PROCEEDINGS FOR 1897 CXLVII 



000, made her first voyage to New York in fifteen days ten hours, and 

 her return home, with sixty-six passengers on board, in fourteen days. 

 In New York so great was the importance of the event, that 100,000 

 people were present at her departure for England. The enterprise of 400 

 years ago, when the ship " Matthew " made her memorable voyage, had 

 a fitting sequel in the voyage of the " Gi'eat Western " — both ships were 

 fitted out by the enterprise, daring and adventurousness of Bristol men — 

 the first to discover a continent, the second to bring that continent into 

 closer relationship with the mother country, for the benefit of both. 

 Bristol can honourably claim these distinctions, and what is more, Bristol 

 men are proud of them. 



From 1865 to 1873 very extensive works were carried out in connec- 

 tion with the docks, in providing larger entrance locks, deep water-berths, 

 and improving the navigation of the river. 



In 1879 and 1880, docks suitable for ocean vessels of the largest 

 dimensions, constructed by private companies, were opened at Avonmouth 

 on the Gloucester side, and at Portishead, three miles from the entrance 

 of the Avon, on the Somerset side. In 1883 the corporation agreed with 

 the companies owning them, for the purchase of the Avonmouth and 

 Portishead docks. An Act of Parliament having meanwhile been obtained 

 on the 1st September, 1884, the whole of the docks within the port of 

 Bristol were united as one undertaking, under the control of the corpor- 

 ation of the city of Bristol. They are now worked under the direction 

 of a committee of the town council elected annually, consisting of nine- 

 teen members of that body. During the past twenty years the corpor- 

 ation has spent large sums of money in providing additional accommodation 

 for the increasing trafiic of the port — the equipment of the docks with 

 the latest and most approved appliances for the eflicient and rapid discharge 

 and handling of the cargoes, erecting granaries for the storage of grain 

 and provisions ; extensive lairs and abattoirs for the inspection and 

 slaughter of cattle, in accordance with the government regulations ; long 

 lines of sheds for the rapid transit of goods, and cold storage for dead 

 meat, cheese, butter and provisions. At the present time they are 

 engaged in heavy operations for further increasing the ability of the 

 port, in order to deal with the rapid advances made in mercantile marine 

 construction, and the transatlantic trafiic. 



A bill 18 now before Parliament to obtain powers for extending the 

 railways round the docks, and after these works are completed, the three 

 docks of the port of Bristol will be in communication with the railway 

 system of the country. The citizens of Bristol have invested in their 

 dock property 2|- millions of capital, involving a payment of about £80,- 

 000 a year in interest on their dock stock. 



The dock stock was raised at 3^ per cent, which at the time was the 

 value of money in sound investments ; what money has been lately 

 borrowed for additional works has been obtained at about 2f per cent. 



