Chap. VII.] Navii^afioji. 89 



tern of canal navigation *. His great and original 

 genius, tlie force of niivu] which he disphiyed in 

 surmounting the difficulties which were prc-sentcd 

 in his course, and the various imx)rovcments ^^ liich 

 lie suggested in the formation and management 

 of canals, have been, very deservedly, the subject.^ 

 of much eulogy by every succeeding artist. After 

 Mr. Brindley^s fu'st successful attempt, canals be- 

 came popular in Great Britain and Ireland, and 

 a considerable number, some of them on a very^ 

 large scale, were undertaken in dilfercnt parts of 

 those countries. Brindiey, who died in 1772, was 

 succeeded by Mr. Smeaton, Mr. Yvhitworlh, Mr. 

 Watt, and others, who eminently distingui.died 

 themselves as engineers in the same hnc. 



Attempts of a similar kind have been made in 

 the United States, but neither on so large a scale, 

 nor hitherto with so much success as in Europe. 

 The trials, however, which have been made in the 

 States of Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and 

 South Carolina, bid fair to bo highly useful, and to 

 afford an honourable specimen of American enter- 

 prise. In several of the other States plans of the 

 same kind have been formed, and partl\' executfd ; 

 and there is every i>robability that a few years more 

 will present us with a large amount of this species 

 of improvement in many parts of that country. 



-^ James Brindiey, the celebrated engineer, was born in Dobr- 

 shire, in the year ] 7iO\ He early devoted himself to mechaiv.cal 

 pursuits, and was bred a mill-wright. Hisastouislung enterprise, 

 and useful improvements in the formation of aquedtxts, camls, &:e., 

 are generally known, and will long do honour to his memory. 

 Ue died in l/Z'i, i" t-hc fifty-si^.th year of his age. 



