The Canal Era 177 



Then, also, when John Wesley visited Burslem in 1760 he 

 wrote that the potters assembled to laugh and jeer at him. 

 " One of them," he says, " threw a clod of earth which struck 

 me on the side of the head ; but it neither disturbed me nor 

 the congregation." In 1781 he went to Burslem again. On 

 this occasion he wrote : " I returned to Burslem ; how is the 

 whole face of the country changed in about 20 years ! Since 

 which, inhabitants have continually flowed in from every 

 side. Hence the wilderness is literally become a fruitful 

 field. Houses, villages, towns, have sprung up, and the 

 country is not more improved than the people." 



This actual experience of John Wesley's would seem to 

 confirm the view expressed by Sir Richard Whitworth in the 

 observations he offered to the public in 1766 on " The Ad- 

 vantages of Inland Navigation." It was, he argued, trade 

 and commerce, and not the military force of the Kingdom, 

 which could alone enrich us and enable us to maintain our 

 independence ; but there were millions of people " buried 

 alive " in parts of the country where there were no facilities 

 for transport, and where they had hitherto been " bred up 

 for no other use than to feed themselves." What advantage 

 would not accrue to the nation when these millions were 

 brought into the world of active and productive workers ! 

 " Hitherto," he continued, " the world has been unequally 

 dealt, and, though all the inhabitants of this island should 

 have an equal right to the gifts of nature in the advantages 

 of commerce, yet it has only happened to those who live 

 upon the coasts to enrich themselves by it, while as many 

 millions lie starving for want of opportunity to forward 

 themselves into the world. Though the city, village, or 

 country in which they live is at the lowest ebb of poverty it will, 

 in a short time, by trade passing through it, alter its very 

 nature and the inhabitants become, from nothing, as it 

 were, to a very rich and substantial people ; their very 

 natural idea of mankind, and their rude and unpolished 

 behaviour, will be altered and soothed into the most social 

 civility and good breeding by the alluring temptations of the 

 beneficial advantage of trade and commerce." 



The opening of the Grand Trunk and other canals con- 

 necting with it led to such reductions in the cost of carriage 

 as are shown in the following figures, from Baines's " History 



