SEWAGE AND SEWAGE EIVEES. 171 



houses on the rivers, and to all villages, hamlets, and towns of 

 every kind. I think the time is certainly come when we may 

 adopt common counsel in Lancashire, and act as an united 

 body instead of acting as a number of isolated individuals. 

 The sewer or drain along the river will be also a reservoir of 

 manure, that is, the sewage water may be taken out of the 

 sewer, and put upon the land all along the river, so that it 

 will be a mode of conveying manure in a state ready for use 

 to a very large portion of the country, especially in the case 

 of winding rivers, such as we have in the land lying above us. 

 The water used for manure will then filter through the ground, 

 and naturally will take the course of drainage water, which 

 I propose shall, in all cases, go directly into the river, and so 

 keep constantly adding to the amount of pure water in the 

 river. 



These drains, I think, should be very simple, — much simpler 

 than thofee used for pure water, and merely brick semicircles, 

 according as may be decided on. They might be covered with a 

 simple covering of flat stone, unless it happens that a district is 

 too large, and that a very large drain is needful. In any case, 

 when these drains become full, they pass into a reservoir, and 

 the sewage is precipitated. They then pass out pure into the 

 river. So much confidence may be had in the liquid manure, 

 that I believe people will be anxious to avoid the loss of any 

 of this substance passing by them. The right to use this 

 manure would be sold, of course, and, if obtained in this easy 

 manner, without expense of carriage, as we may say, it will, 

 no doubt, be most gladly used. 



At any rate, I wish to explain that this provides for the 

 manuring and draining of the land, and cleansing of the river 

 by one and the same plan. This plan makes use of all the 

 alkalies, ammonia, potash and soda, so that nothing put on 

 the land is lost, and a pure water is returned to the river. 

 I believe the banks of the rivers might, in this way, be made 

 rich gardens. But it is certain that all the sewer water could 



