While reading a book with the background of the story written from the 19th century Britain, I found several words referring to the main transportations of the dwellers at that time and I could not imagine how they look like. It is quite interesting to look up on those things, at least I can imagine the stories better in my mind when I read them.
And so the means of transportation in question are the brougham, hansom, trap, and dog cart. Well, perhaps we are more familiar with the coach as it is the most well-known and well-shown in any 19th century period movies, like the one below...
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| A coach - google image |
A coach is probably the highest standard of transportation and able to transport more than 4 persons in it and drawn by 2 to 4 horses (or even more). The bigger or the fancier the coach, the richer and higher status the owner should be.
So, how about a brougham? A brougham is a 4-wheeled, boxlike, closed carriage for 2 to 4 persons and the driver's perch is just behind the horses.
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| A brougham - google image |
While a hansom is a low-hung, 2-wheeled, covered vehicle drawn by one horse for 2 passengers, with the driver being mounted on an elevated seat behind the reins running over the roof, just like this,
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| A hansom driven by a handsome driver..haha - google image |
Then, there's the trap. A trap is a light 2-wheeled open carriage for 2 persons.
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| A trap, definitely not for rainy days - google image |
Finally, there's the dog cart. Of course, by its name, it can also mean a small cart drawn by dogs, but I cannot imagine that dogs can carry a lot people in a coach. Except that if it's a sledge and that only for 1 person. The dog cart here is actually a light, 2-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle for ordinary driving, with 2 transverse seats back to back and originally having a box under the rear seat for carrying a dog. So, this dog cart is originally for carrying the dogs, not drawn by them.
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| A type of dog cart - google image |
The definitions which I've written is taken from Dictionary.com and photos taken from searching through Google Images. Yep, although I've been on top of a horse just for a few seconds when I was 6 years old, uncomfortable it was as I sat without a saddle and also fear (mainly my mom) that the horse would be galloping around, I've never been riding on any of these. I think it will be an interesting and exciting experience. However, coming back to our local coast, I should be reminded that I also haven't been in this one too.....
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| credit to owhpic.blogspot.com |
A bullock cart!
Oh well.....just cruising with my mousedeer, Kancil is enough...i guess.
not sure if the last pic is by Torajan but looks like one
ReplyDeleteHi..do u mean Torajan as in the ethnic in the Sulawesi? The bullock cart was used in many parts of the world long time before, n that pic is just one example. Being 'serumpun' there tend to be lots of similarities with the neighbouring region i guess... :)
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