INLAND NAVIGATION.

77

the water within closes the door, and, as the lever rises, it runs off into achannel cut at the end of the spoon handle.

I From the wharf at this place, the poor of Manchester fetch great•quantities of coals in wheel-barrows, at three-pence halfpenny a hun-dred weight of seven score, which is not one half the price which wasbefore paid for that necessary article. But Mr. Brindley, to remove theinconvenience of carrying them up Castle-hill, has cut a large tunnelthrough the centre of this hill, into which the barges are introduced;and by a crane, which is worked by a box water-wheel of thirty feetdiameter, and four feet four inches wide, they are landed close to thetown. This branch of the canal to Manchester is very near ten miles inlength, and has been executed, on an average, at the expeace of athousand guineas a mile.

At Langford-bridge, the canal turns away to the right, and, cresting theriver Mersey, passes near Altringham, Dunham, Grapenhall, and Haul-ton, into the tide-way of the river Mersey at Runcorn Gap, where hisgrace's barges can come into his canal from Liverpool at low water.

The ingenuity and contrivance displayed through the whole work waswonderful. The smiths' forges, the carpenters’ and masons’ work-shops, were covered barges, which floated on the canal, and fol-lowed the work from place to place; by which means there was verylittle or no hindrance of business from accidents ; and as the duke had allhis materials in his possession, timber, stone, and lime * for mortar, andcoals from his own estates, and ready at hand, he has been at littleexpence except labour. It is also to be observed, that the duke has

* The want of this article was long severely felt and lamented, as great quantities werewanted in building bridges, aqueducts, &c. At last a substance of a chalky kind was tried,but which, for want of adhesion, would not make lime. To remedy this misfortune, anexpedient was adopted to temper the earth in the nature of brick-earth, casting it inmoulds like bricks, and then burning it: this fortunately answered the most sanguinewithes.

made