lelwecn Rotherhitfie and Limehousc. 381 



upon them, and drove them away. Pipes were again put 

 up at G, and the drift was extended twenty feet six inches 

 further, in nearly a horizontal direction, through the quick- 

 sand. The face was then timbered up, to prevent any further 

 fall of earth or sand ; and a pipe nine feet long forced 

 upwards diagonally at the face of the drift. The first eight 

 feet through which this pipe passed was blue clay, and the 

 last foot quicksand, of which a considerable quantity im- 

 mediately flowed into the drift. This pipe soon became 

 clogged up, it is presumed with clay, as some lumps came 

 through nearly as large as the diameter of the pipe. An- 

 other pipe, eight feet six inches long, was inserted hori- 

 zontally in the face, and discovered nothing but blue clay : 

 no sand nor water came through it. 



At this period the engineer reported, that he had ex- 

 amined the bed of the river, and found the hole at w con- 

 siderably increased both in width and depth, and the earth 

 at x very much sunk ; and that he had no doubt these two 

 fractures communicated underneath. He then gave it as 

 his opinion that an underground tunnel could not be made 

 in that line, unless the fractures were covered by caissons, 

 without which the further progress of the drift would be 

 useless ; but that he had no doubt of being able to make a 

 tunnel over the same line through the river, sufficiently 

 deep into its bed, by means of moveable caissons, or coffer- 

 dams, and at a less expense considerably than the original 

 estimate for the underground plan ; and without any impe- 

 diment to the navigation of the river. Under these circum- 

 stances the further progress of the works was suspended. 

 But the directors think it necessary to state, that although 

 the engineer then in the Company's service was of opinion 

 that an underground plan could not be executed in or very 

 near the proposed line, yet there are others of a contrary 

 sentiment; and notwithstanding the directors are in posses- 

 sion of designs or plans (which may be inspected on appli- 

 cation at the clerk's office in Austin Friars) for completing 

 the undertaking, yet wishing to avail themselves of ail the 

 ability of their country, in an undertaking of such novelty 

 and importance, it becomes their duty to await the event of 



this 



