174 



MUSSELBDRGH BRIDGE. 



1'AKT VII, 



BRIDGE. 

 [Ey EU M. Wimperis. after a. Drawing by J. S. Smiles.] 



roadway. Some of the old-fashioned bridges were ex- 

 cessively steep, and to get over them was like climbing 

 the roof of a house. There was a heavy pull on one 

 side and a corresponding descent on the other. The old 

 bridge across the Esk at Musselburgh, forming part of 

 the high road between Edinburgh and London, was 

 of this precipitous character. It was superseded by a 

 handsome and substantial bridge, with an almost level 

 roadway, after a design by Eennie. When the engineer 

 was taking the work oif the hands of the contractor, one 

 of the magistrates of the town, who was present, asked 

 a countryman who was passing at the time with his cart 

 how he liked the new brig? "Brig!" said the man, 

 " it's nae brig ava ! ye neither ken whan ye're on't, nor 

 whan ye're aff't ! " 



Mr. Rennie's boldness in design grew with experience, 

 and when consulted as to a bridge near Paxton, over 

 the Whitadder (a rapid stream in Berwickshire), he 



