The Courfe of laying the Great Waters Dry. 
BEFORE I come to the bufinefs of fith, I will finifh what 
I had to fay about ponds, and the condué of them; and of 
that only remains to fpeak of the courfe of laying them dry. 
As for the fmaller waters, I have touched what concerns 
them already; as for the greater, or principal ponds, proceed 
thus: 
In OGober, or after, draw the fluice of the firft made pond, 
and lay it as dry as poflible you can. It may be the fluice, 
efpecially if the pond be many acres, will not vent the water 
fuddenly. That is of no great import, becaufe, as the waters 
fall, you wiil have opportunity of ffhing with nets, and fo 
clear the fifh by degrees; which left to the laft, will be too 
great a burden to clear, and will not be done without damage; 
befides, the hurry will diforder every thing. If the fluice will 
not vent all the water from the pan, a labourer or two will 
foon throw it out with feuppets. Here you find the ufe of 
the channels of diverfion, fpoke of before; for they will keep 
off all land-waters, if the time fhould prove rainy, and fo per- 
mit the pond to empty, and continue dry, which you could 
not anfwer for a day without them; and therefore they fhould 
be made on both fides of the waters, on each hill one, which 
will defend the fhot of thefe hills, that otherwife would retard 
the work. 
When your pond is dry, and thus fecured, keep it fo all 
G 2 fummer, 
