344 KING LEOPOLD'S KAILWAYS. CHAP. XVI. 



country's resources, and he determined at the earliest 

 possible period to adopt them as the great high-roads of 

 the nation. The country, being rich in coal and minerals, 

 had great manufacturing capabilities. It had good ports, 

 fine navigable rivers, abundant canals, and a teeming, 

 industrious population. Leopold perceived that railways 

 were eminently calculated to bring the industry of the 

 country into full play, and to render the riches of the 

 provinces available to the rest of the kingdom. He 

 therefore openly declared himself the promoter of public 

 railways throughout Belgium. A system of lines was 

 projected, at his instance, connecting Brussels with the 

 chief towns and cities of the kingdom ; extending from 

 Ostend eastward to the Prussian frontier, and from 

 Antwerp southward to the French frontier. 



Mr. Stephenson and his son, the leading railway- 

 engineers of England, were consulted by the King on 

 the best mode of carrying out his important plans, as 

 early as 1835. In the course of that year they visited 

 Belgium, and had several interesting conferences with 

 Leopold and his ministers on the subject of the proposed 

 railways. The King then appointed George Stephenson 

 by royal ordinance a Knight of the Order of Leopold. 

 At the invitation of the monarch, Mr. Stephenson made 

 a second visit to Belgium in 1837, on the occasion of 

 the public opening of: the line from Brussels to Ghent. 

 At Brussels there was a public procession, and another 

 at Ghent on the. arrival of the train. Stephenson and 

 his party accompanied it to the Public Hall, there to 

 dine with the chief Ministers of State, the municipal 

 authorities, and about five hundred of the principal 

 inhabitants of the city ; the English Ambassador being 

 also present. After the King's health and a few others 

 had been drunk, that of Mr. Stephenson was proposed ; 

 on which the whole assembly rose up, amidst great 

 excitement and loud applause, and made their way to 

 where he sat, in order to jingle glasses with him, greatly 



