138 



DINNER. 



December 18th, 1888. 



The Annual Dinner was held at Mr. Cronkshaw's Hotel, and 

 was attended by about 25 or 30 members. The usual Toast list 

 was followed. 



EXCURSIONS. 



THE MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL;— A WALK FROM 



PORT ELLESMERE TO EASTHAM. 



Saturday, June 23rd, 1888. 



Along with some 180 members and friends of the Manchester 

 Geographical Society, about 50 went from Burnley on this 

 Excursion. The party were under the direction of Mr. Lloyd, 

 Honorary Secretary, and Liverpool was the Port of embarkation. 

 Here Mr. Thompson, of the Ferry Hotel, had placed one of the 

 best boats on the station at the special service of the visitors, 

 which conveyed them to Port EUesmere, on the Cheshire side of 

 the Mersey. Luncheon had, meanwhile, been served on board. 

 Arrived at their destination, Councillor B. T. Leach and Mr. T. 

 Sellars, — both associated with the Ship Canal Company, kindly 

 undertook the guidance of the party during their four-mile 

 inspection, from Port EUesmere to Eastham. The walk which 

 was somewhat trying, owing to the heat, lay directly along the 

 line of works, the excavations of the soil, the blasting of the rock, 

 the work of the steam excavators, the swift running of the small 

 locomotives, the arrangements for nocturnal lighting, the so 

 called Roman Road which had been bared in one portion of the 

 works, the line of the canal embankment at the point of its 

 impingement with the river, the comfortable, clean and pretty 

 dwellings of the workmen, numbering in this section about 1800, 

 and the evidence of great skill in laying out the work, and its 

 orderly progress, gave the members great pleasure to observe, 

 and all were thoroughly satisfied after the inspection, with the 

 character and progress of an undertaking which bids fair to be 

 one of the most wonderful engineering achievements of the cen- 

 tury. Tea was partaken of at the Ferry Hotel, Eastham, the 

 members ultimately rea,ching Burnley in safety after enjoying a 

 most delightfully fine and profitable day. 



