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the islands and in the deepest parts of the water. These retreats may be 

 composed of roots of trees, or stones, reared together; or stones, sunk at 

 intervals, with a slate across them. The water should also he clear and not 

 stagnant, and kept free from rubbish. 



Whatever may he the character the water is to assume, whether pond or 

 lake, the site having been decided upon, we must first determine the levels. 

 If the fall of ground is considerable, it will generally be better to lower the 

 highest side, rather than to raise the head or dam too much. I would rather 

 lose sight of a portion of the water nearest the point of view by the rising 

 ground, than have a prodigious embankment; this would, in almost every case, 

 not only be found to work better but please the eye more, especially with a 

 judicious sloping of the higher ground, and with proper breaks in planting. 

 The levels being taken, a better notion of the form of the water will be 

 ascertained. But in staking out in undulated ground, advantage must be 

 taken of the lowest parts of the ground, to give breadth or expanse to the 

 water, and variety of form in its outline. Otherwise, cutting down the rising 

 knolls would not only cause additional expense, but greatly lessen the variety 

 of surface, which we ought ever to study to preserve. I have before stated it 

 to be essential that the outline or margin of the pond or lake should exhibit 

 bold prominences and deep recesses, naturally varied ; therefore, where a 

 bridge is to be introduced, two of these prominences should he brought near 

 enough together to afford a natural site for that purpose, (see Lake in Park 

 Plan), and also that the space of the bridge may not be too great for the size 

 and extent of the water, — say from five to thirty yards long. An extensive 

 sheet of water will require a large bridge, and vice versa with a small sheet. 

 Where a bridge is not required for convenience sake, but only for effect, 

 one end of it may rest on an island; in which case, the latter must be 

 sufficiently large to make a bridge seem useful for landing upon it. A hut 

 for aquatic animals will render its utility still more apparent. In shaping the 

 embankment or head, much will depend upon its depth and extent. If the 

 valley, where the head is formed, be narrow, its construction will not be diffi- 

 cult ; hut should it he wide, great caution will he required, not only for security 

 against the pressure of water, but that its outline may be as natural as circum- 

 stances will allow. This will generally be best managed, and the pressure of 

 water best borne, by forming a large and bold promontory to shoot out a 

 considerable extent into the lake, of sufficient surface to allow of an outlet 



