334 A. D. 1760. 



corn *. But the line of a canal occupies but a very Imall fpace of 

 ground ; and, inftcad of diminifliing, it greatly increafes, the quantity 

 of corn land, by conveying manure to render barren land productive. 

 The quantity of corn for the ufe of mankind is moreover increafed (as 

 already obftrved) by rendering fewer horfes neceflary in the carrying 

 bufinefs. 



It has alfo been faid, that the natural navigation of the rivers has 



been neglected in partiality to thefe newfangled artificial canals But, 



where the navigation of a river is free of obftructions, it cannot be fup- 

 pofed, that people are fo fond of throv/ing away their money, as to 

 niake fuperfluous canals. And it ought to be remembered, that im- 

 provements upon the natural channels of rivers are frequently deflroyed 

 by heavy land floods, as was the cafe with the rivers Calder, Irwell, 

 Stour, &c. which can do no injury to canals, as they admit no more 

 water in their channels than what is proper and ferviceable. 



But the advantages of navigable canals, beiides ihofe already men- 

 tioned in the anfwers to the objedions, are great and obvious. They 

 give frefh -life to eflablillied manufactures, and they encourage the eflab- 

 iifhment of new ones, by the cafe of tranfporting the materials of manu- 

 fadure and provifions ; and thence we fee new villages ftart up upon the 

 borders of canals in places formerly condemned to fterility and folitude. 

 They invigorate, and in many inftances create, internal trade, which, 

 for its extent and value, is an objed of ftill more importance than fo- 

 reign commerce, aiid is exempted from the many hardihips and dangers 

 of a maritime life, and changes of climate. And they greatly promote 

 foreign trade, and confequently enrich the merchants of the ports where 

 they, or the navigable rivers they are connected with, terminate, by fa- 

 cilitating the exportation of produce from, and the introduction of fo- 

 reign merchandize inco, the interior parts of the country, which are 

 thus placed nearly on a level with the maritime parts ; or, in other 

 words, the interior parts become coafts, and enjoy the accommodations 

 offliipping. The price of provifions is nearly equalized through the 

 whole country ; the blefiings of Providence are more uniformly difl:ri- 

 buted ; and the monopolift is difappointed in his fchemes of iniquity 

 and opprellion by the eafe wherewith provifions are tranfported from a 

 confiderable diftance. The advantages to agriculture, which provides 

 a great part of the materials, and almoft the vi'hole of the fubfiftence, 

 required in carrying on manufactures and commerce, are pre-eminently 

 great. Manure, marl, lime, and all other bulky articles, which could 

 not pollibly bear the great expenfe of cartage, and alto corn and other 

 produce, can be carried at a very light expenfe on canals ; whereby 

 poor lands are enriched, and barren lands are brought into cultivation, 



* I remember feeing an efHiy publiTaed only five cr fix years ago, tlie aiitlior of wliich very ferioufly 

 advifed filling iiji all the canals, ar.d fowing corn upon the ground. 



