oSS Notices respecihig New Booh. 



axid to preserve the necessary depth of the water in the river, and 

 tliat thus in the greatest mercantile citv of Europe^ the finest river 

 js in a state of actual neglect and degrarlatinn, the principal 

 cause of which is the irregular width of its hed, which neur 

 London Bridge is considerably narrower than at Waterloo 

 Bridge, and again contracts at Westminster Bridge ; whereby 

 the tide loses the power of removing the shoals and mud banks, 

 that are daily increasing and diminishing the depth of the water, 

 •vjiitli at some not very distant period niav prove fatal to tlie 

 navigation of the river. 



In order to obviate these inconveniencies, the Chevalier sug- 

 gests, that the whole bed of the river, from Wer.tminster Bridge 

 down to the Tower, should be reduced to a certain uniform 

 breadth, which he fixes at 550 feet ; that London Bridge be re- 

 ii.oved entirely; and that, in the construction of new bridges, 

 this principle be always adhered to. As to the removal oi 

 London Bridge, and the great advantages that would result fror.i 

 this operation to the navigation of the river, all the British en- 

 f;inejers are, no doubt, of M. de Wiebeking's opinion ; but as ti> 

 his project, to reduce the width of the river to 550 feet, many 

 may doubt whether, under the present circumstances, such a;' 

 alteration would be advisable or even practicable, though tl? 

 reasons which the Chevalier suggests for it are founded o:j 

 sound principles and corroborated by exj^erience. The im- 

 mense saving, which a reduced width of the river would hav? 

 caused in the construction of all the bridges over it, certainly 

 would have been a matter of great consequence ; and we may 

 safely assert, that if before the year 1737, or the construction of 

 \^'estminster Bridge, the public mind had been as enlightened 

 ."vs it is at present on the subject of the navigation and manage - 

 laent of rivers, and if an experienced engineer had brought foi- 

 ward a plan similar to that of M. de Wiebeking's, the adoption 

 and execution of it would have been highly beneficial to the na- 

 vigation and conservancy of the river in general, to the port o\ 

 London in particular, and to the improvement and embellishment 

 of the city of London. 



Instead of the London Docks, the Chevalier de Wiebcking is 

 of opinion, that it would have been more advantageous for the 

 trade and commerce of the city of London, if a solid quay had 

 been constructed from Westminster Bridge down to London 

 Bridge ; and if, in the place of one great bason, several small 

 basons had been excavated in different parts of the town, which 

 by means of locks would have comniunicated with the river, 

 'i'hc dimensions of these small basons he fixes to 1 20 feet breadth, 

 and to 4 or 500 feet length. M. de Wiebeking further pro- 

 poses 



