Nearly one hundred years have elapsed since Londoners, growing dissatisfied with the lumbering hackney-coaches plying for hire in the metropolis, began to advocate the introduction of the _cabriolet de place_, which for some considerable time had been exceedingly popular in Paris. Unfortunately, the hackney-coach proprietors had been granted the sole right of carrying people within the bills of mortality--an area which contained the most thickly populated parts of London and nearly all the places of entertainment--and naturally they protested strongly against the introduction of what might prove to be formidable rivals to their slow-travelling vehicles. But in 1805 cabriolet promoters received a slight encouragement, Messrs. Bradshaw and Rotch--the latter a member of Parliament--obtaining licences for nine of their vehicles on the condition that they never entered within the bills of mortality. In appearance the cabriolet resembled the modern gig, and carried two people only, the driver sitting side by side with his fare. In consequence of the limited area in which they were allowed to ply for hire, the new vehicles attracted little attention, but, on April 23, 1823, twelve fully-licensed cabriolets, built by Mr. David Davies, were placed on the streets. They were announced as being “introduced to the public in honour of his Majesty’s birthday.” These cabriolets were a decided improvement upon their predecessors, as each one had accommodation for two passengers. The driver, whose proximity to his fare had proved to be the reverse of a pleasure to riders, was relegated to a comical-looking seat built out on the off side, between the body of the vehicle and the wheel. The hood strongly resembled a coffin standing on end, and earned for the vehicle the nickname of “coffin-cab.” The fore part of the hood could be lowered as required, and there was a curtain which could be drawn across to shield the rider from 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. [Illustration: LONDON CAB OF 1823, WITH CURTAIN DRAWN.] 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.