Some Notes on the Rideau Canal. 469 
commission, he, on the 13th July, 1826, urged Gen. Mann 
to adapt the work to the use of steam power, including the 
enlargement of the locks to admit vessels of 130 feet in 
length. This was vigorously opposed by Sir J. C. Smyth, 
with the result that Col. By was directed to commence 
construction on the original lines. 
About the middle of September, 1826, Col. By and his 
assistant, Lieut. Pooley, reached Hull, and shortly after- 
wards inaugnrated the work by laying out the entrance of 
the canal at ‘“‘ Sleigh Bay,” its present location under the 
shadow of the eastern block of the parliamentary build- 
ings. The importance of the occasion was signalized by 
the arrival, a few days afterwards, of the Governor, Earl 
Dalhousie, who formally approved of the location selected. 
The first steps taken in actual construction consisted in 
the building of a bridge across the Ottawa River fronting 
the Chaudiére Falls, on the site of the present iron bridge, 
in order to get in material and supplies, the erection of 
barracks for the men and magazines for stores, and the 
construction of a‘road from the Chaudiére Falls to Long 
Island, on the Rideau River. These works were completed 
by the close of 1827, excepting the bridge, which was not 
opened until a year later. In the construction of these 
works we first meet with the names of the men who built 
the more important structures of the canal—the Hon. Thos. 
McKay of Bytown, Jonn Redpath of Montreal, and Robert 
Drummond of Kingston. 
In 1827 the chief contracts were given out—Mr, Penny- 
father taking the excavation for the first eight locks at the 
Ottawa River end, Mr. McKay the construction of these 
eight locks, as well as those at Hartwell’s and Hogsback, 
Mr. Redpath the great works at Jones Falls, Messrs. Fene- 
lon & Henderson the earth excavation and grading from 
the entrance locks to Dow’s Swamp and thence to Hogs- 
back, whilst Mr. Robert Drummond had the Kingston Mills 
locks and the extensive dykes and dam near there. 
On the 26th October, 1827, Col. By, with the experience 
