Yarrantonwasnosooneratlibertythanwefindhimagainoccupiedwithhisplansofimprovedinlandnavigation。HisfirstschemewastodeepenthesmallriverSalwarp，soastoconnectDroitwichwiththeSevernbyawatercommunication，andthusfacilitatethetransportofthesaltsoabundantlyyieldedbythebrinespringsnearthattown。
In1665，theburgessesofDroitwichagreedtogivehim750L。andeightsaltvatsinUpwich，valuedat80L。perannum，withthree-quartersofavatinNorthwich，fortwenty-oneyears，inpaymentforthework。Butthetimeswerestillunsettled，andYarrantonandhispartnerWallnotbeingrich，theschemewasnotthencarriedintoeffect。*
[footnote……
NASH’SWorcestershire，i。306。
InthefollowingyearwefindhimoccupiedwithasimilarschemetoopenupthenavigationoftheriverStour，passingbyStourportandKidderminster，andconnectitbyanartificialcutwiththeriverTrent。Someprogresswasmadewiththisundertaking，sofarinadvanceoftheage，but，liketheother，itcametoastandstillforwantofmoney，andmorethanahundredyearspassedbeforeitwascarriedoutbyakindredgenius——JamesBrindley，thegreatcanalmaker。Mr。ChamberssaysthatwhenYarranton’sschemewasfirstbroughtforward，itmetwithviolentoppositionandridicule。Theundertakingwasthoughtwonderfullybold，and，joinedtoitsgreatextent，thesandy，spongynatureoftheground，thehighbanksnecessarytopreventtheinundationoftheStouronthecanal，furnisheditsopponents，ifnotwithsoundargument，atleastwithveryspecioustopicsforoppositionandlaughter。*
[footnote……
JOHNCHAMBERS，BiographicalIllustrationsofWorcestershire。London，1820。
Yarranton’splanwastomaketheriveritselfnavigable，andbyunitingitwithotherrivers，openupacommunicationwiththeTrent；
whileBrindley’swastocutacanalparallelwiththeriver，andsupplyitwithwaterfromthence。Yarrantonhimselfthusaccountsforthefailureofhisschemein’England’sImprovementbySeaandLand’：——”Itwasmyprojection，”hesays，”andIwilltellyouthereasonwhyitwasnotfinished。TheriverStourandsomeotherriversweregrantedbyanActofParliamenttocertainpersonsofhonor，andsomeprogresswasmadeinthework，butwithinasmallwhileaftertheActpassed*
[footnote……
TheActformakingtheStourandSalwarpnavigableoriginatedintheLordsandwaspassedintheyear1661。
itwasletfallagain；butitbeingabratofmyown，Iwasnotwillingitshouldbeabortive，whereforeImadeofferstoperfectit，havingathirdpartoftheinheritancetomeandmyheirsforever，andwecametoanagreement，uponwhichIfellon，andmadeitcompletelynavigablefromStourbridgetoKidderminster，andcarrieddownmanyhundredtonsofcoal，andlaidoutnear1000L。，andthereitwasobstructedforwantofmoney。”*
[footnote……
Nash，inhisHist。ofWorc。，intimatesthatLordWindsorsubsequentlyrenewedtheattempttomaketheSalwarpnavigable。Heconstructedfiveoutofthesixlocks，andthenabandonedthescheme。Gough，inhiseditionofCamden’sBrit。ii。357，Lond。1789，says，”ItisnotlongsincesomeoftheboatsmadeuseofinYarranton’snavigationwerefound。Neithertraditionnorourprojector’saccountofthematterperfectlysatisfyuswhythisnavigationwasneglected……Wemustthereforeconcludethatthenumerousworksandglass-housesupontheStour，andintheneighbourhoodofStourbridge，didnotthenexist，A。D。1666……ThenavigablecommunicationwhichnowconnectsTrentandSevern，andwhichrunsinthecourseofYarranton’sproject，isalreadyofgeneraluse……ThecanalsinceexecutedundertheinspectionofMr。Brindley，runningparallelwiththeriver……
costtheproprietors105，000L。”
AnotherofYarranton’sfar-sightedschemesofasimilarkindwasonetoconnecttheThameswiththeSevernbymeansofanartificialcut，attheveryplacewhere，morethanacenturyafterhisdeath，itwasactuallycarriedoutbymodernengineers。Thiscanal，itappears，wastwicesurveyedunderhisdirectionbyhisson。Hedid，however，succeedinhisowntimeinopeningupthenavigation。oftheAvon，andwasthefirsttocarrybargesuponitswatersfromTewkesburytoStratford。
Theimprovementofagriculture，too，hadashareofYarranton’sattention。Hesawthesoilexhaustedbylongtillageandconstantlyrepeatedcropsofrye，andheurgedthatthelandshouldhaverestoratleastrotationofcrop。Withthisobjectheintroducedclover-seed，andsupplieditlargelytothefarmersofthewesterncounties，whofoundtheirlanddoubledinvaluebythenewmethodofhusbandry，anditshortlybecameadoptedthroughoutthecountry。
Seeinghowcommercewasretardedbythesmallaccommodationprovidedforshippingatthethenprincipalports，YarrantonnextmadesurveysandplanneddocksforthecityofLondon；butthoughhezealouslyadvocatedthesubject，hefoundfewsupporters，andhisplansprovedfruitless。Inthisrespecthewasnearlyahundredandfiftyyearsbeforehisage，andtheLondonimporterscontinuedtoconducttheirshippingbusinessinthecrowdedtidewayoftheThamesdowneventothebeginningofthepresentcentury。
Whilecarryingonhisironworks，itoccurredtoYarrantonthatitwouldbeofgreatnationaladvantageifthemanufactureoftin-platecouldbeintroducedintoEngland。Althoughtherichesttinminesthenknownexistedinthiscountry，themechanicalartswereatsolowanebbthatwewerealmostentirelydependentuponforeignersforthesupplyofthearticlesmanufacturedfromthemetal。TheSaxonsweretheprincipalconsumersofEnglishtin，andweobtainedfromtheminreturnnearlythewholeofourtin-plates。AllattemptsmadetomanufacturetheminEnglandhadhithertofailed；thebeatingoutoftheironbyhammersintolaminaesufficientlythinandsmooth，andthesubsequentdistributionandfixingofthefilmoftinoverthesurfaceoftheiron，provingdifficultieswhichtheEnglishmanufacturerswereunabletoovercome。TomasterthesedifficultiestheindefatigableYarrantonsethimselftowork。”Knowing，”sayshe，”theusefulnessoftin-platesandthegoodnessofourmetalsforthatpurpose，Idid，aboutsixteenyearssincei。e。about1665，endeavourtofindoutthewayformakingthereof；whereuponI
acquaintedapersonofmuchriches，andonethatwasveryunderstandingintheironmanufacture，whowaspleasedtosaythathehadoftendesignedtogetthetradeintoEngland，butnevercouldfindouttheway。Uponwhichitwasagreedthatasumofmoniesshouldbeadvancedbyseveralpersons，*
[footnote……
Inthededicationofhisbook，entitledEnglandsImprovementbySeaandLand，PartI。，Yarrantongivesthenamesofthe”noblepatriots”
whosenthimonhisjourneyofinquiry。TheywereSirWaiterKirthamBlount，Bart。，SirSamuelBaldwinandSirTimothyBaldwin，Knights，ThomasFoleyandPhilipFoley，Esquires，andsixothergentlemen。ThefatheroftheFoleyswashimselfsupposedtohaveintroducedtheartofiron-splittingintoEnglandbyanexpedientsimilartothatadoptedbyYarrantoninobtainingaknowledgeofthetin-platemanufactureSelf-Help，p。145。Thesecretofthesilk-throwingmachineryofPiedmontwasinlikemannerintroducedintoEnglandbyMr。LombeofDerby，whoshortlysucceededinfoundingaflourishingbranchofmanufacture。Thesewereindeedthedaysofromanceandadventureinmanufactures。
forthedefrayingofmychargesoftravellingtotheplacewheretheseplatesaremade，andfromthencetobringawaytheartofmakingthem。Uponwhich，anablefire-man，thatwellunderstoodthenatureofiron，wasmadechoiceoftoaccompanyme；andbeingfittedwithaningeniousinterpreterthatwellunderstoodthelanguage，andthathaddealtmuchinthatcommodity，wemarchedfirstforHamburgh，thentoLeipsic，andfromthencetoDresden，theDukeofSaxony’scourt，wherewehadnoticeoftheplacewheretheplatesweremade；
whichwasinalargetractofmountainousland，runningfromaplacecalledSeger-HuttonuntoatowncalledAwe[Au]，beinginlengthabouttwentymiles。”*
[footnote……
ThedistrictisknownastheErzgebirgeorOreMountains，andtheRiesengebirgeorGiantMountains，MacCullochsaysthatupwardsof500
minesarewroughtintheformerdistrict，andthatone-thirtiethoftheentirepopulationofSaxonytothisdayderivetheirsubsistencefromminingindustryandthemanufactureofmetallicproducts——
GeographicalDict。ii。643，edit。1854。
ItiscurioustofindhowmuchthenationalindustryofEnglandhasbeeninfluencedbytheexistencefromtimetotimeofreligiouspersecutionsabroad，whichhadtheeffectofdrivingskilledProtestantartisans，moreparticularlyfromFlandersandFrance，intoEngland，wheretheyenjoyedthespecialprotectionofsuccessiveEnglishGovernments，andfoundedvariousimportantbranchesofmanufacture。ButitappearsfromthehistoryofthetinmanufacturesofSaxony，thatthatcountryalsohadprofitedinlikemannerbythereligiouspersecutionsofGermany，andevenofEnglanditself。ThuswearetoldbyYarrantonthatitwasaCornishminer，aProtestant，banishedoutofEnglandforhisreligioninQueenMary’stime，whodiscoveredthetinminesatAwe，andthataRomishpriestofBohemia，whohadbeenconvertedtoLutheranismandfledintoSaxonyforrefuge，”wasthechiefinstrumentinthemanufactureuntilitwasperfected。”ThesetwomenwereheldingreatregardbytheDukeofSaxonyaswellasbythepeopleofthecountry；fortheiringenuityandindustryprovedthesourceofgreatprosperityandwealth，”severalfinecities，”saysYarranton，”havingbeenraisedbytherichesproceedingfromthetin-works”——notlessthan80，000mendependinguponthetradefortheirsubsistence；andwhenYarrantonvisitedAwe，hefoundthatastatuehadbeenerectedtothememoryoftheCornishminerwhofirstdiscoveredthetin。
Yarrantonwasverycivillyreceivedbytheminers，and，contrarytohisexpectation，hewasallowedfreelytoinspectthetin-worksandexaminethemethodsbywhichtheiron-plateswererolledout，aswellastheprocessoftinningthem。Hewasevenpermittedtoengageanumberofskilledworkmen，whomhebroughtoverwithhimtoEnglandforthepurposeofstartingthemanufactureinthiscountry。A
beginningwasmade，andthetin-platesmanufacturedbyYarranton’smenwerepronouncedofbetterqualityeventhanthosemadeinSaxony。”Manythousandplates，”Yarrantonsays，”weremadefromironraisedintheForestofDean，andweretinnedoverwithCornishtin；andtheplatesprovedfarbetterthantheGermanones，byreasonofthetoughnessandflexiblenessofourforestiron。OneMr。Bison，atinmaninWorcester，Mr。LydiatenearFleetBridge，andMr。HarrisonneartheKing’sBench，havewroughtmany，andknowtheirgoodness。”
AsYarranton’saccountwaswrittenandpublishedduringthelifetimeoftheparties，thereisnoreasontodoubttheaccuracyofhisstatement。
Arrangementsweremadetocarryonthemanufactureuponalargescale；butthesecrethavinggotwind，apatentwastakenout，or”trumptup”asYarrantoncallsit，forthemanufacture，”thepatenteebeingcountenancedbysomepersonsofquality，”andYarrantonwasprecludedfromcarryinghisoperationsfurther。ItisnotimprobablethatthepatenteeinquestionwasWilliamChamberlaine，DudDudley’squondampartnerintheironmanufacture。*
[footnote……
ChamberlaineandDudley’sfirstlicencewasgrantedin1661forplatingsteelandtinningthesaidplates；andChamberlaine’ssolepatentfor”platingandtinningiron，copper，&c。，”wasgrantedin1673，probablythepatentinquestion。