Mr Stevenson on British Harbours. 113 



but merely as stating what humbly appears to be the only prac- 

 ticable mode of deepening the present entrance to the harbour of 

 Leith. 



In quest of this object, some have projected the extension of 

 a single pier, in various hues of direction, toward the Martello 

 Tower, as a weir to the current. Others, with somewhat more 

 plausibility, carry two piers to a certain extent over the sand- 

 bank, and then proceed with one pier to the Martello Tower, as 

 shown in dotted lines upon the Plan. I confess that I have ne- 

 ver been able to satisfy myself upon this point, either as to its 

 beneficial effect upon the bar, or its proper influence upon the 

 accessibility of the harbour. To illustrate this, we simply refer 

 to the Dresent state of things. For example, every one conver- 

 sant with the nautical localities of Leith knows the difficulty ex- 

 perienced in leaving the port with north-westerly or favour- 

 able winds down the frith. In such cases, a vessel must cast 

 qff^ or make sail, from the western pier, beyond which the east- 

 ern one projects about 100 yards. But let us imagine that this 

 single pier were extended to a mile, or even 1000 yards, and 

 then, according to our views of seamanship, the difficulties at- 

 tending the access of the harbour would be increased tenfold ; 

 or, as before noticed, " it would prove ruinous to the best in- 

 terests of the port." 



To obviate this state of things, it has been proposed to pro- 

 ject a pier from Ncwhaven, till it meets the continuation of an 

 eastern pier beyond the Symond Rocks, or seaward of the Mar- 

 tello Tower. By this means, several hundred acres of sand-bank, 

 which dries at low-water, would be included in the form of a 

 great outer harbour. In this case, it appears to be impossible 

 to avoid the silting up of so large a space as would thereby 

 be included by the two piers projecting respectively from Leith 

 and Newhaven, while the effect of the winds, at high-water, 

 upon a surface of about one mile in breadth, would render it 

 extremely difficult to transport vessels through it, to or from 

 the interior harbour. It is therefore to be feared, that, after ha- 

 ving expended a very large sum in either of these diversified 

 operations, we should only have an incommodious, if not im- 

 practicable, harbour. 



Having made these observations on the set of the tides, and 

 the natural situation of Leith harbour, in alkision to various 



OCTOBER — DECEMBER 18.^7. H 



