x Roads and Canals through Staffordshire 99 



was, on the whole, considered the best. The Grand 

 Trunk would pass through important districts, greatly 

 in need of improved communication with the port of 

 Liverpool on the one hand, and with Hull on the other. 

 The principal difficulty was in getting over or through 

 the summit at Harecastle. It was alleged by the oppo- 

 nents of the measure that the long tunnel at that point, 

 or the immense series of locks, was a mere " chimerical 

 idea," and could never be carried into effect. Brindley, 

 however, insisted that if the necessary powers were 

 granted, he would certainly drive the tunnel through 

 the hill. His idea was to make as long stretches of flat 

 canal as possible ; just as George Stephenson afterwards, 

 before the powers of the locomotive had been fully 

 developed, preferred to go round a hill rather than 

 surmount it or tunnel under it. Brindley avoided 

 rivers as much as possible. He likened water in a 

 river to a furious giant running down and overturning 

 everything ; whereas, " if you lay the giant flat upon 

 his back, he lost all his force, and became completely 

 passive, whatever his size might be." 



It is quite unnecessary to describe the Parliamentary 

 contest on the Grand Trunk bill. Wedgwood, in spite 

 of his many important avocations his purchase of 

 Etruria, his business in Liverpool and London, and 

 the management of his works at Burslem often 

 went to London to give his evidence in support of the 

 measure; and most of the landed gentlemen of his 

 neighbourhood appeared on the same side. 



