ON THE BELFAST HARBOUR. 121 
Channel. This, the second portion of the channel executed, lies between the 
Twin Islands, which were formed by the material excavated from the bed of 
the second cut, and cast up so as to form a sea-slope of about 4 feet horizontal 
to 1 foot vertical, the channel faces of which:slope were protected by a heavy 
facing of stone-pitching. The length of this cut is about 3300 feet, the 
width at top being about 450 feet, with a depth of about 23 feet at high 
water, and the amount expended in its formation was £41,000. 
The next work of importance which was proceeded with was the rebuilding 
of the county Antrim quays from the Queen’s Bridge to Dunbar’s or Prince’s 
Dock, and their extension, or the formation of new quays, from that point 
to the Milewater River, the latter portion being commenced and completed 
in the year 1847—the entire quays being handed over by the contractor, 
Mr. Cranston Gregg, complete during the year 1848, their cost being about 
£44,390. This work is composed of timber facing, similar to that adopted 
on the Queen’s Quay, and the entire designed with a view to having about 
10 feet of water close to the quay at low tide. 
In the year 1847 the construction of a patent slip was commenced on the 
south end of the Queen’s Island. This slip is 560 feet in length, and 
was designed so as to be capable of taking on vessels of 1000 tons burthen. 
It is worked by a twenty horse-power steam-engine, with hauling machinery. 
The cost of the entire work in connexion with the slip was about £16,753. 
The work was completed and opened for traffic early in 1849. In the year 
1847, owing to improvements then in contemplation and in course of 
progress, it became necessary to procure a new steam-dredger in addition to 
the one then in the Commissioners’ possession. The new machine was con- 
structed in that year by Messrs. Coates and Young, and was provided with a 
twenty horse-power engine ; the cost of the new machine was £5260, The 
way in which the dredgers were principally employed at this time was in 
deepening of the river between the new wharves, and the material raised was 
used for filling up the spaces between the old and new Ballymacarrett quays, 
filling up the old town dock at the foot of High Street, and other old docks 
on the county Antrim side of the harbour, and in backing up the new quay 
of the first cut of the channel, now called Albert Quay. 
In the year 1847 a second timber-pond was constructed on the county 
Antrim side of the river, and is situated convenient to Prince’s Dock and 
Albert Quay. This pond was made by Mr. Dargan in a field adjoining the 
old pond, about 20,000 cubic yards of stuff being removed in its formation. 
The only additional works worthy of notice which were undertaken in the 
year 1848 were the erection of a stone beacon on the tail of the west bank 
at Garmoyle, at a cost of £218, and the construction of a wrought-iron 
swing-bridge to span the entrance to the then Graving-Dock Basin, at a cost 
of about £1351. These works were completed during the year 1849. 
In the year 1849, in order to meet the growing requirements of a very 
important class of shipping, such as the moderate-sized vessels carrying 
valuable cargoes from the Mediterranean and Baltic ports, it was determined 
to extend the basin in front of the graving-docks. This work was proceeded 
with, the basin being extended in a southward direction so as to form a dock, 
which in 1850 was designated the Clarendon Dock. In the same year, 1849, 
the old tidal docks, situated at the foot of Waring Street and Great George’s 
Street, were filled up, and the spaces occupied by them thrown open to the 
public. 
Prior to the commencement of the improvements embraced in the Act of 
1837, the cost of dredging had always formed a large item in the annual 
