7 8 HISTORY OF

made the refuse of one work serve for the construction of another.Thus the stones which were dug up to form the basin for the boats atthe foot of the mountain, as well as those taken out of the rock to makethe subterraneous passage, were hewn into different forms, shapes, anddimensions, to build bridges over the rivers, brooks, or highways, orarches to support the aqueduct. The clay, gravel, and other earths, takenup to preserve the level at one place, are carried down the canal toraise the land in another, or reserved to make bricks for other uses.

Here grandeur, elegance, and economy, are happily united. Atfirst view, it would seem that the work was solely intended to exciteastonishment. But, on a closer inspection, there is to be found nothingbut what is proper and necessary, and the whole has been finished at anexpence no ways adequate to the undertaking: in short, the work istruly admirable, and will be a standing monument of the discernment,public spirit, and economy of the duke of Bridgewater, to the end oftime.

Before the duke began his canal, the price of water carriage by theold navigation on the rivers Mersey and Irwell, from Liverpool toManchester, was twelve shillings the ton, and from Warrington toManchester, ten shillings the ton. Land carriage was forty shillingsthe ton, and not less than two thousand tons were yearly carried on anaverage. Coals at Manchester were retailed to the poor at seven-penceper hundred weight, and often dearer. The duke, by his naviga-tion from Liverpool to Manchester, carries for only six shillings a ton,and in as short a time, and with as certain delivery as if by land carriage,because he is able, at the lowest neap tides, to come into or go out ofhis canal at Runcorn Gap to Liverpool, which he could not do if he hadgone in at the Hempstones, as was at first intended; consequently onehalf is saved to the public of the old water carriage, and almost six partsin seven of the land carriage. Coals also are delivered at Manchester,seven score to the hundred weight, for three-pence halfpenny.

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