The new Grand Ship canal from London to Portsmouth, suggested by Mr. Cundy, may be thus briefly described, though the advantages that are likely to be derived from its complete adoption are of so important a character as to place it, in point of national importance, far beyond any of those that have hitherto been examined.

This canal, and the several works connected therewith, are intended to accommodate vessels of the largest dimensions, when fully loaded, so as to enable them to pass each other; for this purpose twenty-eight feet depth of water will be required, and about 150 feet in width, with about four locks, 300 feet in length and sixtyfour in breadth, up to the summit level.

The canal will commence with two branches at Rotherhithe, nearly opposite the London and West India Docks, near the Victualling Office, and will proceed from thence in a south-west direction, to Walworth Common, by the foot of Brixton Hill, to Streatham Common; then between the towns of Mitcham and Tooting, to Malden, Ewel, Epsom, Leatherhead, and Dorking, over Homewood Common, down the vale to Ockley, and the Roman turnpike gate, a little below Slinfold, Newbridge, Pulborough, by Hardham, Greatham, Amberley, Burkham, Arundel (and a small branch to Arundel Bay), and lastly to Chichester, Emsworth, Langston Harbour, South Sea Common, and Spithead.

From the river Thames, on the line of Malden, the ground is remarkably level, and composed of stiff loam or brick earth; from Malden to Epsom there will be extra cutting through a chalky under-stratum to Leatherhead; from Leatherhead to Dorking it is nearly a level, under the winding of the hills in Michelham Vale, through chalky under-stratum, and a stiff loamy soil; in passing Dorking to Homewood Common there will be considerable extra cutting, on the average from 120 to 130 feet deep, for about four miles, partly through a bed or deposit of sandstone, chalk, and strong brick earth; from thence it will fall into the vale of the River Arun, by Bare Farm to Ockley Church, and then procced to Newbridge and the tide-way at Pulborough; from thence the ground is level, through a strong stiff clayey and sandstone soil, and will pass below Arundel, VOL. XII.

in a direct line to Chichester, Emsworth, and Spithead.

The line of canal is remarkably straight, and will take a direction so fortunately as not to deteriorate any town or village in its course, running through a considerable portion of common and open lands; and thus rendering a work of this magnitude less objectionable than any similar plan hitherto projected.

It has not escaped the projectors, that such a measure might at first sight appear seriously inconvenient to public travelling; care, however, has been taken to avoid that concurrence as much as possible, and, where it could not be prevented, arrangements are proposed which it is conceived will fully obviate this objection and secure the convenience of the traveller.

As this canal is intended to be cut through the general level of the earth, it will receive an abundant supply of water flowing from its innumerable springs and tributary streams, as feeders from the Mole, the Way, and the Arun, and which will overflow its banks at the appropriate places provided for that purpose, at the summit level and on the line of canal.

The water will have no perceptible current in the canal; yet it will be purified and changed every day by the flowing of the springs and other streams. No mill-stream, dam, or river will be obstructed by this canal, as they will be provided for by cast iron tunnels, passing under its bed, so that the rivers, &c., may continue their present course,

General Estimate of the Expense of the Ship Canal.

To the excavation of the canal

at £30,000 per mile, seventy-
eight miles, twenty-eight
feet deep, and 150 feet wide
top water

To excavating the basins, at
the two extremities of the
canal, with dock gates, brick
and stone work, &c.
To masons, bricklayers, car-
penters, smiths, foundry
works to locks, bridges, tun-
nels, embankments, punts,
&c.

L S. d. 2,340,000 0 0

100,000 0 0

471,000 0 0 D

A canal forming a junction between the rivers Forth and Clyde, was begun in 1768, and finished in 1790, when, on the 28th of July, a hogshead of the water of the Forth was poured into the Clyde as a symbol of their junction. This canal in its dimensions is much superior to any work of the same nature in England. It is thirty-five miles in length, in the course of which navigation the vessels are raised, by means of twenty locks, to the height of 155 feet above the level of the sea; proceeding afterwards on the summit of the country for eighteen miles, it then descends by nineteen other locks into the Clyde. It is carried over thirty-six rivers and rivulets, and two great roads, by thirty-eight aqueducts of hewn stone. By one of these, 400 feet in length, it passes the Kelvin, near Glasgow, at the height of 70 feet above the bed of the river in the valley below. It crosses the great road from Edinburgh to Glasgow by a fine aqueduct bridge, and is carried over the water of Logie by another aqueduct bridge, the arch of which is ninety feet broad. The great utility of this communication between the eastern and western seas to the trade of Great Britain and Ireland must be evident from the consideration that it shortens the distance between them by the shortest passage, that of the Pentland Firth, nearly 600 miles.

We have already entered so fully into the local history of canals in this country that our limits will permit but a brief notice of the great northern canal which unites the eastern and western oceans by Inverness and Fort-William. In 1773 Mr. Watt was appointed by the trustees for certain forfeited estates in Scotland, to make a survey of the central highlands. Mr. Watt, in his report to that public body, recommended, amongst other improvements for the highlands, the formation of the Crinan Canal, which has long since been executed, and also of the Caledonian Canal, from Inverness to FortWilliam.

In the Parliamentary Reports the Caledonian Canal is generally laid out in three districts, viz. the Clachnaharry or eastern district, comprehending the works from Loch Beauly to Fort-Augustus; the middle district, extending to the west end of Loch Lochy; and the Corpach or western district, from Loch Lochy to Loch Eil, or the western sea. With regard to the middle district, we observe that hitherto the sum annually allowed for this work does not admit of every part being carried on with equal vigor. The works of this compartment have, therefore, been almost wholly confined to excavating the ground;

it being of importance to have the eastern end opened to Loch Ness, and the western division to Loch Lochy, before much was done to the masonry of the central parts; in order to facilitate the transport of materials from the respective seas. This is now accomplished.

The extent of the navigation comprehended in the middle district is about twelve miles. The whole height, from the Beauly Firth or the east sea to Loch Oich, the summit level of the canal, is stated at about ninety-four feet; and, as fiftythree feet of this has been overcome in rising to Lock Ness, it appears that about forty-one feet will form the rise of the lockage of the middle district, while the fall on the western side to Loch Eil is only ninety feet. This is to be overcome by a chain of four locks at Fort-Augustus, and one at Callachie, nearly three miles westward, independently of the regulating lock within half a mile of Loch Oich. The lock at Callachie is curiously situate, being founded and built upon a dike or stratum of rock, called Grey Wacke by mineralogists, which runs across the moor, and is indeed the only piece of rock on this part of the line of the canal. It is just large enough for the site of the lock, and was preferred to a gravel as a foundation. This rock being very compact, it rendered an inverted arch for the lock unnecessary.

From Loch Lochy to Loch Eil the distance is about eight miles, on which the canal works may now be considered as finished, having kept pace with those of the eastern district. The works of this compartment, both in regard to masonry, excavation, and embankment, have been more expensive than those of the eastern division; in particular, the deep cutting at Moy, Strone, and Muirshearlich, and excavating the sites of the locks and basin for shipping at Corpach in rock. But, perhaps, if all the expense of the foundations and earth work on the Beanly Firth are taken into account, they may be found to have been as expensive, if not more so, than the blasting of rocks on the Corpach district.

In our progress towards the western sea-lock of Loch Eil, after passing through the aqueduct of the Lower Banavieburn, we reach the famous chain or suite consisting of eight locks, not unaptly termed 'Neptune's Staircase. This majestic chain of locks was finished, excepting the gates, in 1811. The cost of these locks may be stated at about £50,000. They occupy a range of 500 yards, and rise altogether about sixty feet perpendicular. The common void or cavity of the lock-chambers is forty feet in width, and the depth twenty feet; the bottom, forming an inverted arch, gives the whole a very grand appearance, presenting the greatest mass of masonry any where to be found, as applicable to the purposes of a canal. After passing this interesting part of the work, the canal gets easily along Corpach Moss (to the House of Corpach, the former seat of the Camerons of Loch Eil). Here a doubled lock is situate, connected with a basin for shipping, measuring 250 yards in length by 100 yards in breadth, which joins the sea lock, and so communicates with the Western Ocean by two mounds projecting about