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MOTIVE POWER ON

the moveable switch in the proper place mightoccasion many inconveniences.

These kinds of passings w ill be the same forthe loco-motive engines as for the common car-riages, drawn by horses; no alteration of theroad being required for the former, which, inpublic lines of road, where the general conve-nience requires that it should be equally adapt-ed to every species of motive power, is a greatdesideratum.

CHAPTER IX.

COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCES OF MOTIVE POWERON CANALS AND RAIL-ROADS.

The existing agitation of the public mind,respecting the relative utility of Rail-roads andcanals, in the transit of goods from one placeto another, renders it a subject of properenquiry to ascertain the relative performancesof the different kinds of motive power uponthose two species of internal communication.

I shall, therefore, give a brief comparison,founded on the foregoing deductions of thedifferent kinds of motive power upon Rail-roads,with the performance of horses by the presentmode of canal navigation.

Not having had an opportunity, from myown personal observations, ofascertaining, with