47G KOtrUTII REPORT — 1834. 



ferent rivers disembogue is very shallow and full of shifting sands 

 and silt. The rivers, which are constantly loaded with silt, par- 

 ticularly in times of flood, are met by the tide equally charged 

 with it ; in the still water which is the result of the counter- 

 acting forces the sediment is deposited ; banks are formed, 

 which are nearer to or more remote from the rivers in pro- 

 portion to the strength of the current; so that if the seasons 

 be Avet, the rivers run to seaward with greater velocity and pro- 

 pel the silt further out; and vice versa, if the season be dry, the 

 outward power is lessened, and the silt deposited nearer to the 

 mouths of the rivers, where it prevents the free egress of the 

 waters from the fens. Such being the statement of the case, 

 the remedy is in a great measure pointed out. 



The first object that merits consideration is the outfall. 



The second, the discharging of the waters which fall on the 

 surface of the fens. 



The third, the intercepting and carrying off the upper or 

 highland waters without allowing them to fall into and overflow 

 the fens. 



To effect the first object, Mr. Rennie recommended that the 

 rivers should be conducted to the sea by as short a course as pos- 

 sible, and in this respect adopted the opinion of Kinderley, who 

 was well aware that none of the rivers which pass through the 

 fens are sufficiently powerful to force their way through the im- 

 mense extent of shallow flats which are left dry at every tide ; 

 and therefore proposed the scheme of joining the Nene, the Ouse, 

 the Welland, and Witham rivers. The above principles were 

 afterwards partly carried into effect, and the result has been the 

 most perfect system of drainage of all that district of country 

 eastward of the river Witham, called the East Fen, contahiing 

 upwards of 62,000 acres of valuable land *. 



* The following is the abstract of the low lands paying drainage tax to the 

 general Commissioners for drainage by the river Witham : 



Acres. Roods. Perches. 



1st district, containing 24,544 3 20 



2nd 19,080 2 7 



3rd 4,669 3 7 



... / 27,743 26 



■*'" ••• \ 34,483 



5th 4,781 2 19 



6th 11,565 2 5 



Total, 126,768 2 4 

 But the total quantity of land drained by the river Witham is estimated to 



amount to nearly half a million of acres. 



The following is an abstract of a statement by the late Mr. Bower relative 



to the improvements effected by Mr. Ronnie's drainage of the East Fens. 

 To show the advantage of this drainage it may be necessary to state the 



