the most various and important. And this is true of the whole machinery of man, of his complex nature. Upon inspection we find him to be, not merely an organized body, but a living soul, a moral and intellectual being. This truth is not, however, ordinarily perceived, or, if perceived, it is not considerately weighed and nicely apprehended, in a manner corresponding with its deep interest and high importance, or with the influence which such a view, when properly entertained, must of necessity exert upon our general character, including our moral and intellectual tastes, with all our habits of thought, feeling and action.

Man's sensual nature generally attracts most of his attention, and although much inferior to his intellectual and moral nature, yet it engages the principal part of his time and commands his affections as a chief and supreme concern. "What shall I eat? and what shall I drink? and wherewithal shall I be clothed?" are the inquiries that engross his mind and engage his heart. Thus one part of our nature has more than its due share of attention. We are prepossessed in favor of the interests of the body, at the expense of the mind and heart. Now, we are opposed to an error so general, and advocate the claims of our nature as one great whole, and in all the parts of which it is composed.

A primary and most obvious duty which every man owes to himself, and in the performance of which his highest interest and happiness are involved, is self-knowledge. A man must know himself, the prominent traits of his character, and the distinctive peculiarities of his nature, or he will not know the treatment which his being demands, nor the culture and development of which it is susceptible, nor the duties which grow out of the varied and multiplied relations of life. He should know something of his physical structure: how curiously it has been wrought, how fearfully and wonderfully, as a piece of animated mechanism, it has been made. He should become familiar with his mental constitution; with its wonderful endowments, and all-but divine attributes. This department of his being should engage attention, as embracing the faculties of perception, judgment, imagination, memory and whatever other powers belong thereto. And his moral nature, as intimately connected with the intellectual and as having distinguishing characteristics of its own, of peculiar value, should not be passed by as unworthy of regard. To man, as a moral being, belongs the faculty of distinguishing right from wrong, the power to choose between the one and the other, and the exercise of the various affections, either malevolent or benevolent, together with the responsibility arising from the possession and use of these faculties. And surely this is too important a department of our nature to be overlooked, and we are inexcusable for any indifference or neglect which on this score may be entertained. The ancient maxim, "know thyself," having for its author, Solon, one of the seven wise men of Greece, and worthy of his name, should be received and acted upon by every individual who wishes to answer the great purposes of his existence. And this maxim we should receive in its most enlarged acceptation, as enjoining a familiar acquaintance with every department of human existence. We have a world to explore within ourselves, and here is sufficient to excite our curiosity and to engage the exercise of our highest powers, without extending our view beyond the limits of the circle thus described. It has

been well said by one of the English poets,

"The proper study of mankind is man.”

And this should be one of the first studies to engage our attention. We therefore recommend investigation and study, to as great an extent as circumstances will permit, in those departments which embrace the anatomy and physiology of the human system, together with mental and moral philosophy: these three departments of study making us acquainted with the three great departments of our compound nature. And whatever our sphere of life, by husbanding our opportunities, and improving our leisure time, we may make no small attainments in these interesting branches of knowledge, and be amply rewarded by our self-culture, and the increase of rational enjoyment, for the labor and time expended in these pursuits.

In a future number, if the present article is acceptable, I may pursue this subject, by additional observations on the studies herein suggested, and the duties which man owes to himself, as a compound being, made up of "soul, body and spirit."

A NEW MACHINE FOR PLANING SMALL WORK OF IRREGULAR SHAPES has been invented by an ingenious mechanic of New York city. It is principally intended for planing neat small jobs, which are inconvenient or impossible to hold on the ordinary iron planer, but can be griped in a vice, such as stub-ends, straps, gibs, keys, cams, &c. Such work as requires to be planed in different directions, with a perfectly level surface, raay be finished in this machine with great accuracy, and without letting go of the work until all parts of the plane surface are perfected, the work being firmly held in a vice made to swivel around in any position without loosening its hold. Some of these machines have for several months past been in use in Brooklyn, and are said to be much admired for the perfection with which they execute work which had been previously considered almost or quite impossible.

OMNIBUS TRAFFIC IN LONDON.-The number of passengers conveyed by the London General Omnibus Company within the year from September 19th, 1856, to September 19th, 1857, averaged thirty-seven millions and a half, or at the rate of nearly three-quarters of a million weekly. The number of passengers "corresponding" at one office alone (the Cheapside,) averages 1,600 daily.

COACH-MAKING IN SAN FRANCISCO.-Very little new work is manufactured there, and the jobbing is chiefly confined to two establishments. Wood-workmen get from $3 to $4 per day; wheelwrights, from $4 to $5; blacksmiths' firemen $4 to $5; helpers, $2 50 to $3. The markets at last dates were over-stocked with manufactured work from the Atlantic States, rendering the exportation non-paying to shippers.

TRAVELING IN THE 16TH CENTURY.-One of the earliest advertisements for the conveyance of passengers by postcoach in England is in the "Mercurius Politicus," of April 1st, 1658. "Passengers by stage to Bantry, in three days, for thirty shillings. Before this there was a preestablished and comparatively efficient system among merchants and others for private purposes."-Lon. P. O., 1842.

A "DISPATCH OIL SOCKET AND AXLE CLEANER."-This is a recent English invention. The "cleaner and oiler" is intended for application to all carriages, omnibuses, &c., &c. The invention consists of a small socket recess, so let into the hub of the wheel near its spokes as to be very easy of access and convenient for oiling.

COACH-MAKING

HISTORICALLY CONSIDERED

AND INCIDENTALLY ILLUSTRATED.*

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

ALTHOUGH several attempts have heretofore been made to supply the historical digest we now design to furnish to our readers, viz.: a general and standard history of coachmaking from an early period of its conception down to the present time, still, we believe it yet remains an impossibility to find in the whole range of literature-vast and diversified as that range is a complete and satisfactory history such as we intend to give in the pages of this Magazine during the year, under the heading of Coach-making Historically Considered and Incidentally Illustrated.

We have long made it a particular study of our leisure hours, to try and find out, from the remains of ancient sculpture and painting, as to how our predecessors put their vehicles together, and especially as to how they constructed their wheels. Fortunately for our purpose, within a few days we have accidentally stumbled upon a "suitable specimen" of the genus chariot, among Dr. H. Abbott's collection of Egyptian Antiquities at 659 Broadway, New York. It is true this specimen remains only in fragments, still the wheel is found in a remarkable state of preservation and perfection, as it was taken out of a mummy pit at Dashour, in Lower Egypt, and sent to this country by our industrious and indefatigable countryman, many years a resident of that ancient city. As this is a very early production, very probably a cotemporary, if not built before the time of Abraham, we are taking especial pains to have a correct drawing taken of it, and in such profusion as shall, with our description, give our fellow-craftsmen an intelligible account of it, possibly in the third chapter of this series. These, with engravings of later representations of improved vehicles of ancient manufacture and of more modern times, will constitute a feature in our history which cannot fail to interest our subscribers.

It is scarcely necessary to inform the intelligent mind, that our knowledge of coach-making does not date further back than the days of the Pharaohs of Egypt-as supplied

The original illustration which stands at the head of this article will be better appreciated when the reader comes to see the continuation of this subject in the July number of the Magazine.

to us in Sacred Writ-where the chariot, the undisputed predecessor of our modern coaches, was driven out, in all the perfection and splendor of that pristine people, from an hundred gateways in the walled city of Thebes, to do fierce battle with surrounding nations, and where, after her splendid victories, her triumphant conquerors led the subdued and subjugated enemy prisoners, bound to the tail of the chariot of her kingly ruler.

We are warranted in our belief that Egypt, at the remote period in her history to which our remarks refer, had, in her advanced state of civilization and refinement, brought her vehicles of transportation for her warlike utensils, as well as those of more domestic life, to a very high state of perfection. In this perfection Egypt continued to advance until her final declension.

From Egypt the chariot passed into Assyria, where it continued to be a prominent feature in every warlike expedition, and afterwards having been adopted into the Persian dominions, under Cyrus, its distinguished ruler, it underwent in its formation a complete revolution. Afterwards the chariot was adopted by nearly all the more civilized nations of Europe, until, as we learn from the refined and classical descriptions of Julius Cæsar, it was employed as a powerful and valuable auxiliary in every warlike nation of his times. Since the advent of the Saviour of mankind, in accordance with his mission of "peace and good-will to all mankind," this dreaded precursor of the coach appears to have gradually disappeared from among the civilized nations of the world, so that, during the period of time we are accustomed to designate as the dark ages, history seems to have scarcely presented to our minds a trace of its existence. Afterwards, as the teachers and advocates for freedom of thought had successfully spread abroad their principles, which permitted man, as his Creator intended he should, to think and act for himself, we find, emerging from the debris of ignorance and superstition, this emblem of civilization, the chariot, having reappeared in a transformation at once wonderful and characteristic. We have taken upon ourself the task of presenting in regular succession its history as presented in Italy, Germany, France, and in England, and finally in America, where, for the last twenty years, our improvements have gone on with such rapid strides, that we hazard nothing in asserting that the nations of the old world are left far in the distance; and although this may be denied by those Europeans who have never set foot on our shores, those of our countrymen who have vi

sited the manufactories of the Continental cities in Europe, and are by their qualifications supposed to be good judges, testify that such is the fact. We do not wish to be understood as teaching that we have nothing yet to learn, as coach-makers, in America. Far from it, and when, as we certainly will, we find an idea emanating in the old world, and worthy of imitation, we shall not be backward in presenting it in our columns. With these introductory thoughts, we leave the subject here, intending to resume it in our next number. S.

OMNIBUS CONVEYANCE IN LONDON.

THE internal conveyance communication of London is conducted by means of 800 omnibuses, 595 of this number being worked by the recently formed "London General Omnibus Company." When this great company began business, the promoters purchased 600 omnibuses then running, with horses, harness, and goodwill, for £400,000, averaging nearly £700 for each. A quarter of a century has sufficed to increase the traffic requirements from 100 to more than 800 omnibuses; and a company employs profitably a capital of one million in working three-fourths of the vehicles of the metropolis. The 595 omnibuses of the company ran in London, in the week ending October 31, not less than 222,779 miles, or nearly ten times the circumference of the globe, and they carried not less than 920,000 passengers, which was equal to two-and-a-half times the population of Liverpool, three times that of Manchester, four times that of Birmingham, five times that of Leeds, seven times that of Bristol, and eleven times the whole population of Hull. Assuming that the remaining one-fourth of the London omnibuses, not belonging to the company, carried an equal proportion, we shall have, as the traveling portion of the population of London, 1,115,000 persons. The population of London at the last census was 2,362,000, so that a number equal to very nearly one-half of the people of London ride one journey in an omnibus in each week. In a fortnight the whole populaIn a fortnight the whole population of London would be moved in the omnibuses now running in the metropolis. The omnibuses are worked by 6,225 horses, the average cost of each being £30, making a total of nearly £200,000. The harness averages £12 per horse, and the omnibuses themselves, £120. A week's allowance of provender for this staff of horses consists of 430,266 lbs. of chopped hay, clover, and straw, equal to 242 loads, and 623,253 lbs. of oats, barley and beans, or 2,376 quarters, and 175 loads of straw are required for the bedding of the horses. Each horse runs on an average 12 miles per day. The daily cost of the rations of each horse is rather more than 2s. 1d., or for the horses of each omnibus, 10 in number, £1 1s.; the other expenses, such as horse-keepers, veterinary service, shoeing, and others, bring up the total expenses for the horses of each omnibus to £1 6s. per day. The number of men constantly employed as drivers, conductors, and horse-keepers, is not less than 2,300, of whom the drivers receive from 5s. to 6s., the conductors 4s., and the horse-keepers, 3s. per day. The " wear and tear" of each omnibus amounts to 17s. 6d. per week, and of the harness, 6s. per week. The 595 omnibuses run over 66 different routes; and, for facilitating the traffic, "correspondence offices"

are

established at Whitechapel, Cheapside, Bishopsgate, Regent Circus, Nottinghill Gate, Edgeware Road,

66

The

Brompton, Highbury, and Holloway. By means of this arrangement a person may travel from Kilburn to Chelsea for 6d., from Putney to Blackwall, or Hammersmith to Holloway, the distance in each case being 11 miles, for 6d., and 35,000 persons avail themselves each week of these correspondence offices." The average weekly receipt from the whole of the omnibuses is £11,500; but the state of the weather materially affects the receipts-thus a very wet day reduces the amount received by from £300 to £400 per day. On the 22d of October, owing to the continuous rain, the receipts fell short of the usual amount by £380. The government duty and licences for the last year were £33,000, while the sum of £18,000 was paid for tolls on the different roads run over by the omnibuses. Contrast all this with the fact, that a little more than 200 years ago, 20 hackney coaches were first permitted to run in London streets, being the earliest means of public conveyance. The company has been so successful that it is now about to expend surplus capital to the extent of £50,000 in laying down tramways for omnibuses in certain of the leading thoroughfares of the metropolis, where the width of the road is sufficient to admit of the experiment without risk of interference with the ordinary traffic. We are, therefore, at length, about to join in the advantages which street rails have already conferred on New York, Boston, Paris, and Lyons, where such tramways have been at work for several years with the highest degree of success. part of the metropolis on which the experiment is about to be tried commences with the road from Nottinghill Gate, via the Grand Junction Road, New Road, City Road, and Moorgate Street to the Bank, with branches to the Great Western, and London and North Western Railways, and to Fleet Street, via Bagniggewells Road. The length of this line with sidings will be about eight miles and a half, and the road, with the exception of the inclines at Pentonville, is broad and eminently qualified for the trial. In the event of its success, the company next contemplate the extension of the plan to the road from Edmonston to the city, by way of Kingsland and other parts of the metropolis. The tramways when laid will be perfectly flush with the general surface of the roadway, and will not in any way interfere with the passage along and across it of any ordinary road wagon or carriage; and as the new omni buses in passing along will be confined to the tramway, which will consist of a double line in the centre of the roadway, the sides of the road, and indeed the entire width, except during the instant of passage, will be free to the general traffic, which will thus be carried on without interruption. The great economy which will be effected by the adoption of the new tramway system will enable the company to carry the public at reduced fares, and at a greater rate of speed. The omnibuses will be large and commodious, with flanged wheels and axles radiating to the curves, and, if found desirable, might be constructed with first and second class apartments. The net annual profit to be derived from the tramway traffic has been estimated at £11,073-that is, on the route on which it is proposed to make the experiment-which will be equal to 22 per cent. on the capital of £50,000. The project is to be carried out by a company, with limited liability, entirely distinct from the London General Omnibus Company-the latter subscribing in shares to the new company, to the extent of £50,000 in aid of the undertaking. The facility for starting and stopping the tramway omnibus with improved brake will be quite as great as the

ordinary road omnibus, so that there will be no loss of time on this account. It is this power in horses, of starting or stopping almost instantaneously, which makes the tramway for short distances and frequent stoppages equal, if not superior, to the railway with steam power. If the system of fixed stations or stopping-places along the route were adopted in lieu of stopping at the wish of every passenger, much time might be saved; but in New York the tramway omnibuses stop wherever they are required to take up or set down passengers, and no inconvenience is found to arise from this system of working them. The probable cost of laying down the tramways as double lines, including the expense of taking up and relaying the pavement, is estimated at something less than £3,000 per mile.

Pen Illustrations of the Drafts.

NEW YORK OPEN-FRONT BUGGY,

From the establishment of Messrs. Dusenbury and Vanduzer, N. Y. Illustrated on Plate I.

THE celebrated manufacturers have in the kindest manner permitted our artist to take this draft of a very light, and, as we think, a very elegant Buggy in their establishment, which we hope will be acceptable to every friend of our new enterprise. Probably, in the strictest sense of the word, it cannot be called entirely new-something of the kind having appeared, occasionally, heretofore; and yet it is new in some of its details, and, withal, quite popular just now in this city and vicinity. The square-bodied, or box buggy, now some time in fashion, appears to have about had its day, since the ladies-you know we must study their tastes and conveniences sometimes-are decidedly hostile to all vehicles which give them much trouble to get into or out of, with high sides-especially such as have hooped themselves in in crinoline. Our New York buggy is, then, a sort of deferential compromise to their wants, and is likely this season to be very popular, and is now being much sought after.

Many are made without tops, with paneled boots at the back of the seat. The sides are made in one piece of whitewood or black walnut deals, and moulded off with prepared rattan, &c., according to the fancy of the manufacturer or of his customers. The fashion here is to put in the smallest hub possible-say, 3 and 3 inches; spokes and 1 inch; rims, 1 and 1 inch; with tire for no tops, x 7-16ths. For these tires Mr. Saunders has shown us a beautiful description of steel, invented recently in England, and it is just as easily bent and put on the wheel as the softest iron. The details of the trimmings are about the same as heretofore, but, if anything, with a greater profusion of white stitching, especially on the tops. As a matter of interest to some, we subjoin a table of the approximate first costs in getting up first class work of the above description :

The Landaulet illustrated in this No. is but little known in this country. The one from which our sketch is made was built by a New York firm for a gentleman in a neighboring city. In England, however, and on the continent, it is used in the public parks as a dress carriage, and when thrown entirely open presents a very stylish and elegant appearance. We annex an estimate of the cost of a carriage of this description-not so much in detail as we could wish, owing to our limited space, but the total, we believe, will be found to be correct.

Mr. Fred. Wood, of Bridgeport, Conn., a gentleman of talent and taste, to whom the public is largely indebted for many of the improvements made in the carriages of this country, of late years.

This very fine draft, of a very fine Char-à-banc, and which was a prominent article in the carriage department of the late fair at the Crystal Palace, New York, has been kindly furnished to us, for our magazine, by the manufacturers, Messrs. Wood Brothers, 446 Broadway. These gentlemen, we learn, have disposed of several, lately, of this pattern, which is found to be a very convenient carriage for summer watering-places, or country boardingschools. They sell this carriage for $600 to $650, accord

....

10 yards coteline, $47 75; 31 yds b. lace, $15 75; 100 do. narrow lace, $9. 3 yds. curtain silk, $4 50; curtain fringe, $1; 5 inside bullion holder tassels, $6 25 11 75 Rug fringe and binding, $1; 24 lbs. curl

2 frogs....

ing to the expenditure laid out in the production. The details are sufficiently explained by the side and back views which we give, and we need only add, that in the example above spoken of, the linings were black enameled leather, body painted blue, carriage yellow and striped with black. The top is so arranged that, as seen above, it may be taken off at pleasure, and thus constitute it an open carriage-sociable, roomy and airy.

Sparks from the Anvil.

A NEW AND PORTABLE FORGE. THE forge here illustrated may not be generally applicable to coach-making purposes in America, yet there are some instances-such as a loft in some crowded citywhere it may be found very convenient, especially if located near a building where steam power may be had. At all events, it will doubtless be suggestive and prove of interest to many of our readers, and we therefore place it among our Sparks from the Anvil, for their inspection.

These figures represent, respectively, a side elevation and plan of a portable forge by Messrs. Benjamin Hick & Son, of Bolton, Lancashire, England. The hearth of this apparatus is a shallow rectangular chamber, with the front end