erected over the Garonne. 261 



been 530 metres, or 1640 English feet, and its expence was 

 estimated at 5,000,000 of francs. 



In the year 1811, upon the report of M. Des Champs, M. 

 Mole, director-general of roads and bridges, adopted the pro- 

 posal of modifying the original plan, and of substituting in 

 place of it nineteen centres, or arches of carpentry, supported 

 by twenty stone piers ; the first pier was founded during the 

 campaign of 1811, and in 1812, the foundation stone of the 

 second pier was laid. 



The scourges of war, however, pressed heavily upon France, 

 the public treasury was exhausted, and all public works were 

 permitted to languish. Upon the return of Louis XVIII. in 

 1814, only six piers had been undertaken towards the banks 

 of the river ; three of these scarcely reached the height of low 

 water, and the other three were imperfectly founded. His 

 majesty immediately ordered this enterprise to be continued, 

 and from that moment it advanced with a steady pace. 



In consequence of the difficulty of procuring all the wood 

 necessary for the original execution of this plan of 1811, and 

 for the periodical renovation of the wooden centres, it was 

 decreed in 1815, that the arches should be constructed of 

 iron ; but this plan was afterwards abandoned, and on the 

 17th March 1819, it was determined upon by M. Becquey, 

 director-general of roads and bridges, that the whole bridge 

 should be built of masonry ; that it should consist of hewn 

 stone and bricks ; and that every pier, previous to the com- 

 mencement of the arches, should be loaded with 4,000,000 of 

 kilogrammes, or about 4000 tons. 



These changes did not occasion any delay in the works ; a 

 loan of 2,000,000 of francs was sanctioned by the law of the 

 10th April 1818, and a joint stock company was organized 

 for completing it. This was the first project submitted to 

 the chambers for a monument of public utility, and it produced 

 a favourable influence on the developement of the spirit of as- 

 sociation in every part of France. 



The bridge of Bourdeaux consists of seventeen arches of 

 masonry, of hewn stone and bricks, resting on sixteen stone- 

 piers, and two stone abutments. The seven arches in the 



