132 History of Inland Transport 



with a Mediterranean Passage by Water for Billanders of 

 Thirty Tun between Bristol and London." The writer de- 

 scribed his little book as a plea that " England's fair valleys 

 and rich Inlets through which so many noble Rivers insinuate 

 themselves might with the imitation of the industrious 

 Netherlanders be made in many places docible of Navigation, 

 to the inestimable comfort, satisfaction, ease and profit of 

 the publick." " Rivers," he further observed, " may be 

 compared to States-men, sent abroad ; they are never out 

 of their way so they pass by great Cities, Marts, Courts of 

 Princes, Armies, Leaguers, Diets and the like Theatres of 

 Action, which still contribute to the increase of their Observa- 

 tion ; So Navigable Rivers, the more places of Note they pass 

 by, the more they take up, or bring, still gleaning one Com- 

 modity or other from the Soyl they pass through, and are 

 supplied by every Town they touch at with imployment." 



Into the details of his scheme for establishing direct water 

 communication between Bristol and London there is now 

 no need to enter. Suffice it to say that the two cities had to 

 wait many years before the idea he foreshadowed was carried 

 into effect. But I must not omit to mention one of the 

 arguments advanced by Mathew in support of his general 

 proposals, since it has a direct bearing on the conditions 

 of road transport at this period, and the reasons based thereon 

 in favour of improvements in river navigation. Thus he urged, 

 among other things, " the facility of Commerce from one place 

 to another, and the cheapness of transportation of Commodities 

 without so much grinding and plowing up our high-wayes, 

 which maketh them now in so many places impassable. You 

 shall see," he continued, " Western Waggons, which they 

 call Plows, carry forty hundred weight ; insomuch as between 

 Bristol and Marlborough they have been enforced at a Hill 

 they call Bagdown-hill, to put twenty beasts, Horse and Oxen, 

 to draw it up : This great abuse by this means would be taken 

 away, by keeping our high-wayes pleasant ; and withal, by 

 this transportation of Commodities by River, thej price of 

 Commodities would fall." 



Oliver Cromwell had other matters than roads and rivers 

 to engage his attention^ and Francis Mathew gotjfrom him 

 no favourable response to his proposals. But in 1670 he 

 dedicated to Charles II. and " the Honorable Houses of 



