Abroad—wheeledwaggon，attendedbytwomen，anddrawnbyeighthorses，inaboutsixweeks’timecarriesandbringsbackbetweenLondonandEdinburghnearfourtonweightofgoods。Inaboutthesametimeashipnavigatedbysixoreightmen，andsailingbetweentheportsofLondonandLeith，frequentlycarriesandbringsbacktwohundredtonweightofgoods。Sixoreightmen，therefore，bythehelpofwater—carriage，cancarryandbringbackinthesametimethesamequantityofgoodsbetweenLondonandEdinburgh，asfiftybroad—wheeledwaggons，attendedbyahundredmen，anddrawnbyfourhundredhorses。Upontwohundredtonsofgoods，therefore，carriedbythecheapestland—carriagefromLondontoEdinburgh，theremustbechargedthemaintenanceofahundredmenforthreeweeks，andboththemaintenance，and，whatisnearlyequaltothemaintenance，thewearandtearoffourhundredhorsesaswellasoffiftygreatwaggons。Whereas，uponthesamequantityofgoodscarriedbywater，thereistobechargedonlythemaintenanceofsixoreightmen，andthewearandtearofashipoftwohundredtonsburden，togetherwiththevalueofthesuperiorrisk，orthedifferenceoftheinsurancebetweenlandandwater—carriage。Weretherenoothercommunicationbetweenthosetwoplaces，therefore，butbyland—carriage，asnogoodscouldbetransportedfromtheonetotheother，exceptsuchwhosepricewasveryconsiderableinproportiontotheirweight，theycouldcarryonbutasmallpartofthatcommercewhichatpresentsubsistsbetweenthem，andconsequentlycouldgivebutasmallpartofthatencouragementwhichtheyatpresentmutuallyaffordtoeachother’sindustry。
Therecouldbelittleornocommerceofanykindbetweenthedistantpartsoftheworld。Whatgoodscouldbeartheexpenseofland—carriagebetweenLondonandCalcutta？Oriftherewereanysopreciousastobeabletosupportthisexpense，withwhatsafetycouldtheybetransportedthroughtheterritoriesofsomanybarbarousnations？Thosetwocities，however，atpresentcarryonaveryconsiderablecommercewitheachother，andbymutuallyaffordingamarket，giveagooddealofencouragementtoeachother’sindustry。
Sincesuch，therefore，aretheadvantagesofwater—carriage，itisnaturalthatthefirstimprovementsofartandindustryshouldbemadewherethisconveniencyopensthewholeworldforamarkettotheproduceofeverysortoflabour，andthattheyshouldalwaysbemuchlaterinextendingthemselvesintotheinlandpartsofthecountry。Theinlandpartsofthecountrycanforalongtimehavenoothermarketforthegreaterpartoftheirgoods，butthecountrywhichliesroundaboutthem，andseparatesthemfromthesea—coast，andthegreatnavigablerivers。Theextentoftheirmarket，therefore，mustforalongtimebeinproportiontotherichesandpopulousnessofthatcountry，andconsequentlytheirimprovementmustalwaysbeposteriortotheimprovementofthatcountry。InourNorthAmericancoloniestheplantationshaveconstantlyfollowedeitherthesea—coastorthebanksofthenavigablerivers，andhavescarceanywhereextendedthemselvestoanyconsiderabledistancefromboth。
Thenationsthat，accordingtothebestauthenticatedhistory，appeartohavebeenfirstcivilised，werethosethatdweltroundthecoastoftheMediterraneanSea。Thatsea，byfarthegreatestinletthatisknownintheworld，havingnotides，norconsequentlyanywavesexceptsuchasarecausedbythewindonly，was，bythesmoothnessofitssurface，aswellasbythemultitudeofitsislands，andtheproximityofitsneighbouringshores，extremelyfavourabletotheinfantnavigationoftheworld;when，fromtheirignoranceofthecompass，menwereafraidtoquittheviewofthecoast，andfromtheimperfectionoftheartofshipbuilding，toabandonthemselvestotheboisterouswavesoftheocean。TopassbeyondthepillarsofHercules，thatis，tosailoutoftheStraitsofGibraltar，was，intheancientworld，longconsideredasamostwonderfulanddangerousexploitofnavigation。ItwaslatebeforeeventhePhoeniciansandCarthaginians，themostskilfulnavigatorsandship—buildersofthoseoldtimes，attemptedit，andtheywereforalongtimetheonlynationsthatdidattemptit。
OfallthecountriesonthecoastoftheMediterraneanSea，Egyptseemstohavebeenthefirstinwhicheitheragricultureormanufactureswerecultivatedandimprovedtoanyconsiderabledegree。UpperEgyptextendsitselfnowhereaboveafewmilesfromtheNile，andinLowerEgyptthatgreatriverbreaksitselfintomanydifferentcanals，which，withtheassistanceofalittleart，seemtohaveaffordedacommunicationbywater—carriage，notonlybetweenallthegreattowns，butbetweenalltheconsiderablevillages，andeventomanyfarmhousesinthecountry;nearlyinthesamemannerastheRhineandtheMaasdoinHollandatpresent。TheextentandeasinessofthisinlandnavigationwasprobablyoneoftheprincipalcausesoftheearlyimprovementofEgypt。