52 SMEATON'S EXTENSIVE EMPLOYMENT TART VI. 



for a comparatively poor county to raise, the recom- 

 mendation of the consulting engineers produced no re- 

 sult ; and the greater part of the lands remained drowned 

 until they were effectually cleared of their surplus water 

 by Mr. Rennie, about half a century later. Mr. Smeaton 

 was also consulted, in 1762, about the improvement of 

 the Fossdyke, an old cut joining the Trent and the 

 Witham, which had been allowed to fall into decay ; 

 but only a few pottering improvements were made, in 

 lieu of the thorough measure of general drainage which 

 he so strongly recommended. After the lapse of twenty 

 years Mr. Smeaton was again called in, and further 

 advised the proprietors on the subject ; but although he 

 then submitted a much more limited scheme, it was still 

 beyond the capability of the county to undertake it. 



At a still later period he was consulted as to the 

 drainage of the North Level of the Fens, and the im- 

 proved outfall of the river Nene at Wisbeach. In his 

 report on this subject, he went at great length into the 

 probable causes of the flooding of the fens, and from these 

 he reasoned out the improvements necessary for their 

 effectual remedy. The principal measure which he pro- 

 posed was, to build a powerful outfall sluice upon the 

 mouth of the Nene. In this report he brought the 

 observations which he had made while on his journey 

 through the Low Countries to bear upon the case ; and 

 he argued that, as the outfall channels at Middlesburgh 

 and Ostend were kept wholly open by sluices, the same 

 method would equally apply at Wisbeach. But, like his 

 predecessor Yermuyden, Mr. Smeaton did not seem suffi- 

 ciently to have taken into account the different circum- 

 stances of the two tracts of country ; and it is perhaps 

 fortunate that his plans were not carried out, as subse- 

 quent experience has shown that, if executed, they would 

 most probably have proved a failure. 



Considerable success, however, attended his operations 

 in improving the drainage of the Isle of Axholme, 



