HISTORY OF

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The canal, and vessels to navigate thereon, are to be constructed onthe plan found most eligible, from various experiments made on theduke of Bridgewater’s navigation. From these experiments, his excel-lent engineer, Mr. Brindley, hath proposed to complete this canal as farnorth as Harccastle, purchase the land, erect locks, make towing-paths,build bridges, and defray every expence, except that of obtaining theact of parliament, for seven hundred pounds a mile. To cut throughHarccastle, it is supposed, will cost ten thousand pounds; and the re-mainder of the canal one thousand pounds per mile. He proposes tomake the new canal twelve feet wide at the bottom, and three feet deepin general, but at the fords only thirty inches, and in common tosupply it with a quantity of water just sufficient for the navigation, andhaving no stream like those in Holland.

The boats are to be seventy feet long, six feet wide, to draw nearthirty inches water when loaden, and to carry twenty tons burden.They are to be so constructed as to be able to fail with either end fore-most, by removing the rudder, and to cost about thirty pounds each.

There is to be a man and a boy to each boat, which one horse willdraw with ease along the canal; but when necessary will be able to drawthree of them.

It is proposed to raise the money by subscription in lots or shares oftwo hundred pounds each. No person to subscribe more than twentyshares. The tonnage to be fixed by act of parliament, and vested in thesubscribers as a security for their money. The company to be underthe inspection of commissioners, as in most other navigation acts. Theshares to be made transferable in an easy manner, like government secu-rities. The navigation to be free and open to all persons on payingtfie tonnage fixed by law; and land-owners to have liberty to erectwarehouses and wharfs on the banks or sides of the navigation.

It