ON THE BELFAST HARBOUR. 119 
trade, and His Majesty put to extraordinary expense and charge in keeping 
officers longer on board the vessels trading to and from the said town than 
would be needful had the said harbour and channcl been preserved in the 
same condition as it formerly was.” This Act was, however, repealed in 
1785 by the Act 25th George III. cap. 64, which appointed a separate Cor- 
poration, giving to them the sole management of the affairs of the port; and 
with the appointment of the Harbour Commissioners as a distinct body, the 
substantial improvements of the port may be said to have commenced. 
Among the first acts performed by the new Corporation were the removal 
of several artificial fords, which formed bars across the Lagan, and also the 
gradual deepening of the bed of the river by dredging; and in 1786 the 
course of the old south channel was ordered to be marked with buoys and 
perches down to the Pool of Garmoyle. 
In the year 1791 a graving-platform was erected for the repairing of small 
eraft ; and subsequently two graving or dry docks, which are at present in 
existence, were constructed, the first of which (No. 1) was completed and 
opened in the year 1800, and the second, now called No. 2 Dock, was opened 
in the year 1826. 
These docks are situated on the south-west side of Clarendon Dock, and are 
found to be of great service for the repairing of vessels of small draft and 
tonnage. Their gencral dimensions are as follow :—- 
Dock No. 1. 
ie aE 
ERM TLOOES oo ease tie «tun s t's 8 85 «tk ee 245 0 
(ETI na a aR ce 252 6 
PRAT TOD oa ote oc Ae, day vids ko 6a ss oyn eye ns 50 0 
SRG AMGEh AG ORO oie sce ways e, sc.s, ye icue eye ns 3a 6 
Level of sill above datum ................ ibe, 
Depth of dock from coping to floor.......... 14 0 
UG GL CRAIGS a aes i gna ao tA sagh os os pe oe te 30 0 
Dock No. 2. 
TU ee 1 gg a Per a fe 
PP SEUNG See ata a ale duds patted 6.0) <[5-0\5, 200m ee 2 299 0 
SRA MO bh LO essaaionsa.d5n, od. vas) G50 Fd cg basaeetenentigs 58 0 
PIGAGt Di MORCO ein ¥a cig his ae hte cto oy 6 bt 0 
| A ee ee renee mer ee datum 
(which is 3 ft. above the Ordnance datum) 
IDRC COR orcs) s0s.c;0 tue 163.65, disuse oes sue 15 6 
UR aR aa a5. mo Baars ayes, « Di Gens 36 0 
In the year 1826 Mr. John Rennie reported upon the state of the harbour 
with a view to its being extended and improved, and in the year 1829 Mr. 
Telford reported for a similar purpose. Mr. Rennie again reported in 1829. 
No action, however, was taken on either of these reports, and the improve- 
ment of the harbour was consequently delayed until a report and plan had 
been received from Messrs. Walker and Burgess in the year 1830, which plan 
was adopted by the Commissioners, and received the royal assent in the year 
1831. Obstacles were, however, thrown in the way of procuring the neces- 
sary funds to carry out the work, and the result was an application to Parlia- 
ment, in the year 1837, for a new Act, Ist Vic. cap. 76, which was acceded 
to; and the works directed to be undertaken in connexion therewith were :;— 
