128 STATISTICAL SURVEY 



able to cut ftone, as there is no temptation for ftealing 

 the former, and this part of the work comes as cheap 

 as any other part of the battlement ; whereas cut ftone 

 cofts from 8d. to i/. a foot, running meafurement, ac- 

 cording to the thicknefs of the wall. 



The fide-walls of fmall bridges, commonly called 

 pipes, or gullets, are generally built of lime and ftone : 

 where fuch are only flagged over, this precaution is al- 

 together unnecefTary. By finking well, where the cafe 

 may require, and ufing heavy materials at bottom, a 

 dry wall is fully as fecure as a wet one, or that built 

 of lime and ftone, which, from much experience, I 

 know to be the cafe. 



There is more foul play and tricks ufed in bridge- 

 building, than in making of roads. Mafons find it 

 their intereft to make bad work, in order that the job 

 may the fooner come round again, and common road- 

 overfeers are feldom ftiarp enough to prevent this 

 fraud; hence the great ufe of intelligent honeft iu- 

 fpectors. 



I have, more than once, experienced inftances of the 

 foundations of bridges being undermined, previous to 

 floods, in order that the whole fabric might tumble 

 down ; nor have I ever known road-overfeers to be 

 any way active in detecting fuch villainy. Indeed, fo 

 long as overfeers have a double intereft in public 

 works, we cannot expect much fair play, for many of 

 $he overfeers themfelves are alfo the executers, and, 



where 



