270 Mr. Stevenson on [Oct. 



Holland and Flanders, relative to a convenient mode of crossing 

 .navigable rivers, used in several parts of the continent with much 

 facility, especially, during the late war, by Bonaparte's troops in 

 crossing the Scheldt ; a mode which in my humble opinion is 

 also most suitable for several of the principal rivers and great 

 cattle ferries of this country. 



The Scheldt at Antwerp is about 500 or 600 yards in breadth, 

 being more than the broadest parts of the Thames above Graves- 

 end; and you are to understand that this part of the Scheldt 

 being also navigable, the free intercourse of shipping must not 

 be obstructed. The banks of this great river upon each side 

 are too low for a fixed bridge upon any economical mode of 

 construction, although it were found practicable in other 

 respects. But as the ardent mind and urgent measures of the 

 ci-devant Emperor could not submit to the tediousness and 

 uncertainty of the common ferry boat, he caused a very large 

 flat, or vessel, to be moored at Antwerp, constructed in such a 

 manner that the impulse of the current acting on the rudder 

 caused the vessel to cross the stream in an oblique direction in 

 the course of a few minutes by a very simple and obvious prin- 

 ciple. This mode has hkewise been used with much effect on 

 some of the principal rivers in Germany and Italy, but has not, 

 so far as I know, been introduced in this country. 



As shown by Plate CVIII, representing a part of the river 

 Scheldt, a wooden pier or platform is projected across the 

 muddy beach to a point beyond the low water-mark on each 

 side of the river. Connected with the outer extremity of these 

 piers, the hulk of a decked vessel is attached, and forms a kind 

 of floating pier, or platfomn, projecting across the mud, so con- 

 structed that the vessel, called the F/i/ Bridge, and the pier, rise 

 and fall with the perpendicular motion of the tidal or speat 

 waters of the river ; and the deck or platform of the bridge, and 

 the outer extremity of the pier, are thus always kept upon the 

 same level for the conveniency of passengers embarking and 

 debarking ; and that the Fly Bridge may lie with safety along- 

 side of the floating piers, the bridge is furnished with a. folding- 

 leaf on each side, which forms a roadway of communication 

 between it and the pier. 



Having thus prepared the means for passengers, carriages, 

 and cattle, communicating on board with ease and facility, I 

 observed that the part of this apparatus termed the bridge consists 

 of a large deck or platform of timber forming an area upwards 

 of 60 square feet laid upon two boats, or vessels, after the man- 

 ner of the Dahwinton Steam Boat, described in the Annals of 

 Philosophy, vol. xiii. p. 279. The mooring ofsucha^oo^ as this, 

 which would be unnecessarily large for the ordinary purposes of 

 a ferry, is one of the most important and essential parts of this 

 contrivance, and is accomplished in the following very simple 

 and effectual manner : An anchor, or anchors, are laid down in 



