BRIDGES. 585 



obliged to place guards in all quarters of the city, lest the thieves 

 should lay hold ot that opportunity to plunder the eim ty and aban- 

 doned hotucs. Augustus had frequently enu rtined the people 

 with tights of lions, tygers, elephants, rhinoceroses, &c. but now 

 the new canal appeared ail on a sudden iovered with crocodiles, 

 of which thirty -six were killed by Egyptians brought from the 

 banks of the Nile for that purpose. The multitude were !i ghly 

 delighted by tliis sight, which was quite new j but the sea-fight, 

 v, hicii eni,u< d, aliorded them still greater diversion For, at the 

 opposite ends of the lake or canal, t.vo fleets appeared, the gallies 

 one being buili after the Greek, and those of the other after (he 

 Persian, manner. Both fleets engaged; and, as they fought in 

 good earnest, most of the combatants being persons sentenced to 

 tkath, the battle proved very bloody. \_Anc. Univ. Hist. 



CHAP. VII. 



BRIDGES AND LIGHT-HOUSES. 



SECTION I. 



Bridges most curious or interesting. 



J\. BKIDGE is the work of carpentry or masonry, built on a river, 

 canal, or the lake, fur the convenience of passing from cne side to 

 the other ; and may be considered as a road drer water, supported 

 by one or more arches, ^mi these again supported by proper piers 

 or buttmenls. Besides these essential parts, may be added the 

 paving at top, the banquet, or raised footway, on each side, leav- 

 ing a sufficient breadth in the middle for horses and carriages, also 

 the parapet wall either with or without a balustrade, or other orna- 

 mental and useful parts. The breadth of a bridge for a great city 

 should be such, as to allow an easy passage for three carriages and 

 two hoi semen abrea.-t in the middle May, and for three foot pas. 

 si-n^rs in the same manner on each banquet : but for other smaller 

 bridges a 1 ss breadtii. 



The conditions required in a bridge are, that it be well designed, 

 commodious, durable, and suitably di coral* d. It should be of 

 such a height as to be quite convenient for the passage over it, and 



