62 RISEN B Y PERSE VERANCE. 



and sails standing, was holding its undisturbed way directly 

 under its keel. 



In 1762, an Act of Parliament was, after much opposition, 

 obtained by the duke, for carrying a branch of his canal to 

 communicate with Liverpool, and so uniting that town, by 

 this method of communication, to Manchester. This portion 

 of the canal, which is more than twenty-nine miles in length, 

 is, like the former, without locks, and is carried by an 

 aqueduct over the Mersey, the arch of which, however, is less 

 lofty than that of the one over the Irwell, as the river is not 

 navigable at the place where it crosses. It passes also over 

 several valleys of considerable width and depth. Before this, 

 the usual price of the carriage of goods between Liverpool 

 and Manchester had been twelve shillings per ton by water, 

 and forty shillings by land ; they were now conveyed by the 

 canal, at a charge of six shillings per ton, and with all the 

 regularity of land carriage. 



In contemplating this great work, we ought not to overlook 

 the admirable manner in which the enterprising nobleman, at 

 whose expense it was undertaken, performed his part in carry- 

 ing it on. It was his determination, as we have already stated, 

 from the first, to spare no expense on its completion. Accord- 

 ingly, he devoted to it during the time of its progress nearly the 

 whole of his revenues, denying himself, all the while, even the 

 ordinary accommodations of his rank, and living on an income 

 of four hundred a year. He had even great commercial diffi- 

 culties to contend with in the prosecution of his schemes, being 

 at one time unable to raise ;!^5oo on his bond on the Royal 

 Exchange ; and it was a chief business of his agent, Mr. 

 Gilbert, to ride up and down the country to raise money on 

 his grace's promissory notes. It is true that he was afterwards 



