at Hohart Toicn, 2Qth and 27 ih February, 1854. 5 



It would be very desirable to institute a series of experi- 

 ments during the course of next winter for determining tbe 

 area of discbarge more accurately ; tbe experiments would 

 require but very little preparation or attention : it would be 

 desirable to clear tbe bed of tbe creek at two points above 

 Wellington Bridge and tbe Campbell-street Bridge, at, say 

 100 feet apart, so as to give tbe water a fair run over the 

 bottom, to determine accurately tbe section of tbe creek at 

 these two points, and the difference of level or fall of the 

 bed between them ; a scale of feet and inches being then 

 marked plainly on tbe sides of the creek at tbose points, any 

 ordinary observer could note down, from hour to hour, the 

 rise or fall of the water, and thus obtain tbe necessary data 

 for obtaining not only the quantity of water passing, but, 

 when taken in connection with the observations of the rain 

 guage, of forming a very fair approximation to the length of 

 time which the water takes to reacb the point of observation. 

 When a sufficient number of experiments have been made 

 to justify the assumption of the average of tbe results as a 

 mean to be depended upon, it may become a matter of con- 

 sideration whether steps might not be taken to intercept a 

 large portion of the water which is forced through the 

 rivulet in winter, and to retain it for the use of the inhabi- 

 tants during the dry summer months. 



A scheme of this kind, if carried out with judgment and 

 boldness, would not only relieve the lower parts of the town 

 from the risk of being flooded, but would afford an ample 

 supply of water, available at all times for the extinction of 

 fires, or for the more ordinary purposes of domestic economy. 

 This, however, is a matter for future consideration, and I 

 will not enlarge upon it at present. I propose to take steps 

 to record the observations to which I have alluded above, 

 and shall submit the results to the Society when they have 

 been determined. 



