CHAP. X. CALEDONIAN AND OTHER CANALS. 409 



CHAPTEE X. 



CALEDONIAN AND OTHER CANALS. 



THE formation of a navigable highway through the 

 chain of lochs occupying the Great Glen of the High- 

 lands, extending diagonally across Scotland from the 

 Atlantic to the North Sea, had long been regarded as a 

 work of national importance. As early as 1773, James 

 Watt, when following the business of a land-surveyor at 

 Glasgow, made a survey of the country at the instance 

 of the Commissioners of Forfeited Estates. He pro- 

 nounced the canal practicable, and pointed out how it 

 could best be constructed. There was certainly no want 

 of water, for Watt was drenched with rain during most 

 of his survey, and had difficulty in preserving even his 

 journal book. " On my way home," he says, " I passed 

 through the wildest country I ever saw, and over the 

 worst conducted roads." 



Twenty years later, in 1793, Mr. Rennie was consulted 

 as to the canal, and he also prepared a scheme ; but no- 

 thing was done. The project was, however, revived in 

 1801, during the war with Napoleon, when various inland 

 ship canals such as those from London to Portsmouth, 

 and from Bristol to the English Channel were under con- 

 sideration, with the view of protecting British shipping 

 against French privateers. But there was another reason 

 for urging the formation of the canal through the Great 

 Glen of Scotland, which was regarded as of importance 

 before the introduction of steam enabled vessels to set 

 the winds and tides at comparative defiance. It was this : 

 vessels sailing from the eastern ports to America had to 

 beat up the Pentland Frith often against adverse winds 



