invalids against purchasing it; who should prefer a Carriage with Strong Springs, that will give them as good a shaking as Equestrian Agitation.
TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGES OF LONG AND SHORT CARRIAGES,
“A weight oftwenty-eight poundswas placed in the middle of aPerch one foot six inches long, and it was drawn at the rate of five miles and a half an hour by twelve pounds.
“When the same load was placed upon a perch three feet long, that is to say,twice as long as the former perch, it requiredprecisely the same weight of twelve pounds to draw it.
“This experiment was repeated a number of times with the same result,so that it may be relied upon. This is contrary to the opinion of drivers of all descriptions, from the waggoner in his smock-frock, to the high-bred Coachman: consequently, there must be some reason for this universal prejudice. The reason that seems to have given rise to this opinion, is, that carriages whose fore and hind wheels are near each other, extricate themselves more readily from ruts, change quarter more easily, turn in a shorter compass, and thus make their way in crowded Streets with more facility than longer Carriages.”—R. L. Edgeworth on Roads and Carriages, 8vo. p. 120. 1817.
However,Short Carriagesare considered as of easiest draught; and, to use the language of the Stable, almost every Coachman and Coachmaker insists upon it, that theyfollow better, and that a Long Carriage will tire a pair of Horses more inThree, than a Short one will in Five hours’ Travelling.
That if the Body is hung higher behind than it is before, so that it leans forward, it will push on the fore Wheels, is a foolish Vulgar Error. You often see Hackney Chariots so hung:—such a position isuneasy to the Passengers, and of no advantage to the Horses.
In a Chariot, it adds to the elegance of its appearance, and the ease of the passengers, if the Body is hung rather lower behind than it is before; but not in a Coach, because what is gained on the front is lost on the back Seat.