In the National Museum in Washington is an interesting series of models showing the develop ment of wheeled vehicles from the simplest and most primitive forms. Among these models is a reproduction of an Egyptian chariot, leased on a wheel and forked brace, which were found at Dashur by H. Abbot. and are now in the museum of the Historical Society of New York. The wheel has six spokes with slots near the hub, through which to run a rope to secure the spokes more firmly. The felloe is in six pieces with scarfed joints. The tire of wood, also with scarfed joints, is attached to the felloe with a lacing of thongs. Near the reproduction of this ancient vehicle stands a miniature child's coach, or bashkir, used in Russia, which is probably the oldest surviving type of vehicle still in use. The wheels are of solid wood, through the centre of which holes are pierced by burning. In these holes is inserted a forked stick, which serves both as tongue or pole and axle. The covered body of the vehicle is made from the bark of trees sewn together. Another example, showing how the development of the arts repeats itself among different peoples, is given in the two full-sized carts on exhibition in the museum. The first of thee is a caretta or oxcart which is used by the Pueblo and other tribes of Indians of Arizona and New Mexico. as well as in parts of Spain, from which country it was introduced into America. The wheels, which are 3 feet 7 inches in diameter, arc solidly built up of three pieces of thick timber, held together by dowels of wood. At the centre of the wheel the wood is left thicker to form the hub. The wheels revolve on an axle 7 feet 11 inches long, to which a tongue S feet Il inches long is attached. A tall frame is constructed of light bows. No seat is provided. The second example of primitive wagon construction is the Red River cart, which is built and used by the half-breeds of British North America. These cart. are constructed en tirely of wood, including the axles and tires. Each consists of a light frame, poised on an axle connecting two strong wheels. These wheels are 5 feet 3 inches in diameter, and consist of 12 spokes and 0 felloes. The native driver sits on the bottom plank of the cart, and as the bed of the vehicle is lower than the shafts, his heels are higher than his hips. Over the top of this cart the native straps a hide and makes of it a tent. Underneath it lee straps the same hide and con verts his vehicle into a boat by means of which he crosses streams. Huge trains of these carts are used for carrying produce over the northern plains, Lis they are the chief means of land trans portation.
Four-wheeled carriages for the conveyance of heavy loads were used by the civilized nations of antiquity. but they are probably of more re cent origin than the two-wheeled vehicles. Hero dotus tells us that the Seythians used a four wheeled vehicle, consisting of a rough platform on which was placed a covering like a beehive, compact] of basket work and skins. This cover they removed from the wagon and used for a tent. The Romans had many varieties of four wheeled vehicles. The earliest forms seem to have been used for agricultural purposes, for carrying loads of general merchandise, and for the conveyance of images and vestal virgins in religious processions. Sir William Cell, in his work on Pompeii, describes a wine-cart, which is a four-wheeled wagon with an arch in the centre for the front wheels to turn under. Dur
ing the later days of the Roman Empire chariots were mounted upon four wheels, and were so luxuriously equipped, even when owned by pri vate citizens, that sumptuary laws were pro mulgated limiting the extent of their decora tions. It must be remembered, however, that among the civilized nations of ancient times, as among modern Oriental nations, litters were used for the conveyance of persons from place to place. These litters were supported by poles, and were borne either by nudes ( /Htsteracr) or by men (lectiew). Their popularity undoubt edly retarded the development of pleasure car riages.
During the Dark Ages carriages fell into dis use. The old Roman roads, which had 'made their use possible, were ruined either wilfully or by neglect, and riding upon the backs of horses and mules was the only alternative for those who did not go on foot. Even goods were conveyed chiefly in huge panniers hung on the sides of strong draught animals. Gradually the use of carriages was revived, at first ley royalty and the nobility, and later by the families of wealthy citizens. One of the earliest of these vehicles was the whirlieote, or cot upon wheels. King Richard II. and his mother rode in a whirli cote in 13S0, when she was ill. The caret ta was another vehicle often mentioned in mediaeval literature. It seems to have been simply a highly ornamented two-wheeled cart, the de scendant of the ancient chariot. During the Fifteenth Century- these were very popular on the Continent, and in Germany an edict was issued forbidding their use, "because the useful discipline and skill in riding has been almost last." About the commencement of the Six teenth Century the art of coach-making assumed great importance in Continental Europe. (See CoActi.) Tt was in the construction of coaches, to enable them to turn in a shorter space. that the custom arose of making the front wheels smaller than the hind wheels. With their intro duction, also, began the use of leather springs. Carriages were not introduced into England until long after they had become popular on the Con tinent. State coaches were first built in Eng land (hiring the reign of Elizabeth. and about the same time long wagons for t rate:port ing goods, called cum runs, began to be used. Their intro duction was at first vigorously opposed by the sedan chairmen and by the boatmen on the Thames. The general use of carriages dates from the Eighteenth Century, but their greatest development did not occur in England until the Nineteenth Century. In the early part of that century, as a result of the work of Telford and ..\ lacadam, the highways of (Ireat Britain were put into a condition made vehicu lar traffic easy and pleasant. About this time I in ISO4) Obadiah Elliott, a coach-maker of Lambeth, patented a device by which vehicles were hung upon elliptical springs. thus doing away with the heavy perch, or longitudinal wood or iron pole, which had always been used to con nect the front and hind wheels of four-wheeled carriages. So important was this invention con sidered. that Elliott was awarded a gold medal by the Society of Arts. With this invention modern methods of carriage construction began.