182 REPORT—1868. 
the solution of which this Association ought to keep in view. I think that 
by the collection of records of accurate and well-established facts, we might be 
enabled to arrive at something like a sound practical conclusion upon it; and this 
leads me to a suggestion as to what this Association might do in the matter. 
Let us take the case of the Yarmouth estuary in particular. If before coming to 
Norwich notice had been giyen to the Commissioners at Yarmouth and the autho- 
rities at Lowestoft, I have no doubt that the Association might have been sup- 
plied with a series of tidal observations and charts showing the condition of the 
harbour at different periods, due to the various works which had been executed, 
This information might have been rendered of extreme utility. Next year you meet 
at Exeter, near the estuary of the Exe, which is, to some extent, analogous to 
the locality of which I have been speaking ; and I would suggest that this Associa- 
tion should apply to the authorities at Exmouth for such information as they possess 
with reference to their harbour. 
The result of the convergence of the rivers at Yarmouth was to give to that port 
a monopoly of the whole trade of this district ; and the effect of that monopoly 
was, as in the case of most other monopolies, though doubtfuily beneficial to the 
port of Yarmouth, certainly not advantageous to this city or to the neighbour- 
ing district. So much had this been felt that, forty-three years ago, the late Sir 
William Cubitt obtained an Act of Parliament for the construction of the harbour 
of Lowestoft, and I think the capital required to carry out that undertaking was 
chiefly provided by this city. But the capital was insufficient for the execution of 
the works upon such a scale as would enable the harbour to be used to any great 
extent, and until the railway Company took the matter in hand, and made Lowes- 
toft what it is, the full advantages which Yarmouth could give to this district 
were neyer realized. The Yarmouth authorities then set about improying their 
harbour, reducing the charges, and conferring other advantages, of which this city 
has reaped the benetit. And now you have two harbours within a few miles of 
each other, constituted on totally different principles. You have that of Yar- 
mouth, maintained by the flow of the land waters of the Yare, the Waveney, the 
Wensum, and the Bure; and you have that of Lowestoft, which is maintained 
entirely by dredging, there being no land water, with the exception of the small 
quantity which is allowed to pass through during the process of locking the 
vessels. It is my belief that the result of a thorough inyestigation of this ques- 
tion, conducted by competent persons, would show that the land waters conduce 
but little, if at all, to the maintenance of the port of Yarmouth, and that they 
might be allowed, to some extent, to pass through to the sea in other directions, 
by which means a large area of land would be effectually drained, other land irri- 
gated, an unfailing supply of water rendered available for the towns, and the har- 
bours of Yarmouth and Lowestoft be maintained and rendered accessible to vessels 
of larger burthen, This is, however, a topic of purely local importance. 
There is another topic, which is of worldwide celebrity, to which I must call 
attention. It is one of vast interest to science, and may throw a light on some 
other questions. JI allude to an undertaking which has excited considerable atten- 
tion, from its pretensions to connect the Mediterranean with the Red Sea by a 
canal across the Isthmus of Suez. That canal is now approaching completion. I 
believe that every man of liberal mind would desire to see that great work 
successfully completed. The canal passes in its course through what is known 
as the Bitter Lakes, which haye a depression of some 40 feet below the level 
of the Red Sea. The depression is perfectly dry, and is covered by a stratum 
of salt, which is used by the natives. This depression must be filled with water 
from the Red Sea, from which it is distant about eighteen miles. The most inter- 
esting circumstance connected with this undertaking is, the filling and the mainte- 
nance of the Bitter Lakes with water. The area of the lakes has been stated to be 
about 300 square miles; but it is given by the French at five hundred millions of 
square yards, which amounts to about 150 square miles, or 100,000 acres. Now 
the rate of evaporation of water in Egypt is about 1 inch per diem. Consider 
how much this would be over an area of five hundred millions square yards. It 
will, I believe, amount to three hundred and sixty millions of cubic feet per diem, 
which means something like two hundred and fifty thousand feet per minute, The 
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