in addition to bateaux, many canal boats were packets, which drew more water than the smaller bateaux. mules and horses pulled the packets along the towpaths. locks were necessary at points where the river had rapids. the american revolutionary war and the war of 1812 each slowed construction. work was slow, expensive, and very labor-intensive through the rocky terrain of virginia's piedmont region, a transitional area between the sandy coastal plain and the mountains. enslaved africans hired from plantation owners who lived near the route of the canal did most of the labor. after work stalled for a number of years the canal company went broke and gave up.