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fixty yards wide -, and at fpring tides the 

 water flows near eighteen feet perpendi- 

 cular. The mafts of vefTels, which na- 

 vigate the river itfelf, are faid to be fevcnty 

 feet high; add to all this, that the, river 

 is fome times rough and boifterous : It is 

 planned, notwithftanding thefe tremendous 

 difficulties, to carry the canal acrofs the 

 river. The greateft undertaking (if exe- 

 cuted) that ever yet was thought of, and 

 will exceed the nobleft works of the 

 Romans, when mafters of the world ; or 

 the legendary tales even of Semiramis her- 



felf. 



The excellency and utility of the plan are., 

 however, indifputable: If the canal was car- 

 ried diredly to the town of LiverpooU there 

 would at once be a complete, eafy, fafe, and 

 cheap navigation from that great fea-port 

 diredly to Manchejier, and all the other 

 towns and places near which the canal 

 goes. The prefent navigation is that of 

 the river Merfey, or, in other words, an 

 arm of the fea for feveral miles, which is at 

 beft but an infecure navigation for inland 

 boats, not to fay a dangerous one, and 

 occafions fuch precautions of the expenfive 

 kind, that the carriage of goods can never 



be 



