CHAP, V. 



CAPTAIN' I'KRUY. 



length. His answers were so explicit, and, on 

 the whole, so satisfactory, that at the close of the exami- 

 nation one of the members thus spoke the sense of the 

 Committee : " You have answered us like an artist, and 

 like a workman ; and it is not only the scheme, but the 

 man, that we recommend." 



Perry was then allowed to proceed, and the work 

 went steadily forward. About three hundred men were 

 employed in stopping the breach, and it occupied them 

 about five years to accomplish it. Pile driving is slow 

 work, but it gradually advanced, and every foot of ground 

 secured was made good. As the piling approached from 

 both sides towards the centre, the water rushed through 

 the narrowed aperture with, increased violence, pouring 

 in and out like a cascade. It was even feared that the 

 channel in the centre would be worn so deep as not to 

 be reached by the longest piling. Numerous accidents 

 incidental to such an undertaking occurred, and on one 

 occasion it was feared that after all the waters would 

 be the victor, spouting through the crevices in the 

 timbers, and pouring over the top of the work like 

 a waterfall. But at last the centre pile was driven ; 

 a stout clay bank was heaped all round the breach, as 

 it is still to be seen ; the opening was effectually stopped, 

 and the waters drained away by the sluices, leaving the 

 extensive inland lake, which is to this day used by the 

 Londoners as a place for fishing and aquatic recreation. 



A good idea of the formidable character of the embank- 

 ments extending along the Thames may be obtained by a 

 visit to this place. Standing on the top of the bank, 

 which is from 40 to 50 feet above the river level at low 

 water, 1 we see on the one side the Thames, with its 



1 The Kinks themselves are from 17 

 to 25 lev t high in tlu- neighbourhood 

 of Dagriiham, and from 25 to 30 feet 

 at the base. The marks of the old 

 In-each are still easily traceable, ami at 

 one point the rotting timbers of a 



large square box are still seen sticking 

 out of the Kink, which may possibly 

 be one of the machines iillcd with 

 stones and chalk sunk by the unfor- 

 tunate contractor lioswell. 



