CANALS. 



1257, and enlarged, in 1269, with a branch of abou 

 11 miles in length, from Abiato southward. The 

 Martesena canal tranches ofl' from the right bank o 

 the Adda, near Concessa (ancient Trizzo) ; is 24 mile 

 in length and 33 feet in breadth, and is raised, in 

 some places, by walls and embankments, 110 fee 

 above the level of the river. In 1497, 5 locks were 

 introduced into this canal. The great canal of Tesm 

 terminates at Milan. The Muzza canal is drawn 

 also from the river Adda, near Cassano, and re-enters 

 the river at Castiglione, 40 miles distant. In Pied- 

 mont are the Naviglio d'Inea, 38 miles in length 

 uniting the Dora Baltea and the Sessia, with a branch 

 of 13 miles, to the Gardena river ; and a canal of 27 

 miles from Dora Baltea, a little above the fell 

 of the Po, which, passing Trino, unites with the Po 

 4 miles below Casal. These 2 canals are par- 

 allel to the Po, and substitutes for it. There are 

 3 other short canals in this territory. In the 

 duchy of Mantua is the fossa Puzzola, 15 miles in 

 length, from the Mincio to the Tartaro, and the 

 canal of St George, 7 miles long, branching to 

 the lake of Mantua; also the Montanaro, 8 miles 

 from the same lake to the Po, at Borgo Fute; the 

 fossa Maestra, 5 miles from Ozoma to the canal 

 Montanaro; and the Fossero, from the Mincio, 7 

 miles. In the duchy of Modena is a canal 16 miles 

 in length, from Secehia by Modena to Panaro, which 

 has several branches, one 5 miles long. In the 

 papal territory is the fossa Rangone, parallel to the 

 Panaro, from which a branch passes off by Conte to 

 Po Mort or Po di Jerana, and the canal Di Giovanni 

 Niginales, 22 miles long. From Bologna to Ferrara 

 is the canal di Naviglio, 24 miles long, and terminat- 

 ing hi the great marshes. There are, besides, many 

 short branches of the canals, already mentioned, as 

 well as locks and channels for passing rapids in the 

 navigable rivers. 



Canals of Russia. The canals of Russia began 

 with Peter the Great, who had observed their useful 

 effects in Holland. He commenced three. The 

 canal of Ladoga, begun by him A. D. 1718, and 

 finishea by the empress Anne, is 67 5 miles long, 

 from the Volk to the Neva, 70 feet broad, and the 

 water 7 feet deep in summer, and 10 in winter. 

 The canal of Vishnei-Volosholk , completed under 

 Peter the Great, but much improved, afterwards, by 

 Catharine, forms a communication, by water, between 

 Astracan and Petersburg, or between the Caspian 

 and the Baltic, which is effected, as will be seen by 

 referring to the map, by passing from the Caspian 

 up the Wolga, then turning into the river Ivertza ; 

 leaving which, the canal passes over to the river 

 Schlina, which flows towards the Baltic into the lake 

 Martina, from which flows the river Mista, which, 

 after a course of 234 miles, discharges itself into lake 

 Ilmen, from which issues the Volk, that runs 130 

 miles, and empties into the lake Ladoga, which again 

 gives rise to the Neva, that discharges itself into the 

 Baltic at Petersburg ; so that these three rivers are, 

 in fact, the same stream, passing through three lakes 

 in its course. It is said that 3845 barques have 

 passed through this canal in one year. There are 

 many other canals in Russia, which we have not 

 space to describe. The canals and rivers supply the 

 channels of a very extensive inland navigation hi 

 Russia ; so that goods may be transported, oy rivers 

 and canals, from the frontiers of China to Petersburg, 

 a distance of 4472 miles ; and the line of navigation 

 from Astracan to that capital is 1434 miles. 



Canals of Sweden. Canals were early opened in 

 Sweden, and the improvement of the inland naviga- 

 tion has always been a subject of great interest to 

 the government. Among the modern canals of this 

 country is that of Stromsholm 60 miles long, the de- 



scent 336 feet, the number of locks 25, breadth 18 

 teet, and depth 4 feet 4 inches. The Kindac canal 

 and the Gotha canal, intended to open a communi- 

 cation between the lake Wenner and the Baltic, have 

 been commenced under the superintendence of that 

 eminent engineer Mr Telford. The canal of Trol- 

 hatta makes a navigable channel round the rapids of 

 Trolhatta, in the river Gotha, consisting of succes- 

 sive cascades, one of 60 feet in height, and, in all, 

 114 feet, and situated N.E. of Gothenburg, about 45 

 miles. The project of constructing works, by which 

 to pass these rapids, was long contemplated, and 

 finally accomplished in 1800. These rapids inter- 

 rupted the navigation of the Gotha for about two 

 miles ; and the difficulty of making a canal past 

 them was owing to the banks being bold and rocky, 

 as is usual at falls of such extent. They are now 

 passed by nine locks, mostly excavated out of solid 

 rock. This is considered a gigantic work, and was 

 executed by a private company, to their own emolu- 

 ment, as well as the public benefit. 



Canals of Denmark. The principal canal in this 

 country is that of Keil, which commences about 3 

 miles north of Keil, and passes 20^ miles across the 

 duchy of Holstein to the river Eydar, which, running 

 by Rendsburg, fells into the German ocean at Jonnin- 

 gen. The Keil canal thus opens a communication 

 between the two seas. It was begun in 1777, and 

 completed in 1785 ; is 100 feet broad at the top, 57 

 at the bottom, and the least depth of water is 10 feet. 

 The descent from the summit towards the Baltic is 



feet, and towards the German ocean 23 feet. It 

 has 6 locks. 



Canals of Holland. This country, it is well known, 

 is intersected, in all directions, by canals, which serve 

 for navigation in summer, and roads of ice in winter. 

 The surface of the water, in many of these canals, is 

 above that of the surrounding country ; the lands of 

 which are drained by pumping the water up into the 

 canals ; for which purpose numerous windmills are 

 scattered about the country, and kept in operation. 

 For the great ship canal from Amsterdam to Niewe 

 Diep, see Amsterdam. 



Canals of Germany. The improvement of inland 

 navigation in Germany has been obstructed by the 

 division of the territory into numerous small jurisdic- 

 tions, which are, in many respects, independent of 

 each other. The canal between Vienna and Neu- 

 stadt is 40 miles in length ; and that of Francis, com- 

 3leted in 1802, between the Danube and Jeysse, is 

 )f the same length, and has 3 locks. In Prussia are 

 the canals of Stecknitz, Planer, Potsdam, Finow, 

 Muhlrose, Frederic /P5//iaa, and the Bromberg. This 

 ast was constructed under Frederic the Great, by 

 lie engineer Breekenhaaff. It is 16 miles in length, 

 has a descent of 67 feet, and 9 locks. See Fossa 

 'arolina. 



Canals of Spain. Spain lias done almost nothing 

 Cowards improving its internal navigation. Some 

 canals have been projected, but only a part of the 

 Arragon canal has been completed, consisting of two 

 >ieces of canal, both commencing at Navarre. 

 Though this partial execution of the projected navi- 

 ration has had a sensible effect in promoting the po- 

 mlousness, fertility, and wealth of the neighbouring 

 .erritory, the work stands still ; and there seems to 

 >e little prospect of the completion of the project. 



Canals of France. The canals of France, next 



jo those of Great Britain, are the most important ia 



urope, in respect to their extent and the difficulties 



vercome in their construction. The whole length 



f canal navigation in France is about 900 miles, or 



about one third part of that of Great. Britian, Canal 



f Briare. The first important work of this kind, 



instructed in France, was the canal of Briare, called.. 



A a 



