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surveyor, it appeared that an extraordinary fall of ncirly ten 

 could be accjuircd ; and that the descent from the upper part of the 

 moor to this outlet, (a distance of about twelve miles) wasnin 

 teen feet, or about one foot and a half in a mile. The only ol ji 

 tion which could be brought to the measure, arose from a conside- 

 ration of the great expences, which must be incurred, by cutting 

 through two miles and a half of elevated land. 



No alternative however presented itself. It appeared that this 

 plan must be adopted, or the work would be incomplete. Justified 

 therefore by the concurrent opinion of Mr. White, and of A;r. 

 Jessop, (whose advice was taken) they proceeded boldly; and ha- 

 ving erected at a great expence, and under numerous difficulties, 

 (arising from the morassy nature of the ground on which it was 

 built) a strong and substantial sluice; they proceeded to make a 

 channel or cut fifteen feet deep, ten feet wide at bottom, and fifty- 

 five feet wide at the top. 



It is impossible to describe the ridicule which this undertaking- 

 excited. Some thought the commissioners mad; others, and by 

 far the majority, ascribed the boldness of the plan to the liberality 

 of the proprietors, in allowing the commissioners three guineas per 

 day for attendance and management ; and drew this sage conclu- 

 sion, that the work would never be finished, but would be pro- 

 tracted till the expences would equal the value of the moor. 



Uninfluenced by letters, or by menaces, the commissioners per- 

 severed ; and they have the satisfaction of seeing the principal 

 difficulties overcome ; aud of hearing those very men, who were 

 most violent against the measure, acknowledge their error, and 

 candidly confess that the work is well executed, and promises to 

 be effectual. 



It may be necessary, by way of instruction to others engaged in 

 schemes of the like nature, to state, that had the drain been made 

 Jess wide at the top (and the opponents insisted that it should have 

 been only twenty-six feet wide) it would have collapsed, or fallen 

 together ; as it was, there were numerous, and alarming slides j 

 the repairing of which cost a considerable sum, and there can be 

 no doubt, but something of this kind, will happen for years to 

 come ; for the substratum at the depth of sixteen feet, is so soft, 



R a and 



