x Roads and Canals through Staffordshire ibi 



front of Wedgwood's house, and sundry other demon- 

 strations of rejoicing wound up the day's proceedings. 



At a meeting of the proprietors of the canal, Mr. 

 Wedgwood was unanimously appointed treasurer of the 

 undertaking. This was a great honour. It proved the 

 estimation in which he was held by those who knew 

 him best, and the faith reposed in his spotless integrity. 

 At a future meeting of the company, the salaries of the 

 officers were fixed : 200 per annum was the salary 

 of James Brindley, the surveyor-general of the under- 

 taking, very different indeed from the salaries paid to 

 engineers nowadays. The committee ordered 150 

 guineas to be paid to Wedgwood, and 90 to Bentley, 

 besides a balance which remained in his hands, for the 

 printing, publishing, and distribution of the pamphlets 

 in support of the undertaking. 



Wedgwood had the greatest possible admiration for 

 Brindley. He wrote to Bentley in March 1767 : "I am 

 afraid Brindley is endeavouring to do too much, and 

 that he will leave us before his vast designs are 

 accomplished. He is so incessantly harassed on every 

 side, that he hath no rest for either mind or body, and 

 will not be prevailed upon to take proper care of his 

 health." 



And again, in March 1768, he wrote to Bentley : 

 "Mr. Brindley and his lady called here on their 

 way home. They spent the day with us and have 

 just left this morning. We, my wife and myself, are 

 to spend to-morrow with Mr. and Mrs. Brindley at 



