DRAINAGE. 67 



later than the middle of the last century. Some of the earliest 

 improvements were the work of individual enterprise. A gentle 

 man of capital undertook the draining of a large extent of land, 

 upon condition that, if he effected the drainage, according to his 

 contract, a certain amount of the land so redeemed was to 

 accrue to him, by way of remuneration. Later improvements 

 were effected under the direction of companies associated by an 

 act of government for that purpose, and empowered to assess a 

 tax for the accomplishment of their object. 



If we take the district of the Ancholme River, and describe it, 

 it will present a favorable opportunity for considering the whole 

 subject. The Ancholme is a small and sluggish river, emptying 

 into the Humber at some distance from the sea, but not above 

 the influence of the tides. The Humber, being a larger river 

 than the Ancholme, in its high course of tides forced back the 

 River Ancholme on to the flat lands in its neighborhood, to their 

 ruin as far as cultivation was concerned ; and the level was often 

 flooded by water from the hills, brought down by several streams 

 which emptied into the Ancholme. The River Ancholme was 

 likewise used for purposes of navigation, several villages being 

 reached by it. Three points were then to be kept in view, in 

 any improvement which should be undertaken. The first was, 

 to preserve the navigation of the river ; the second, to exclude 

 the tides ; the third, to prevent the land from being flooded from 

 the rivers or small streams which came from the neighboring- 

 hills upon the level. Under the direction of scientific and skil 

 ful engineers, these objects have been accomplished. 



By a sufficient embankment at the mouth of the river, the 

 entrance of the tides was effectually prevented. But a sluice 

 way, or lock, was constructed here for the admission of vessels of 

 such size as the river was capable of receiving, and the bed of 

 the river was straightened and enlarged. In order to receive the 

 waters from the high grounds, canals of a suitable size were 

 formed on each side of the level, which intercepted the water in 

 its descent, (and are vulgarly called catch-drains,} and conveyed 

 it to a point where it was poured into the Humber, and so 

 reached the sea. In order to prevent the dirt washed from the 

 neighboring high lands from being poured into this canal, weirs. 

 or dams, were raised across these small streams, in the course of 

 their descent, where this mud would be deposited ; and it might 



