[ 36 ] 



plead my cxcufe. In order to make up, in fome mea- 

 fure, for that delay, I fend along with this a few re- 

 marks on a fubjeft, which, although it has obtained 

 fome attention for a fliort while part, flill fl^ands in 

 need of much farther elucidation. If it fliaU have 

 the tendency to pravoke an anfwer, I fhall not be 

 at all diffatisfiedj for though I have no intention to 

 engage in a warfare with any one, yet as thofe who 

 are to anfwer mufl: at lead refle£l a little upon the 

 fubjeft, it has a chance of engaging them and others 

 to attend to fafts, which might otherwife be fuffered 

 to pafs without notice. 



I make no doubt, but you will be pofTeffed of all 

 the Agricultural Surveys yet publiflied ; I have feen 

 mofl: of them, but not that of the coimty of Somer- 

 fet. The furvey of Aberdeenfliire was written and 

 printed in great hade, as you will obferve by the 

 typographical errors. I had fome correfpondence 

 with Mr. Stephens, of Camerton-houfe, near your 

 place, refpefting the machine for raifing boats in 

 canals, flightly mentioned in the appendix to that 

 publication. Since that time, I have alfo corre- 

 fponded with the managers for the Rochdale canal 

 in Lancafliire, on the fame fubje£l j and I have the 

 fatisfaftion to find that all the engineers, and men of 

 underftanding in that line to whom it has been fliewn, 

 approve of it in the fulled manner, and wifli to have 

 it adopted; but how to fatisfy the numerous fubfcri- 

 bers, who are np judges of things of that nature, 



without 



