6\1 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



tions, and the waters of the river 

 Ourcq, and on' which the street St, 

 Antoine, and that of its suburb, are 

 to terminate in a direct line. The 

 bridge alone will constitute a source 

 of eypence, which the tolls pro- 

 posed to be collected on it will ra- 

 ])id! y cover. The square and all its 

 appurtenances will cost the state only 

 the ground and the ruins on which it 

 is to be formed. The m orks of the 

 canal of St. (iulntin are carrying on 

 in four different points at the same 

 time. A subterraneous cut, a thou- 

 sand meters in extent, has already 

 been completed, two locks are 

 finished, eight more are in a state of 

 forwardness, some others are rma<z 

 from their foundations, and this 

 vast undertaking will in some years 

 aRord a complete navigation. The 

 canals of Aries, Aigues-Mortes, 

 the Soane, and the Yonne, the canal 

 that is to connect the Rhone with 

 the Rhine, and fliat which is to ex- 

 tend the navigation by the Blavet 

 to the centre of ancient Britany, 

 are all begun, and will all be com- 

 pleted ^\ithia a period jiropor- 

 tioned to tho labour they require. 

 The canal which is (o conr.cot the 

 Scheldt, the Meuse, and the Rhine, 

 is yt't only in contemplation of the 

 government: compensation has been 

 made for the scite : funds are al- 

 ready provided for the execution of 

 an undertaking, w hich will open 

 Germany to us, and restore to our 

 commerce and industry such parts 

 of our own territories as were by 

 their situation coa^igned to the in. 

 dustry and commerce of foreigners. 

 ThejuYiction of the Ranee with the 

 Vilaine, will connect the channel 

 ■with the ocean, will convey pros- 

 perity and civilization to districts, 

 in which agriculture and the arts 

 languish, iu which their rustic mau- 



Hers are still unacquainted with 

 our refinements. From this year, 

 considerable sums arc appropriated 

 to this operation. The draining of 

 the marshes of Rochfort, often un- 

 dertaken, and as offe:i abandoned, 

 goes on without interruption. A 

 million will bo applied this year to 

 promote the salubrity of this port, 

 which used to destroy our sailors 

 and its own inhabitants. Culture 

 and population will extend tlie"i- 

 selves over tracts devoted for ages 

 to diseases and desolation. A pro- 

 ject of draining, in the centre of 

 the Cotentin, no less important, 

 the plan of which is formed, and 

 the expence of which, calculated on 

 a great scale, will unavoidably bs 

 repaid by the result of the under- 

 taking, will transform into rich 

 pasture lauds other marshes of a 

 vast extent, which are at present 

 only an everlasting source of con- 

 tagion. The funds requisite for 

 this operation are comprehended in 

 the budget for the year twelve. 

 At the same time a bridge over the 

 \'ire will unite the departments of 

 LaManchc and Calvados, will put a 

 stop to a passage always dangerous, 

 and often fatal, and will shorten 

 the route from Paris to Cherbourg 

 by some myiiameters. A canal is 

 planned in another guartcr of the 

 department of La Blanche (the 

 Channel), wliich will convey the sea 

 and land fertility to a barren district, 

 and will yield to public buildings, 

 and to the marine, timber, that now 

 decays witliout being used a few my. 

 riameters from the coast. On all the 

 canals, on every part of the coast of 

 Belgium, the banks which had been 

 undermined by time, or impaired 

 by the sea, are in a state of repair, 

 of being extended and strengthened. 

 The bank and basow of Osfend are 



secured 



