wind or rain. The fare was eightpence a mile and fourpence for every additional half-mile or part of half a mile. Each vehicle carried, in a leather pocket made for the purpose, a book of fares for the convenience of hirers.
In a short time cabriolets became very popular, and a topical song of the period contains the following verse :—
" In days of old when folks got tired,
A hackney coach or a chariot was hired;
But now along the streets they roll ye
In a shay with a cover called a cabrioly."
The French name of the vehicle was soon abbreviated to "cab," and, although the word was at first considered deplorably vulgar, convenience triumphed quickly over the objections of purists.
To be able to travel cheaply and quickly was a pleasing novelty to Londoners, but many of them lived to regret having trusted themselves in a cab, for the drivers, proud of being able to pass hackney and private coaches, were fond of showing the superior speed, and while doing so frequently ran against street posts or collided with other vehicles; and when either of these things happened, or the horse fell, the "fare" was usually pitched forward into the road. This danger, coupled with the
