and maintaining the Caledonian Canal, 47 



maintain that loch at a high level, and afford the twenty feet 

 depth of water whicli is to be established throughout the Cale- 

 donian canal. 



At present nothing hinders coasting vessels from navigating 

 into Loch Ness from the sea except the want of the lower gate 

 at the regulating lock, and two lock gates at Muirtown. Our 

 own sloops, one of which is now on Loch Ness, one at Clach- 

 nacharry, will be the first to profit by the opportunity, and will 

 convey materials to the works in the Middle District at a much 

 less expense than at present ; and no doubt coal and lime for the 

 district of Strath-herrick will be imported largely, and landed at 

 the pier of Farigag, constructed for this purpose at the termina- 

 tion of the Inverfarigag road. 



Middle District. At the upper end of Loch-Ness exists 

 the only considerable obstacle we have to encounter ; for all the 

 other works require merely labour applied to objects wherein 

 from experience we expect no extraordinary difficulty to occur. 

 But at Fort Augustus a situation is to be found for the chain of 

 four locks, or rather for the lowest lock of the four; for that 

 once finished and a drainage thereby established, the upper locks 

 may be constructed with certainty of success. The situation in 

 which our attempts have hitherto been exerted is at the small 

 island about two hundred yards above the bridge, or twice that 

 distance from Loch Ness. It was not difficult to turn the river 

 course wholly to the north side of the island by means of proper 

 dams; but wlicn this had been effected, the island itself was 

 found to be so penetrable by water that even a steam-engine pit 

 could not be sunk without the greatest difficulty. 



It was accomplished however to the requisite depth of twenty- 

 eight feet, soon after the date of our last Report, and prepara- 

 tions for affixing the great steam-engine were forthwith put in 

 progress: the necessary piling and platform was finished and the 

 engine-house erected Jast autumn; and since the weather has: 

 permitted masonry- work to proceed in the present season, the 

 two large boilers have been fixed, and the cylinder, working- 

 beam and cisterns are now placed in their proper situations. 

 This great steam-engine, whose cylinder is four feet in diameter, 

 will begin to work immediately, tiiat is before the end of.)une; 

 and as its power is that which is inadequately* computed to be 

 equal to that of thirty-six horses, it will lift and discharge an 

 immense quantity of water; we hope sufficient to permit the 

 lock-pit to be sunk, and the future masonry in it to proceed 



• This manner of estimating the power of steam-enijines is understood 

 to express the power they are CHpahie of exettii)g; hut as they may bj 

 made to work throuf^hout the twenly-fo'ir hours, they; do mucli more roork 

 timu the iiuinbtr of horses at which tlieir power is estim.-itetl. 



withoitt 



