178 KAliLY MODES OF CONVEYANCE. PART 111. 



backs from Ancaster, in Lincolnshire, thirty-five miles 

 distant, and they loaded back with coal, which was taken 

 in exchange for the stone. 



The roads being almost impassable in certain seasons 

 and difficult at all times, there was necessarily very little 

 trade between one part of the kingdom and another. 

 For without ready communication either by land or water. 

 the commercial exchange of bulky articles raw produce 

 or manufactured commodities is simply impossible. 

 Hence England was not, and as yet could not be, very 

 much of a commercial country. It was cheaper to bring 

 foreign wares to London by sea than to bring them by 

 tedious journeys on horses' backs from the interior of 

 the country. Two centuries ago the inland carriage of 

 goods from Norwich was as much as the sea freight from 

 Lisbon. From London to Birmingham the charge was 

 from 5/. to 11. a ton, and from London to Exeter 12/. 

 A century later the charge between Birmingham and 

 London was reduced to between 8s. and 9s. a ton for 

 every ten miles, or an average of about 5/. a ton ;* but 

 at the same time the rate of carriage between Leeds and 

 London was 131. a ton. This rate, it will readily be 

 imagined, was prohibitory as regarded the large mass of 

 manufactured articles in general consumption. But many 

 articles now in common domestic use even amongst the 

 poorest classes were then comparatively little known. 

 No manufacture of pottery but of the very coarsest kind 

 existed ; vessels of wood, of pewter, and even of leather, 

 formed the principal part of the household and tal>lr 

 utensils of genteel and opulent families ; and we long 

 continued to import our cloths, our linen, our glass, our 

 "Delph" ware, our cutlery, our paper, and even our 

 hats, 'from France, Germany, and Holland. 



The little trade which existed between one part of the 

 kingdom and the other was carried on by means < >f pa < k - 



1 'A History of Inland Navigation.' London, 17C9, ]>. 7-". 



