HISTORY OF

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excepting in two particulars, in which it is, I think, very objectionable.These are, first, his not going into the Severn lower down nearerBewdley, than where his intention was at Tern-bridge near Shrews-bury, to avoid the shallows which lie between Bewdley and Shrews-bury, and must greatly retard the navigation between those two towns.The other is his not going into the river Mersey at Runcorn Gap, orinto the duke of Bridge water's canal at Preston Brook, which falls intothe Mersey at Runcorn Gap, rather than, as by his plan, into the riverWeaver, at Winsford-bridge, on account of the number of locks fromthence to the tide-way to go to Liverpool. It is also to be observed,that if it had joined the duke of Bridge water's canal at Preston Brook,the goods and merchandise brought by the canal from Hull and Bristol,by the Severn and Trent, might have been conveyed to Manchester,without going down those locks, seventy-five feet into the river Wea-ver, and up as many more into the duke’s canal: besides going rounda point of land, and being liable to the obstructions of neap tides andadverse winds, by which barges may be retarded several days, andwhich I will more particularly explain, after I have given the route ofboth canals. But before I proceed, it will be proper to observe, that theroute of the canals in both plans is exactly alike from Shutborough inStaffordshire, down the river Trent to Wilsden Ferry, in order to avoidthe shallows between Burton and Wilsden, rather than fall into theTrent, at Burton, which would save a cut of fifteen miles. If the ob-stacle occasioned by the shallows was observed there, how it should haveescaped the notice of a person of such discernment and penetration as thegentleman who planned the first route, is to me inconceivable.

To begin then with the first plan for a communication betweenBristol and Hull. It was proposed, that the said canal should pass fromor near a place called Tem-bridge, on the river Severn, in the countyof Salop; and from thence a little higher up than the course of theriver Wroxeter, cross the Uppington road, by Wanford and Allscot,and cross the road leading on the right to Wellington; thence by

Crudgington