On Canals. 79 



Collefting the wafte water in winter, and in heavy rains, 

 will prove advantageous in every refpedt : it will be the means 

 of preventing high and rapid floods; it will be converting to 

 iifeful purpoi'es that which flows oft" to idle wafte, and, not 

 unfrequentlv, to pofitive mifchief". 



The uletul piirpofes to which brooks and rivers are now 

 applied, will not be injured, but improved; as there will be 

 a more plentiful fupply in fummer, and a belter regulated one 

 during the winter months. 



Parliament would not hefitate to grant canal companies the 

 power of making refervoirs, and receiving a reafonable re- 

 compenfe for the water fupplied from the canal for the pur- 

 pofes of agriculture and mannfa6lures, becaufe it would in- 

 jure no perion, and accommodate all : it will be furnifhing 

 additional powers to Britifli induftry, and creating permanent 

 wealth to the nation. 



I underftand that this mode of managing water has long 

 been prattifed in Italy, efpecially in the Milanefe, where a 

 confiderable revenue is derived by the wafte water of canals ; 

 and the regulations refpe6ting it have long engaged the at- 

 tention of the legiflature of that country. 



If I am right in the foregoing ftatements, it will be eafy to 

 apply them to difiereiit diftricls of country, and, by a careful 

 and impartial judgment, to decide upon the character of each 

 •anal. 



It is probably not fufficiently known what quantity of rain 

 water falls in the courfe of a year in various parts of the king- 

 dom ; it therefore may not be improper to add the fallowins; 

 ftatement, which will be fome guide with regard to this fub- 

 je6l; and if along with this we take the accounts of perfons 

 accuftomed to make obfervations, a tolerably correft eftimate 

 may be formed of the average quantity of water which ca« 

 be collefted in each diftrift : it will, in general, be found \n 

 exceed the expectations of perfons who have not paid atten- 

 tion to this important fubjeit. 



Rain fails — At London, being the average of the following 

 Years : 1774, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1780; 1789, 90, 91, 92 Inch, ai ?■ 

 Upminfter, in Eflex, average of 1700, i, a, 3, 4, 5 19^- 

 Lincolnftiire, in medium feafon - - - jS 



Ditto extreme wet - - - - 24 



Liverpool - - » - - 34L 



Townley, in Lancaftiire . - - ^1^ 



Kendal, in VVeftmoreland - - - 61^ 



Dumfries, in Scotland - - - 36^ 



Glafgow, ditto - - - - 3^ 



XV, Pro- 



