62 DRAINAGE OF THE GREAT LEVEL PART I. 



prisoners, five hundred of whom were at once forwarded 

 to the Level, where they proved of essential service in 

 prosecuting the works. 



The most important of the new rivers, drains, and 

 sluices included in this second undertaking, were the 

 following : The New Bedford River, cut from Erith on 

 the Ouse to Salter's Lode on the same river, reducing 

 its course between these points from 40 to 20 miles : this 

 new river was 100 feet broad, and ran nearly parallel 

 with the Old Bedford River. A high bank was raised 

 along the south side of the new cut, and an equally high 

 bank along the north side of the old river, a large space 

 of land, of about 5000 acres, being left between them, 

 called the Washes, for the floods to " bed in," as Yer- 

 muyden termed it. Then the river Welland was de- 

 fended by a bank, 70 feet broad and 8 feet high, extending 

 from Peakirk to the Holland bank. The river Nene 

 was also defended by a similar bank, extending from 

 Peterborough to Gruyhirne ; and another bank was raised 

 between Standground and Guyhirne, so as to defend the 

 Middle Level from the overflowing of the Northampton- 

 shire waters. The river Ouse was in like manner 

 restrained by high banks extending from Over to Erith, 

 where a navigable sluice was provided. Smith's Learn 

 was cut, by which the navigation from Wisbeach to 

 Peterborough was opened out. Among the other cuts 

 and drains completed at the same time, were Vermuyden's 

 Eau, or the Forty Feet Drain, extending from Welch's 

 Dam to the river Nene near Eamsey Mere ; Hammond's 

 Eau, near Somersham, in the county of Huntingdon ; 

 Stonea Drain and Moore's Drain, near March, in the Isle 

 of Ely ; Thurlow's Drain, extending from the Forty Feet 

 to Popham's Eau ; and Conquest Lode, leading to Wliit- 

 tlesea Mere. And in order to turn the tidal waters into 

 the Hundred Feet River, as well as to prevent the upland 

 floods from passing up the Ten Mile River towards Little- 

 port, Denver Sluice, that great bone of after contention. 



