410 THE IH'KE'S D1FFKTLTIKS PART V. 



at the heels of it." But the Duke dying' shortly after, the 

 trustees refused to proceed with the experiment, and the 

 project consequently fell through. 1 Had the Duke lived, 

 cana] steam-tugs would doubtless have been fairly tried; 

 and he might thus have initiated the practical introduc- 

 tion of steam-navigation in England, as he unquestionably 

 laid the foundations of the canal system. He lived long 

 enough, however, to witness the introduction of tram- 

 roads, and he saw considerable grounds for apprehension 

 in them. " We may do very well," he once observed 

 to Lord Kenyon, "if we can keep clear of these - 

 tram-roads." 



He was an admirable judge of character, and was rarely 

 deceived as to the men he placed confidence in. John 

 Gilbert was throughout his confidential adviser a prac- 

 tical out-doors man, full of energy and perseverance. 

 When any proposal was made to the Duke, he would 

 say, "Well, thou must go to Gilbert and tell him all 

 about it ; I'll do nothing without I consult him." From 

 living so much amongst his people, he had contracted 

 their style of speaking, and " thee'd " and " thou'd " those 

 whom he addressed, after the custom of the district. 

 He was rough in his speech, and gruff and emphatic 

 in his manner, like those amidst whom he lived ; but 

 with the rough word he meant and did the kindly 

 act. His early want of education debarred him in a 

 measure from the refining influences of letters ; for 

 he read little, except perhaps an occasional newspaper, 

 and he avoided writing whenever he could. He also 

 denied himself the graces of female society ; and the 



1 The Earl of Ellesmere, in his 

 ' Essay on Aqueducts and Canals,' 

 states that the Duke made actual 

 experiment of a steam-tug, and quotes 

 the following from the communication 

 of one of the Duke's servants, alive in 

 1844: "I well remember the steam- 

 tug experiment on the canal. It was 

 between 1796 and 1799. Captain 

 Shanks, R.N., from Deptford, was ! p. 2-11. 



at Worsley many weeks preparing it, 

 by the Duke's own orders and under 

 his own eye. It was set going, and 

 tried with coal-boats; but it went 

 slowly, and the paddles made sid 

 work with the bottom of the canal, 

 and also threw the water on the bank. 

 The Worsley people called it r*>na- 

 [arte." Lord Kllesmere's 'Essays,' 



