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PRACTICAL TREATISE

ON

RAILROADS.

CHAPTER I.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION.

§ 1.-Pack Horses.

Ir is not necessary, perhaps, in a work of this kind, to enter into the history of internal intercourse, further than merely to glance at the introduction of the various kinds of wheel carriages, and the different descriptions of roads necessary for their use. Previously to the invasion of England by the Romans, articles of trade were transported from one place to another upon the backs of horses, and for many centuries subsequently thereto, we find the same mode of transport practised; even so late as the middle of the last century, almost the whole land carriage of Scotland, and of several parts of England, was conducted on the backs of horses, which were called "pack horses ;" and we find, at the present day, in most of the mountainous parts of Wales, and in the Highlands of Scotland, the whole traffic carried on by the same means;—and even at this time, the only mode of transporting heavy goods from one place to another, in the mountainous countries in Europe and America, is on the backs of mules.

So long as the intercourse and traffic of the country was carried on in this manner, we may presume the roads were in a very rude state, and the greatest weight which could then be conveyed would be very limited, probably not amounting to more than two or three hundred weight, and in extreme cases to very little more. We may therefore easily imagine, how contracted the means of intercourse would be at that period, and the impossibility of carrying on any kind of traffic, except on the margin of the navigable rivers. A very striking instance of the restriction put upon the energies of a country, whose only means of internal intercourse was of this description, occurred with regard to the mines in the interior of South America, during the mania of speculation in 1825; it was supposed the only drawback to the prosperity of these mines was the want of proper machinery for drawing and working them. In more than one instance, massive castings of iron were sent out from England to supply this deficiency; but when landed on the shores of America, it was found, the only mode of carriage to the mines was on the backs of mules, which were of course quite incapable of carrying such heavy loads, and the machinery could not consequently be conveyed to the mines.

§ 2.-Military Roads.

The invention of forming hard and smooth roads, by covering either the natural or artificially prepared ground, with stones broken into fragments of a certain size, and similar to our present paving, is attributed to the Carthaginians.

The Romans acquired their knowledge from these people, and the famous Appian Way which they constructed about the year 442 of the foundation of Rome, is a proof of their industry in the formation of this

species of road. It does not appear, that the numerous roads constructed by the Romans, were for the purpose of facilitating internal commerce ;-their appellation "military roads," at once indicates the purpose for which they were intended.

The Romans, it is therefore probable, were the first who made any regular roads in Great Britain. For the purpose of facilitating the subjection of the inhabitants, and to secure a communication at all times between their armies occupying different quarters of the island, they formed what are now termed "military roads," which consisted of paths stretched across the country from one place to another, and paved with large stones. These were generally of very considerable lengths, and made to pursue a straight line from station to station, thus affording a hard, durable, and safe road; infinitely superior to the swampy, soft, and marshy paths indiscriminately formed in all parts of the country by its early inhabitants. Many of these roads are yet in existence in various parts; and, as may be expected, considering the purposes for which they were originally intended, they are very uneven and undulating.

The "military stations," or "watch towers," being generally placed upon the most elevated parts of the country, for the purpose of watching the motions of the enemy; these roads invariably avoid the more level parts of the country, and stretch from hill to hill.

The paved and hard roads of the Romans, would afford a comparatively good track for horses; but as the inhabitants advanced in civilisation, and commerce required the transportation of bulky articles, this mode of conveyance, would be inconvenient, and inapplicable to the purpose.

It is probable, the next advance of interior communication, would be the introduction of sledges, where the

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