situations, water may be made of much 

 more extensive utility, in the floating of 

 land, than in the working of corn-mills. 

 Instances, in proof of this assertion, might 

 be adduced from various rivers on which 

 this practice prevails, but a convincing 

 one occurs on the river on which lies my 

 chief scene of action : I mean the river 

 Churn, which is a branch of the Thames, 

 and flows through Cirencester, in the 

 county of Gloucester. On this river, the 

 mills are numerous and valuable, but the 

 improvement made by this stream in 

 floating, is of much greater value. The 

 mills within the distance of five miles, are 

 ten, and are let for about 401. eachjper 

 ann. but the acres floated, within the same 

 distance, are 1000, and each acre is im- 

 proved three pounds in annual value, in- 

 D 2 dependent 



