70 



and-twenty. The cost of the engine was 520 ; the neces- 

 sary buildings, and iron pipe, twelve inches in diameter, 

 lying under the bed of the river, 400. For this outlay of 

 capital, and the annual expense of coals, and labour to 

 work the engine, not exceeding 60, there is an increased 

 annual value of 250, on this part of his lordship's estate. 

 Besides this, the engine, whilst throwing up the water to 

 convey it into the river, grinds corn, cuts turnips, hay, and 

 straw pumps water for the cattle in the yards, and houses ; 

 and would, if required, thrash all the corn. Had there 

 been a thousand, or more acres of the land, the engine 

 would have drained it, with scarcely any additional 

 expense. 



The most extensive drainage that I have heard of in 

 England, has been effected by an outfall, commencing 

 about six miles east of Wisbech, and terminating in the 

 deep water of Wisbech eye, which is an inlet of the German 

 Ocean. The length of the artificial channel is eight miles ; 

 the width, from J50 to 300 feet ; the depth, not less than 

 from 25 to 30 feet, on high water, of a spring-tide, and 

 from five to ten, at low water. It drains about 100,000 

 acres of fen-land, lying between the rivers Nene and Wei- 

 land. This drainage is accomplished without the aid of 

 any wind or steam-engines, as the Nene outfall daily ebbs 

 out low enough to provide for the perfect drainage of all 

 these fens, at all seasons, without a day's interruption. It 

 also enables vessels, of 300 tons' burden to reach Wisbech, 

 which was formerly only accessible (and that with diffi- 

 culty), to vessels of about sixty tons. It has enabled 1,500 

 acres of land, of excellent quality, to be embanked from the 

 sea; and will, in a few years, afford the means of embank- 

 ing about 4,000 more. The work was begun in 1827, and 

 opened for use in 1830. It has cost about 200,000, and 

 about 150,000, or rather more, has been spent in adapting 

 the interior drainage of the fens to the improved outfall. 

 Great works of this kind add to the wealth of the nation, 

 not only by increasing the produce of the soil, but by aug- 

 menting the source of employment for agricultural la- 

 bourers, they also add to the nation's independence, by 

 preventing the necessity of importing foreign corn. Had 

 there been no corn-laws, probably no persons would have 



