CHRONICLE. 



431 



« Success to the iron trade of Great 



Britain, 

 Of which Pontcysylte aqueduct is a 



specimen." 

 The fifth and sixth boats were filled 

 with various persons, crowding, 

 with anxiety, to have the satisfa6tion 

 of thinking that they had been 

 amongst the first to pass the aque- 

 du6l. As soon as the first barge en- 

 tered the cast-iron water-way, 

 which is 126 feet above the level of 

 the river Dee, the artillery company 

 of the Shropshire volunteers fired l6 

 rounds, from two brass field-pieces, 

 which were taken at Seringapatam, 

 and presented to that regiment by 

 the earl of Powis. In the intervals 

 of the discharge from the guns, the 

 procession received the repeated ac- 

 clamations of the numerous work- 

 men, and a prodigious concourse of 

 spectators. As the barges entered 

 the basin on the north end of the 

 aqucdu6t, five waggons, drawn by 

 one horse, and containing two tons 

 of coal each, the produce of Mr. 

 Hazledinc's collieries at Plaas-Ky- 

 naston, were brought along the iron 

 railway, and deposited upon the 

 wharf, in order to their beins; (with 

 more, which had been previously 

 brought there) loaded into two 

 boats, which had followed (he pro- 

 cession for this purpose. The com- 

 pany from the barges landed, and 

 theearlot'Bridgewater, as chairman 

 of the committee, conducted the la- 

 dies and their friends to a house be- 

 longing to the company, where they 

 partook of a cold collation ; after 

 which, Mr. Hunt, of Horcatton, one 

 of the committee, delivered an elo-. 

 quent ami impressive oration, ex- 

 plaining the origin and objc6l of 

 this work, and drawing a compari- 

 ■ '>ii between this and the ancient and 



modern aquedu6ls. The company- 

 went back to their barges, and the 

 procession returned in the same or- 

 der as it came. The two boats laden 

 with coals followed the procession ; 

 the first having a handsome flag, thus 

 inscribed : 



" This is the first trading-boat 

 which passed the great aquedu6t of 

 Pontcysylte, loaded from Plaas-K}'- 

 naston collieries, on the 26th day of 

 November, 1805." 



The discharge from the guns, as 

 the procession returned, the plau- 

 dits of the spe6tators, (calculated at 

 full 8000) the martial music, the 

 echo reverberating from the moun- 

 tains, magnified the enchanting 

 scene ; and the countenance of every 

 one present bespoke the satisfaction 

 with which they contemplated this 

 very useful and stupendous work. — 

 From the aqueduct, the committee 

 and their friends proceeded to the 

 inn at Ellesmere, where upwards of 

 fifty gentlemen, with a number of 

 their most respec^table tenants, who 

 had been invited, sat down to a 

 sumptuous dinner, with the earl of 

 Bridgewater as chairman ; and, af- 

 ter much loyalty and conviviality, 

 on his lordship's retiring, his health 

 was immediately given, not only as 

 chairman of the committee and 

 meeting, but as lord of the extensive 

 and rich manor which gives the name 

 to this canal ; as a worthy successor 

 to the father of British canals, and 

 as an aftive promoter of the im- 

 provements in the agriculture, com- 

 merce, and manufactures of Great 

 Britain. That every person might 

 be apprised of the dimensions and 

 magnitude of this work, a card was 

 distributed, previous to the first 

 passing the aqueduct, containing as 

 follows : 



Inscription 



