1822.] 
departed from the Locks of Muirtown, 
on the first voyage through the Canal, 
amidst the loud and_ enthusiastic 
cheerings of a great concourse of peo- 
ple, and the firing of cannon. The 
morning was peculiarly favourable, 
although rather calm; and the banks 
of the Canal were crowded with spec- 
tators, a great number of whom ac- 
companied the party from the Muir- 
town Locks to the Bridge of Bught; 
the band of the Invernesshire Militia 
going on-board at Dochgarroch Lock, 
and playing ‘“‘ God save the King.” 
The Act of Parliament for effecting 
this important inland navigation was 
passed on the 22d of July, 1803. By 
aline of lochs and rivers Nature seem- 
ed to have invited the skill and enter- 
prise of man to the undertaking, and, 
upon investigation, every part intend- 
ed to be occupied by the Canal was 
found, with little abatement, to be 
very favourable to the purpose. It 
has been considered as probable, that, 
in more early ages of the world, the 
immense chasm (almost two-thirds of 
the length of which is still occupied 
by water,) has been nearly open from 
sea to sea; and that the land which 
now separates the lochs has been 
formed from the adjoining mountains, 
wasted by time, and brought down by 
torrents from rain. The Commis- 
sioners held their first mecting on the 
30th of the same month, and set to 
work with a promptitute not in general 
so conspicuous in the discharge of 
public duty. It opens into Loch 
Beauly, part of the Murray Frith, and, 
near Clachnacary, ascends by a cluster 
of fourlocks. It was found necessary 
to alter the course of the Ness, by 
throwing up an embankment of about 
a thousand yards in length, and twelve 
feet in height, above the line of ordi- 
nary low water in the river. 
Near Inverness the soil is so loose, 
being composed of gravel and sand, 
that, in pits sunk for trial, the water 
rose and fell with the tide, and consi- 
derable apprehension was entertained 
that a proper foundation for the locks, 
and other necessary masonry, would 
not have been found; but, at leneth, 
one place was discovered of sufficient 
solidity to answer the purpose. The 
Canal then proceeds through Loch 
Doughfour, a little loch, which pre- 
sented the greatest difficulty to the 
navigation on account.of its shallow- 
ness, and the quantities of gravel 
Account of the Caledonian Canal. 
391 
which are carried with great ve- 
locity into, and through it. The 
navigation then continues to Loch 
Ness, a distance of about seven miles, 
the advantageous length and form of 
which determined the undertaking. 
It is a noble piece of water, twenty- 
three miles and three quarters long, 
and in breadth varies from a mile and 
a quarter to three quarters of a mile, 
and is nearly straight from one end to 
the other. Its shores are bold and 
commanding, and on each side rise 
lofty, rocky, and rugged, mountains, 
irregularly cut into deep gullies, with 
frightful precipices. The depth of its 
water is from one hundred and six to 
one hundred and twenty-nine fathoms 
in the middle parts, to eighty-five, 
seventy-five, or less, near ifs end, to 
the east. The sides, except the bays, 
are very steep; the rise being a foot 
in height to a foot and a half in 
breadth. 
At the western end of this loch 
stands Fort Augustus, where the foun- 
dation of the lock near this fort, and 
on Loch Ness, is twenty-four fect be- 
low the Jevel of the summer surface 
of the lake, which, varying in its 
height ten feet, rendered it necessary 
to cut a new channel for the river 
through the rock on the north side, in 
order to get at a solid foundation of 
rock, the soil being too open to war- 
rant the cutting to so great a depth. 
The Canal from Fort Augustus ascends 
about five miles to Loeh Oich, which 
is about three miles in length, and one 
quarter broad, and is in some parts 
twenty-six fathoms in depth, and in 
others only five. This loch is the 
summit level of the Canal. From the 
western end of this loch the Canal is 
continued for about two miles, when 
it falls into Loch Lochy, a shect of 
water ten miles and a half long, and 
its breadth, at the east end, near three 
quarters of a mile; from thence it in- 
creases, until, in the Bay of Arkeg, it 
spreads to about a mile and a quarter, 
and is from seventy-six to seventy- 
four fathoms deep in many parts. On 
one side of this loch are high ridges 
of rocks and ground, descending 
abruptly into the lake. At the cast 
end of this lake is a complete little 
harbour, in which there are from ten 
to five fathoms water, admirably adapt- 
ed for giving every protection to the 
Canal, and safe and commodious for 
ships to lie in, 
A new 
