COACH, a convenient carriage suspend ed on four or more springs, and moving on four wheels, originally intended fat the conveyance of persons in the upper circles of society, but now beeome so common as to stand in our streets plying for fares. The first coach ever seen in England was introduced by the Earl of Arundel from the continent, in the year 1581 ; since that time their numbers have been gradually increasing, insomuch that every family of easy fortune keeps its carriage ; while no less than 1100 hack ney coaches are registered within the bills of mortality. See COACHES, hackney. Such coaches as are the property of pri vate persons, or are kept for hire, pay a high duty, and produce a total of several hundreds of thousands to the Exchequer. The fashions, with regard to form and or nament of coaches and other carriages for pleasure, are perpetually changing, and many varieties are occasionally pre sented. The principal kinds now in use are, the close coach ; the landau, which can lower its roof and part of its sides, like the head of a phaeton ; the barouche, or open summer carriage, made on the lightest construction ; the chariot, which is intended only for two or three persons ; the landaulet, or chariot whose head en folds back ; the phaeton and caravan, which have only a head and no windows, with a leather apron rising from the foot board to the waist: all of these run upon four wheels. Of the two-wheeled ve hicles, we have the curricle, drawn by two horses, each bearing on a narrow saddle the end of a sliding bar or yoke, that upholds a central pole. These can not be considered as very safe machines, but are admirably calculated for ease of draught ; and their bodies being upon four pliant springs, must generally have a very easy motion. The gig, chaise, or whiskey, has but one horse, which moves between a pair of shafts, borne nearly ho rizontal by means of a leather sling pas sing over the saddle tree ; when another horse precedes, so as to drive one be. fore the other, the machine is called a tandem ; a pun upon that word, which in Latin signifies " at length." Those
chaises which do not go upon springs, and are in other respects calculated for the use of the poorer classes, pay less duty, but must bear the words "taxed cart" in some conspicuous part, and in letters of not less than an inch in depth : their cost must also be under 12/. Our stage coaches, which travel to every part of the kingdom, are, beyond compare, superior to those of any other nation, both for speed of travelling and accom modation. The legislature has wisely restricted the numbers of inside and of outside passengers. On the whole, they perform their journies at the rate of 5 miles in the hour during summer, and about 41 during the winter season. Waken on an average, the rates are from 41d. to 6d. per mile for inside passengers; though in cases of competition they have gone so low as 2d. The mail-coaches, which carry the letters to and from the General Post-Office, are of a very strong build, and usually run 8, or even 9, miles within the hour ; they are limited as to the time in which each stage is to be per formed ; and the guard makes remarks as to the condition of the cattle, the per formance of their duty, the accidental delays and deviations, upon a printed way-bill delivered with the bags at the post-office ; he notes every matter re lating to time, according to his time-piece, which is always adjusted before he takes leave. The mail-coaches are restricted to four inside and two outside passen gers, besides the coachman and the guard, both of whom wear the king's livery ; and the royal arms are borne upon the centre pannels of the coach. All the mail-coaches pass in review at Buckingham-house, and St. James's, on his Majesty's birth-day ; the guards and drivers dressed in their new uniforms, and the horses decked .with ribbons. Every mail-coach, so soon as it arrives in town, is sent to the overseer and con tractor at Mill-Bank, Westminster, where it is strictly examined, the screws tight ened, axles greased, and every precaution taken to guard against accident.