emains one seal-impression of
special interest showing a one-masted ship carrying a thorough-bred
horse--perhaps representing the first importation of horses into Crete.
A remarkable shrine with fetish idols was also discovered. The sacred
Double-Axe symbol is prominent, as in the greater palace. By the end of
1910 the excavation of this smaller palace was practically completed. It
was found to cover an area of more than 9400 ft. with a frontage of more
than 130 ft., and had five stone staircases. One object of special
interest found in the course of excavation is a black steatite vessel
in the form of a bull's head. The modelling is of a very high order, and
the one eye which remains perfect is cut out of rock crystal, with the
pupil and iris marked by colours applied to the lower face of the
crystal.

The work of excavation in the palace has been complicated by the
necessity of propping up walls, floors and staircases. In some instances
it has been found necessary to replace the original wooden pillars by
pillars of stone. Again in the "Queen's Megaron" in the east wing of the
Great Palace it was found that the exposure of the remains to the
violent extremes of Cretan weather must soon prove fatal to them. It was
therefore decided to restore the columns and part of the wall, and to
roof over the whole area.

For recent excavations see R. M. Burrows, _The Discoveries in Crete_
(1907); A. Mosso, _The Palaces of Crete_ (1907); Lagrange, _La Crete
ancienne_ (1908); Dr. Evans's reports in _The Times_, Oct. 31, 1905,
July 15, 1907, Aug. 27, 1908, and 1909 (Index); D. Mackenzie, _Cretan
Palaces_.

COACH (through the Fr. _coche_, originally from the Magyar _kocsi_, an
adjective from the Hungarian place named Kocs, between Raab and Buda,
i.e. the sort of vehicle used there in the 15th century), a large kind
of carriage for passengers (see CARRIAGE). As a general term it is used
(as in "coach-building") for all carriages, and also in combination with
qualifying attributes for particular forms (stage-coach, mail-coach,
mourning-coach, hackney-coach, &c.); but the typical coach involves four
wheels, springs and a roof. The stage-coach, with seats outside and in,
was a public conveyance which was known in England from the 16th
century, and before railways the stage-coaches had regular routes
(stages) all over the country; through their carrying the mails (from
1784) the term "mail-coach" arose. Similar vehicles