504 RICHMOND COUNTY. 



meeting of the citizens was called, at which it was determined 

 to proceed with the work. The plan proposed and adopted 

 was, that the City Council should issue bonds for the purpose 

 of defraying the expense, and that a special tax should be 

 levied on the real estate in the city to pay off the bonds at 

 maturity. The Bank of Augusta, the Bank of Brunswick, 

 the Georgia Railroad Bank, and the Augusta Insurance and 

 Banking Company, each subscribed $1,000 for the same pur- 

 pose. The same Banks also gave further aid by advancing 

 cash for the bonds. The right of way through the lands lying 

 west of the city was obtained, with one exception, very easily. 

 The right of way through the city lots was procured with 

 much trouble, except in a few instances, in which the right 

 was granted with great liberality. In April, 1845, the location 

 of the canal was made, and the larger portion of it put under 

 contract. The work was commenced in May following. The 

 whole fall of 45 feet was divided as follows. The first level, ex- 

 tending from Bull Sluice to near Marbury-street, about 6| miles 

 in length, with its bottom slope of about 6 inches per mile, 

 reduced the fall 41.36 feet ; from the first to the second level 

 the fall is 13 feet; from the second to the third level the fall is 

 13 feet; and from the third to the river the fall is about 15 

 feet. The first level terminates on the high ground between 

 Marbury and McKinne streets, a little to the south of Fenwick- 

 street. The second level overlaps the first on the north, and 

 extends from Mr. Meigs's land to the Savannah road, near its 

 intersection with Mclntosh-street. The third level, lying north 

 of the second, extends from the Savannah road to Hawk's 

 Gully, at the upper end of the city. The water way of the 

 canal is 5 feet deep, 20 feet wide at the bottom, and 40 feet 

 wide at the surface of the water. The water is turned into 

 the canal by a low dam of timber and stone, about 800 feet 

 in length, running diagonally to an island, and including only 

 about one-quarter of the width of the river. At the junction 

 of the dam and canal there is a guard-vall of stone, in which 

 there are six gates, by means of which the supply of water is 

 regulated, and that from the river may be entirely excluded. 

 Connected with the dam and guard-wall there is a stone lock, 

 by which boats pass into and out of the canal. The first 



