204 RENNIE'S DOCKS AND HARBOURS. PART VII. 



their entire original cost, besides the increased expedi- 

 tion in the conduct of the whole Dock business. 



Some of Mr. Rennie's harbour works at other places 

 were of considerable magnitude and importance ; the 

 growing trade of the country leading to his frequent 

 employment in constructing new harbours or extending 

 and improving old ones. In almost every instance he 

 had the greatest possible difficulty in inducing the per- 

 sons locally interested to provide harbour space suffi- 

 ciently extensive as well as secure. When asked to 

 give his advice on such questions, he began with making 

 numerous practical inquiries on the spot; he surveyed 

 the adjacent coast, took soundings all round the proposed 

 harbourage, noted the set of the currents, the direction 

 of the prevailing winds, the force and action of the land 

 streams, and the operations of the scour of the tides upon 

 the shore. He also inquired into the trade to be accom- 

 modated, the probability of its expansion or otherwise, 

 and prepared his plans accordingly. Writing to Mr. 

 Foster, of Liverpool, in 1810, he said, "It seems to me 

 that your merchants are much less liberal in their ideas 

 than is generally supposed. The account you give me 

 furnishes another strong proof of the necessity of en- 

 larging your scale of docks." Adverting to another 

 scheme on which he had been consulted, he added, " It 

 is my intention to impress upon the minds of the pro- 

 moters the necessity for a much larger scale of docks 

 than is proposed ; and though they may blame me now, 

 they will thank me afterwards ; as larger accommodation 

 will not only afford great and immediate relief to the 

 shipping now, but will save the expenditure of much 

 money hereafter." 



As early as 1793 he was employed by the Commis- 

 sioners of British Fisheries to report as to the best 

 means of improving the harbour of Wick, the only 

 haven capable of affording shelter for ships, in certain 

 states of the wind, which was to be found along an 



