hri\l"S CANAL TO TIIK MKIISKY. 3G7 



it breakfasted ,-ii IVescott, dined at Warrington, ;m<l 

 arrived at Manchester usually in time for supper. On 

 one occasion, ;i( \Varrington, the coachman intimated his 

 wish to proceed, win MI the company requested him to 

 take another pint, as they had not finished their wine, 

 asking him at the same time if he was ilia hurry ? " Oh," 

 replied t he driver, " I'm not partic'lar to an hour or so ! " 

 As late as 1775, no mail-coach ran between Liverpool 

 and any other town, the hags being conveyed to and 

 from it on horseback; and one letter-carrier was found 

 sufficient for the wants of the place. A heavy stage then 

 ran, or rather crawled, between Liverpool and London, 

 making only four journeys a-week in the winter time. 

 It started from the Golden Talbot, in Water-street, and 

 was three days on the road. It went by Middlewich, 

 where one of its proprietors kept the White Bear inn; 

 and during the Knutsford race-week the coach was sent 

 all the way round by that place, in order to bring cus- 

 tomers to the Bear. 



\Ve have said that Briiidley was engaged upon the 

 preliminary survey of a canal to connect Manchester with 

 the Mersey, immediately after the original Worsley line 

 had been opened, and before its paying qualities could as 

 yet be ascertained. But the Duke, having once made up 

 his mind as to the expediency of carrying out this larger 

 project, never halted nor looked back, but made arrange- 

 ments lor prosecuting a bill for the purpose of enabling 

 the canal to be made in the very next session of Par- 

 liament. \Ve find that Brindley's first visit to Liver- 

 pool and the intervening district on the business of the 

 survey was made early in September, 1761. During 

 the remainder of the month he was principally occupied 

 in Staffordshire, looking after the working of his fire- 

 engine at Fenton Vivian, carrying out improvements in 

 the silk-manufactory at Congletnn, and inspecting various 

 mills at Xewcastle-under-Lyme and the neighbourhood. 



