34 REPORT — 1856. 



slight elongation; the average depth had been reduced to 13 feet instead of 

 14- feet, as in IS-tG; but the average area had been nearly stationary. The 

 entrance from the Horse Channel had been slightly contracted. The sailing 

 direction for the Horse Channel had been altered a quarter of a point, 

 in consequence of a movement of East Hoyle Bank towards the north- 

 east. 



East Hoyle. — This bank had also acquired a considerable increase of bulk, 

 arising from additional elevation. Its volume in 1846 had been nearly 

 72,000,000 yards, in 1852 about 84,500,000 yards. 



Dock Extension Since 1846 the Huskisson Dock, Liverpool, had been 



completed, and the north wall so far advanced as practically to exclude the 

 tidal water ; by these combined works about 355 acres have been abstracted 

 from the river. 



In the same period the works at Birkenhead had made great progress ; 

 and the stank or dam across the Great Float, and the walls of the north and 

 south reserves constructed ; by these an additional area of 150 acres had been 

 taken from the tidal area of the river, — making a total abstraction of 

 upwards of 500 acres. 



Waste of Miver Margin. — On the Cheshire side of the river, between 

 Seacombe Point and Sea Bank (Liscard), the waters of the river within 

 eight years have encroached upon the land to an extent, estimated by Mr. 

 Macpherson, the late surveyor to the Wallasey Board of Health, now of 

 Edinburgh, at 1 1,350,810 cubic feet ; which, at an average height of 40 feet, 

 represent 6^ acres. 



Meteorological Phcenomena From the Warrington tables, it appears that 



the rain-fall, between 1846 and 1852, was as follows: — 



1846=30-29 inches. 



1847=36-71 „ 

 1848=33-75 „ 

 1849=33-98 „ 



1850=27-79 inches. 

 1851=31-48 „ 

 1852=41-46 „ 



In ' Gore's Annals ' the following only are recorded : — 



1846. — Dreadful storm in the town and neighbourhood, great damage 

 done. November 20. 



1850. — Ship 'Providence,' bound for Africa, lost in the channel during a 

 severe gale of wind. October 7. 



Survey, 1853. — This survey appears to have been confined to the imme- 

 diate vicinity of the Victoria Channel, to show the alterations in the fairway 

 track, occasioned by changes intermediate between the surveys of 1852 and 

 1854. 



Survey, 1854. — Northerii Channel. — The survey of 1854, like those of 

 1849 and 1853, appears to have been very partial, and has been confined 

 to the vicinities of the Victoria Channel and of the Rock Channel; the 

 leading line through the former had become more tortuous, though the posi- 

 tion of the Bell Buoy and the Formby Light-vessel had been unaltered. The 

 depths of water on the bar had slightly increased, the soundings being 

 11 feet, 12 feet, and 13 feet. 



The average area and average depth of the Crosby and Formby Channels 

 had not undergone any important change. 



Zebra Channel. — The direction of the Zebra Channel had been slightly 

 altered, having acquired a more westwardly bearing, and the average depth 

 of water considerably reduced ; the minimum sounding was 6 feet in 1854, 

 against 7 feet in 1852. 



New Channel. — A new swatchway, now known as the Queen's Channel, 



