Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/146

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and, in order to preserve it, makes a singularly serpentine curve of nearly forty-two miles. The aqueduct I have mentioned above, conducts it over the Leven to the east and south of Lancaster; when it proceeds to Garstang, where it crosses the Wyn, and then bending to the westward, approaches within two miles of Kirkham; after which divert kulum it passes the western side of Preston, and is carried over the river Ribble, and in the course of a few miles stops short, for want of capital to compleat it. Its further destination was a junction with the Leeds and Liverpool canal; to cross the Douglas, proceed through Haigh, pass through Wigan, and terminate at West- Houghton. The objects which the subscribers had in view, were to exchange the coal of the south of Lancashire for the limestone of the north, and to afford communication between the port of Lan- caster and the more central parts of the north of England.

Before we reached Preston, the manufactures of that town and its neighbourhood appeared in some cotton- works, which we passed in our way; and the frequent recurrence of villages, hamlets, and gentlemen's seats, proved the great population as well as riches of the county. The situation of Preston is at once pleasant and salubrious; on a

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