outer tire of the wheel to the horse's nose occupies at least
twenty-two feet, and that the poor little animal has the weight of the
carriage lying on him at the end of a lever fifteen feet long. Owing to
their great length, it is excessively difficult to turn them; a "Tommy
Onslow" would cut in and out with a four-in-hand fifteen miles an hour,
where the poor Volante would come to a regular fix--if the horses in
Cuba came into power, they would burn every one of them the next minute.
It must however be admitted that they are excessively easy to ride in,
and peculiarly suited to a country with bad roads, besides being the
gayest-looking vehicles imaginable; the boxes of the wheels, the ends of
the axle, the springs for the head, the bar to keep the feet off the
splash-board, the steps, the points of the fastenings of carriage and
harness are all silvered and kept bright. Nor does the use of the
precious metal stop here; the niggers who bestride the poor horses are
put into high jack-boots fitted with plated buckles and huge spurs, both
equally brilliant. These niggers have a most comical appearance; they
wear a skull-cap, or a handkerchief under a gold-banded hat; some wear a
red short-tailed jacket, the seams and the front of the collar covered
with bright yellow, on which are dispersed innumerable emblazonments of
heraldry, even to the very tails, which I should hardly have expected to
find thus gaily decorated,--it may have been from this practice we have
derived the expression of the seat of honour. The jack-boots they wear
sometimes fit very tight to the legs, in which case poor Sambo has to
roll up his pants till they assume the appearance of small bolsters tied
round the knee, presenting a most ludicrous caricature. The poor little
horses are all hog-maned, and their tails are neatly plaited down the
whole length, the point thereof being then tied up to the crupper, so
that they are as badly off as a certain class of British sheep-dog. This
is probably an ancient custom, originating from a deputation of flies
waiting upon the authorities, and binding themselves by treaty to leave
the bipeds in peace if they would allow them the unmolested torture of
the quadruped.

If the owner wishes to "make a splash," another horse, equally silvered,
is harnessed abreast, something like the Russian Furieux; and in the
country, where the roads on the plantations are execrable, and quite
impassable for any spring carriage, a thir