INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, 111 
cry for protection had obviously become impossible and effete. 
When the Derby ministry of 1852 made no open attempt to 
undo Peel’s Free Trade legislation, it was realized that the old 
System was quite dead. 
We have pointed out in an earlier chapter that the develop- 
ment of new mechanical inventions, and the improvement of 
machinery, which gave our British manufactureS staam and 
their first start, mostly date from the end of the the transport 
eighteenth century, and were already at work of goods, 
during the years of the great French war, But the application 
of steam to the transport of goods, both by water in the sea- 
Zoing steam-vessel, and by land in the railway train, gave an 
enormous impetus to our factories. "These novelties start ,the 
one from the second and the other from the third ‚decade of 
the century, Down to 1812, heavy goods could pisgeulties 
Only be transported within the kingdom by road of inland 
or by canalı Both methods were slow and costly, "ansport. 
the former especially so; the canal system had of late been 
much developed, but there are many parts of the land in 
which physical conditions made the construction of canals 
\mpossible. In hilly districts, however favoured they might 
be by mineral wealth, good water-power, or other natural 
advantages, roads must be steep and difficult, and canals must 
cost a prohibitive sum. It was very hard to develop, for 
Sxample, a coal-field, if it was remote from the sea and 
Sltuated in a mountainous district. 
The case was the same with goods destined for foreign 
markets. Only places specially favoured by their nearness 
to a great harbour, or their easy accessibility by pjffculties in 
Canals, could readily move their products to the sea the way of 
and place them on ship-board. When once stowed foreign trade, 
on the vessel, they were at the mercy of the wind and weather : 
Since only sailing ships existed, their time of arrival at the 
foreign port was uncertain; often it might be protracted for 
Months beyond the expected time. The time and the cost