﻿594 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  necessary 
  to 
  guard 
  with 
  scrupulous 
  care, 
  and, 
  not 
  unfrequently, 
  

   at 
  enormous 
  expense, 
  against 
  those 
  floods, 
  which, 
  pouring 
  a 
  tor- 
  

   rent 
  into 
  a 
  canal, 
  and 
  tearing 
  down 
  its 
  banks, 
  might 
  at 
  once 
  

   destroy 
  the 
  navigation 
  and 
  inundate 
  the 
  country. 
  

  

  Moreover, 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  that 
  canals 
  depending 
  on 
  rivers, 
  fre- 
  

   quently, 
  like 
  the 
  rivers 
  themselves, 
  want 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  when 
  

   it 
  is 
  necessary. 
  Indeed, 
  to 
  suppose 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  a 
  river, 
  when 
  

   turned 
  into 
  a 
  canal, 
  will 
  remain 
  the 
  same, 
  would 
  lead 
  to 
  serious 
  

   disappointment. 
  

  

  Much 
  must 
  be 
  allowed 
  for 
  evaporation, 
  and, 
  notwithstanding 
  

   the 
  utmost 
  care, 
  more 
  will 
  filter 
  through 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  bottom 
  of 
  

   a 
  canal 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  a 
  river, 
  which 
  are 
  generally 
  saturated. 
  ' 
  

  

  Thus, 
  then, 
  two 
  prominent 
  evils 
  present 
  themselves 
  in 
  feeding 
  

   from 
  rivers, 
  viz., 
  in 
  spring, 
  they 
  pour 
  in 
  too 
  much 
  water, 
  and 
  can 
  

   afford 
  none 
  in 
  autumn, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  most 
  needed. 
  There 
  is 
  still 
  

   another 
  evil, 
  which 
  though 
  not 
  so 
  imminent, 
  becomes 
  eventually 
  

   of 
  serious 
  moment. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  country 
  shall 
  be 
  cultivated, 
  streams 
  swollen 
  by 
  

   showers 
  will 
  bring 
  down 
  mixed 
  with 
  their 
  waters 
  a 
  proportion 
  of 
  

   mud, 
  and 
  that, 
  in 
  the 
  stillness 
  of 
  a 
  level 
  canal, 
  will 
  subside, 
  and 
  

   choke 
  it 
  up. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  to 
  be 
  noted 
  by 
  those 
  who 
  shall 
  construct 
  

   canals 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  that 
  the 
  true 
  character 
  of 
  a 
  river 
  cannot 
  

   now 
  be 
  known. 
  Large 
  tracts 
  (for 
  instance, 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  Genesee), 
  

   which 
  appear 
  as 
  swamps, 
  and 
  through 
  which 
  causeways 
  of 
  logs 
  

   are 
  laid 
  for 
  roads, 
  will 
  become 
  dry 
  fields, 
  Avhen 
  no 
  longer 
  shaded 
  

   (as 
  at 
  present) 
  by 
  forests 
  impervious 
  to 
  the 
  sun. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  progress 
  of 
  industry, 
  swamps 
  (the 
  present 
  reservoirs 
  of 
  

   permanent 
  springs 
  that 
  burst 
  out 
  on 
  a 
  lower 
  surface) 
  will 
  be 
  

   drained, 
  whereby 
  many 
  of 
  those 
  springs 
  will 
  be 
  dried. 
  Of 
  such 
  

   as 
  remain, 
  a 
  part 
  will 
  be 
  used 
  to 
  irrigate 
  inclined 
  planes. 
  

  

  Moreover 
  in 
  every 
  place 
  tolerably 
  convenient 
  ponds 
  will 
  be 
  

   collected 
  for 
  mills 
  and 
  other 
  machinery, 
  from 
  whose 
  surface, 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  soil, 
  the 
  sun 
  will 
  exhale 
  an 
  ample 
  tribute 
  

   of 
  vapor. 
  

  

  Thus 
  the 
  summer 
  supply 
  of 
  rivers 
  will 
  be 
  in 
  part 
  destroyed, 
  

   and 
  in 
  part 
  consumed, 
  whereby 
  their 
  present 
  autumnal 
  penury 
  

   must 
  be 
  further 
  enhanced. 
  But 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  the 
  careful 
  hus- 
  

   bandman 
  and 
  miller 
  will 
  open 
  every 
  ditch 
  and 
  sluice 
  to 
  get 
  rid 
  of 
  

   that 
  water, 
  which 
  though 
  at 
  other 
  times 
  a 
  kind 
  friend 
  and 
  faith- 
  

   ful 
  servant, 
  is 
  then 
  a 
  dangerous 
  enemy 
  and 
  imperious 
  master. 
  

  

  Of 
  course, 
  much 
  of 
  what 
  is 
  now 
  withheld 
  for 
  many 
  days, 
  will 
  

   then 
  be 
  suddenly 
  poured 
  out. 
  The 
  torrents 
  must 
  therefore 
  rage 
  

   with 
  greater 
  fury 
  hereafter 
  than 
  they 
  do 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  day. 
  

  

  Considerations 
  like 
  these, 
  while 
  they 
  cast 
  a 
  shade 
  over 
  many 
  

   contemplated 
  enterprises, 
  give 
  by 
  contrast 
  a 
  glowing 
  hue 
  to 
  that 
  

  

  