42 Thirteenth Report of the Commissioners for making 



extend to six years instead of three, at the rate of abuut fifteen 

 hundred pounds per annum. 



Mr. Telford has omitted to add the usual ten per cent, upon 

 engineering estimates, which is more than usually allowable in a 

 work of unexampled dimensions, and vvhich would have amounted 

 to twenty-three thousand pounds ; as also the expense of steam- 

 boats for towing large vessels, — and of moorings to he laid down 

 in the lakes, estimated together at ten thousand pounds*. Thus 

 the estimate of October 1813 should have been two hundred 

 and ninety-five thousand pounds ; since which time one hundred 

 and twenty-four thousand pounds have been expended, leaving 

 about one hundred and seventy thousand pounds as the largest 

 supposable estimate, from which ten thousand pounds will be 

 deducted, if we succeed in placing the locks at Fort Augustus in 

 the bed of the river Oich. A large portion of the per centage 

 is in reserve for this contingency, but the greater part may be 

 deemed to have been consumed in the unexpected occurrence of 

 hard ground and rock cutting at Strone and at Muirshearlich 

 (hereafter to be described in this Report) and in dredging ope- 

 rations, of which no experience existed, and which were certainly 

 under-estimated by Mr. Telford. 



State of the Works. Before we enter into any particular 

 description of the present state of the works along the whole 

 line of the canal, from Inverness to Fort William, it will be con- 

 venient to advert to certain general points of information con- 

 nected therewith. 



Our two superintendents have extended their care to the north 

 and south ends of Loch Oich respectively; the deepening of the 

 loch by dredging machinery will be assigned to the Clachna- 

 charry establishment, because experience in that art has been 

 acquired by them in the similar loch of Doughfour. 



The communication between Clachnacharry and Fort Augustus 

 is maintained by means of a sloop of sixty-five tons burthen, ^ 

 which habitually navigates Loch Ness ; and we take this occasion 

 to observe, that her voyages with an adverse wind are usually 

 made in about twenty-two hours; that she has not yet experienced 

 any material detention from the weather, and that the squalls of 



♦Mr. Telford's estimate, October 1813 - - =£234,734 



Land and damages ------ 18,000 



Manageine.it, six years ----- 9,000 



Percentage for contingeneies - - - - 23,473 



Steam-boats and moorings - - - - 10,000 



Total - - 295,207 

 Deduct expended since October 1813 - - 124,000 



Presentestimate, May 1816 - . - _ 171,207 



wind 



