CII.M-. VIII. THK (iKAXD TIM'NK CANAL, 487 



and Ivirl (lower worked their intlurnrr with the 

 party to good purpose. Brindley's plan was, on the whole, 



considered the best. It was the longest and the most 

 circuitous, hut it appeared calculated to afford the largest 

 amount of accommodation to the public. It would p;i>x 

 through important districts, urgently in need of an im- 

 proved communication with the port of Liverpool on the 

 one hand, and with Hull on the other. But it was not 

 so much the connection of those ports with each other 

 that was needed, as a more convenient means of com- 

 munication between them and the Staffordshire manu- 

 facturing districts ; and the Grand Trunk system some- 

 what in the form of a horse-shoe, with the Potteries 

 lying along its extreme convex part promised effec- 

 tually to answer this purpose, and to open up a ready 

 means of access to the coast on both sides of the island. 

 A glance at the course of the proposed line will show 

 its great importance. Starting from the Duke's canal 

 at Preston-on-the-Hill, near Runcorn, it passed south- 

 wards by Northwich and Middlewich, through the great 

 salt-manufacturing districts of Cheshire, to the summit 

 at Harecastle. It was alleged that the difficulties pre- 

 sented by the long tunnel at that point were so great 

 that it could never be the intention of the projectors of 

 the canal to carry their " chimerical idea," as it was 

 railed, into effect. Brindley however insisted, not only 

 that the tunnel was practicable, but that, if the necessary 

 powers were granted, he would certainly execute it. 1 



1 In one of the many angry pam- j ing the chimerical idea of cutting 



pldets published at the time, the I through Hare Castle ! We rather be- 



c Supplement to a pamphlet entitled j lieve that they are desirous of cutting 



Seasonable Conaderationfi on a Navi- < their canal at both ends, and of leaving 



gable Cana] intended to IK- cut from 



the Trent to the Mersey,' &c., the 

 following passage occurs : " When tin- 

 all is at stake, these uent Icmen [the 

 promoters of the ( Irand Trunk Canal] 

 must not l>e surprised at lx)ld truths. 

 We conceive more favourably of their 

 understand) n>/ than of their motive; 

 we cannot suspect them of entertain- 



the middle for the project of a future 

 day. Are these projectors jealous of 

 their Jumotir? Let them adopt a 

 clause (which reason and justice 

 stron-lv enforce) to restrain them 

 from meddling with either end till 

 they have finished the great trunk. 

 This, and this alone, will shield them 

 from suspicion." 



