APPENDIX (B.)
MEMORANDUM of Mr. Johnson, respecting the Roads under Mr. MᶜAdam’s
superintendence.
As I travel rapidly over great distances, and my attention is usually
much occupied with the immediate business of the office, I cannot speak
with accuracy about particular and local alterations. But I feel myself
well warranted in stating, that whenever I have found any thing done
under Mr. MᶜAdam’s immediate direction, or by his pupils, or even in
imitation of his plan and principles, the improvement has been most
decisive, and the superiority over the common method of repairing roads,
most evident; and, as superintendent of mailcoaches, I have abundant
reason to wish that Mr. MᶜAdam’s principles were acted upon very
generally. If they were, a pace, which in winter or any bad weather
cannot be accomplished without difficulty, would become perfectly easy,
to say nothing of the comfort and safety of the traveller, and the
credit to humanity in lessening the hard labour of the animals. I may
add, that although so much has been accomplished, the postmaster general
could still expedite the conveyance of the mails, and bring the
arrangements of the posts nearer to perfection, if the roads were
universally as much improved as the practice of Mr. MᶜAdam’s plan would
effect.