Page:The Canal System of England.djvu/19

 be associated with the growth of canals such names as Smeaton, Watt, Nimmo, and Rennie—under whose guidance most of the present barge canals were constructed. The barge canals laid out by Brindley alone, although not in every case executed by him, were as follows:—

It was by such men that apparently insurmountable difficulties were met, and overcome. By their indomitable perseverance and engineering skill, huge aqueducts were constructed, mountains were tunnelled, and valleys bridged, and there can be no doubt that these pioneers of the Canal System of England did much for the promotion of the true national economy and commercial prosperity of the nation.