216 History of Inland Transport 



where the canal would be joined, and traffic could be tran- 

 shipped. 



The tramway in question is thus referred to in " The 

 Scenery, Antiquities and Biography of South Wales, from 

 Material Collected during two Excursions in the year 1803," 

 by B. H. Malkin (second edition, 1807) : 



" At the Aqueduct, where the Canal is carried over the 

 River, an iron rail-road for the present ends ; and from the 

 Wharf at this place [Navigation] the Canal is the only con- 

 veyance for heavy goods to Cardiff ; the length of it as 

 Ear as it has already been completed is 10 miles, but it was 

 designed to have extended from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff, 

 and it is said that one horse would have been able to draw 

 40 tons of iron the whole distance of 26 miles in one day ; I 

 understand, however, that it is not likely to be finished, and, 

 indeed, it is much more necessary where it is now made from 

 the occasional want of water lower down where the con- 

 fluence of many and copious streams affords a more certain 

 supply to the Canal." 



The line had evidently been constructed, not under any 

 special Act, but by the authority of powers already granted 

 by clause 57 of the Glamorganshire Canal Company's own 

 Act, which, framed on the general lines already mentioned, 

 conferred upon all persons owning, renting, leasing, or occupy- 

 ing property containing any mines of coal, iron-stone, lime- 

 stone or other minerals, or the proprietors of any furnaces or 

 other works lying within the distance of four miles from 

 some part of the canal the right to make any railways or 

 roads over the lands or grounds of any person or persons, or 

 to make any bridges over any river, brook or watercourse, 

 for the purpose of conveying the coal, iron, etc., to the said canal. 



It will be noticed that this clause appears to limit to four 

 miles the length of any tramway constructed in virtue of its 

 provisions, whereas the length of the line actually made was, 

 in effect, nine miles from Merthyr and ten from Dowlais. 

 It is understood, however, that the constructors of the tram- 

 way successfully contended that, so long as their mines or 

 works were within four miles of the canal, they were at liberty 

 to lay down the tramway to such point on the canal as they 

 thought proper to select, and they chose Navigation because 

 it suited them best. 



