﻿64 
  Tramactions. 
  — 
  Miscellaneous, 
  

  

  This 
  was 
  so 
  patent 
  to 
  ourselves 
  that 
  we 
  had 
  scarcely 
  anticipated 
  a 
  most 
  

   distant 
  demur 
  from 
  any 
  quarter. 
  Leaving 
  this 
  portion 
  then, 
  and 
  proceeding 
  

   to 
  what 
  we 
  suggest 
  as 
  being 
  the 
  vital 
  point 
  of 
  misunderstanding 
  between 
  the 
  

   Thames 
  Conservancy 
  and 
  Metropolitan 
  Board, 
  viz., 
  the 
  interruption 
  of 
  navi- 
  

   gation, 
  we 
  will 
  tarry 
  a 
  little 
  to 
  examine 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  official 
  surveys, 
  admitted 
  to 
  be^correct 
  by 
  both 
  parties, 
  show 
  changes 
  . 
  

   going 
  on 
  in 
  the 
  river-bed 
  near 
  Barking 
  Creek 
  and 
  Crossness, 
  but 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  

   shallowed 
  camiot 
  be 
  stated. 
  

  

  The 
  cross-sections 
  at 
  Crossness 
  show 
  a 
  bank 
  as 
  increasing 
  on 
  the 
  Kent 
  

   side 
  (that 
  is 
  the 
  side 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  sewage 
  falls) 
  ; 
  and 
  at 
  Barking 
  Creek, 
  a 
  

   bank 
  increasing 
  on 
  the 
  Essex 
  side 
  (that 
  is 
  the 
  side 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  sewage 
  

   there 
  falls). 
  But 
  in 
  both 
  cases 
  a 
  deepening 
  to 
  an 
  equal 
  extent 
  has 
  taken 
  

   place 
  at 
  the 
  opposite 
  sides 
  of 
  shallowing. 
  The 
  section 
  lines 
  are 
  given 
  for 
  

   the 
  years 
  1861, 
  1867, 
  and 
  1876. 
  At 
  Crossness 
  the 
  soundings 
  of 
  1861, 
  on 
  

   the 
  Kent 
  or 
  outfall 
  side, 
  show 
  a 
  decrease 
  of 
  10 
  feet, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  ; 
  but 
  on 
  

   the 
  Essex 
  side 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  like 
  quantity. 
  At 
  Barking 
  Creek, 
  similar 
  

   changes 
  have 
  taken 
  place, 
  but 
  to 
  a 
  less 
  degree. 
  Thus 
  exact 
  data 
  do 
  not 
  

   indicate 
  danger 
  of 
  closing 
  to 
  the 
  channel 
  of 
  the 
  Thames, 
  but 
  only 
  alteration 
  

   of 
  its 
  bed. 
  That 
  this 
  alteration 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  influence 
  brought 
  to 
  bear 
  

   on 
  it, 
  viz., 
  the 
  issue 
  of 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  drain 
  detritus, 
  we 
  think 
  will 
  be 
  

   admitted 
  by 
  all 
  unprejudiced 
  persons. 
  

  

  But 
  that 
  the 
  navigation 
  of 
  the 
  Thames 
  will 
  be 
  affected 
  from 
  the 
  issue 
  of 
  

   the 
  di'ainage 
  of 
  a 
  district 
  at 
  points 
  higher 
  or 
  lower, 
  or 
  the 
  converse, 
  we 
  are 
  

   not 
  prepared, 
  beyond 
  a 
  certain 
  point, 
  to 
  admit. 
  If 
  the 
  present 
  drainage 
  

   were 
  not 
  issued 
  at 
  Barking 
  Creek 
  and 
  Crossness, 
  it 
  would 
  have 
  issued 
  above 
  

   and 
  below 
  London 
  Bridge, 
  carrying 
  with 
  it 
  the 
  same 
  quantity 
  of 
  matter 
  and 
  

   sediment 
  into 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  in 
  an 
  equal 
  degree, 
  and 
  no 
  more 
  ; 
  depositing 
  the 
  

   heavier 
  particles 
  in 
  the 
  beds 
  or 
  along 
  the 
  banks 
  continuously; 
  but 
  at 
  the 
  

   same 
  time 
  continuously 
  acted 
  on 
  by 
  floods 
  and 
  tides, 
  spreading 
  it 
  out 
  from 
  

   landward 
  to 
  seaward 
  in 
  that 
  equilibrium 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  natural 
  forces 
  at 
  work. 
  

  

  Thus, 
  in 
  the 
  interests 
  of 
  Thames 
  navigation, 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  outfall 
  at 
  

   London, 
  or 
  at 
  Crossness, 
  14 
  miles 
  below 
  it, 
  is 
  of 
  very 
  little 
  consequence. 
  

   If 
  one 
  deteriorate 
  passage 
  of 
  shipping, 
  so 
  would 
  the 
  other 
  ; 
  but 
  if 
  either 
  can 
  

   be 
  proved 
  to 
  do 
  so, 
  then 
  the 
  City 
  of 
  London 
  would 
  be 
  bound 
  to 
  seek 
  another 
  

   area 
  for 
  the 
  deposit 
  of 
  its 
  offal. 
  This 
  contingency 
  appears 
  not 
  yet 
  to 
  have 
  

   arisen. 
  

  

  In 
  prosecuting 
  my 
  enquiries, 
  on 
  the 
  2nd 
  August 
  last, 
  I 
  proceeded 
  to 
  

   Abbey 
  Wood, 
  near 
  to 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  outlet 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  London 
  drainage, 
  on 
  

   a 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  called 
  Crossness. 
  I 
  arrived 
  there 
  at 
  about 
  noon, 
  and 
  was 
  

   taken 
  over 
  the 
  works 
  by 
  the 
  manager. 
  The 
  works 
  are 
  situated 
  on 
  a 
  raised 
  

  

  