Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

BRITAIN AT WORK. 124 Photo : Cassett & Co., Ltd. FIVE MINUTES’ GOSSIP. Thames. When a horse tows along two craft, one behind the other, the second is called, in canal language, a “ monkey ” barge. The horse indeed, as a rule, still holds its own on the tow-path ; and dotted at intervals on the canal banks stand shanties or stables, often in connection with a public-house, where Dobbin may be installed for the night at the modest charge of fourpence. This fee pays for the shelter and the bed on which the animal may repose its weary limbs. Not far distant the barge is moored out of the passage-way, and the bargee and his family, having obtained such food and drink as they may require from the inn, retire to their no fewer than forty-five locks by which the canal surmounts the rising ground. Then the barge finds itself on the high level ; but before very long meets with seven other locks to enable it to descend again with safety to a lower plane. The first lock out of London is at Cowley, near Uxbridge, and the time oc- cupied by a barge in passing from London to Tring is about two days. It is clear, there- fore, that perishable goods would not form suitable freight, but for heavy freight such as bricks and timber, or for bulky merchandise such as straw or manure, the barge offers a very suitable and, no doubt, very cheap means of conveyance. The two great waterways out of London are, of course, the Thames running eastward and the Grand Junction tending north-west. The Thames communicates with several other waterways at intervals and running north and south ; it also joins the Severn by canal. The longest canal tunnel in England—known as the Sapperton—is, it may be said, in parenthesis, on the Thames and Severn. It is over 11,000 feet in length. Horses are not used for haulage here, but the men push the barges through. cabin, shut their door, and sleep as soundly and as comfortably as their countrymen ashore. The slowness of •barge traffic is not altogether due to its motor power being chiefly haulage by horses. Passing through the numerous locks adds greatly to the delay. Thus, be- tween Paddington and Tring — a distance of some thirty - two miles by rail—there are THROUGH A LOCK. Photo: Cassell & Co., Ltd. ri