424 Tin-; <;KA\I> THTNK CANAL. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE GRAND TRUNK CANAL. 



LONG before the Duke's canal was finished, Brindlry 

 was actively employed in carrying out a still larger 

 enterprise no less than the canal to connect the Mersey 

 with the Trent, and both with the Severn ; thus uniting 

 by a grand line of water-communication the ports of 

 Liverpool, Hull, and Bristol. He had, indeed, already 

 made a survey of such a canal, at the instance of Earl 

 Grower, before his engagement as engineer for the 

 Bridgewater undertaking. Thus, in the beginning of 

 February, 1758, before the Duke's bill had been even 

 applied for, we find him occupied for days together 

 "a bout the novogation," and he then appears to have 

 surveyed the country between Longbridge, in Stafford- 

 shire, and King's Mills, in Derbyshire. The enterprise, 

 however, seems to have made little progress. It was 

 of too formidable a character, and canals were as yet 

 too untried in England, to be hastily entered upon. 

 But again, in 1759, we find Brindley proceeding with 

 his survey of the Staffordshire Canal ; and in the middle 

 of the following year he was occupied about twenty days 

 in levelling from Harecastle, at the summit of the pro- 

 posed canal, to Wilden, near Derby ; and we find him 

 frequently with Earl Glower, at Trentham, and with the 

 Earl of Stamford, at Enville, discussing the project. 



The next step taken was the holding of a public 

 meeting at Sandon, in Staffordshire, as to the proper 

 course in which the canal should be constructed. Con- 

 siderable difference of opinion was expressed at that 

 meeting, in consequence of which it was arranged that 



