me
reached Booth Town, close to Barton moss, passing _en route_ Old Trafford
Park. Near by here we arrived at the famous swivel bridge by which the
Bridgewater Canal is carried over the Manchester Ship Canal.

We happened to get to this point just as the bridge was opened to traffic
for the first time, and as we paddled across in state we were hailed and
told that ours was the very first canoe to have the distinction of crossing
the new waterway.

During the rest of the day's paddle we were in the very heart of the
coal-mining district, and our progress caused no little comment and wonder
to the crowds of "locked-out" miners and their families. So embarrassing
became their attentions at length that we had to abandon our original
intention of landing at Wigan, owing to the numerous crowd awaiting our
approach at that place.

Twice we essayed to get ashore, but finally, not appreciating the
appearance of the motley crowd, we pushed on until we reached Plank Lane,
where, the crowd of idlers being a little less dense, we summoned up pluck
enough to venture ashore.

Even here we found ourselves the centre of attraction to the people;
rough miners crowding around as we lifted our canoe from the water,
to stare in amazement at our appearance, some even going so far in their
admiration of our little craft as to pass their hands along its polished
sides, all the while expressing their opinions in such a broad vernacular
as to be almost unintelligible to our Southern ears. They thought it was
a joke upon our part when we told them that we had paddled all the way
from London in the canoe. The way they nudged each other and winked
solemnly was most expressive.

Their attentions at last became so overwhelming that we were compelled
to give the craft into the care of the friendly lock-keeper and beat
a hasty retreat.

Our host at Leigh very kindly afforded us a much-wished-for opportunity of
exploring a coal-mine. Getting up early in the morning, we proceeded to
the mouth of the pit, entered the cage, and soon were speeding downward at
a most alarming pace, accomplishing the distance of 700 yards in forty-five
seconds.

The sensation accompanying this rapid descent into the bowels of the
earth was far from pleasant, but we quickly recovered when we reached
_terra firma_, and, when we had become accustomed to the intense darkness,
were soon able to follow our guide through the almost deserted workings.

The miners were