Account of the Wetland Canal. 161 



From the termination of the deep cut, to that part where 

 the mountain descends (or lock No. 1 , as it is called, although 

 it is properly No. 2,) the distance is four miles and twenty 

 three chains. The land is undulating, and composed alter- 

 nately of ridges and ravines, running from east to west, at 

 right angles with the Canal ; the ravines are generally below 

 bottom level, and by throwing an embankment on the west 

 side of the Canal, they afford large and spacious reservoirs, 

 embracing in all about two miles in length. The cutting 

 through these ridges is light, except one at the brow of the 

 mountain, which, in a distance of twenty chains, averages 

 near twenty feet. This part of the Canal is finished, except 

 ten thousand cubic yards of excavation, which will be remo- 

 ved in April next ; there are three small culverts of masonry 

 on this summit, one with a span of five feet, the others of 

 three feet each ; four twin bridges will cross the Canal, the 

 butments of which will be forty feet apart ; the guard lock, 

 and the one between the Grand and Welland rivers will be 

 forty feet in width and one hundred and twenty five in length, 

 so that any steam boat may approach this point by either 

 route, that is, from lake Erie by the Niagara river and the 

 Welland, or from lake Erie by the Grand river. 



From lock No. 1, the Canal continues in a ravine fifty 

 three chains, gradually descending by four locks of twenty 

 two feet width — thence for one mile and fifty five chains it 

 curves round the brow or break of the mountain to the left, 

 and again to the right, for the purpose of extending the dis- 

 tance to admit a pound between each lock, and maintain the 

 same gradual and convenient descent. There are seventeen 

 locks in this distance, and sixty thousand yards of rock ex- 

 cavation, which is all removed, and is all that was met with 

 between the lakes ; the excavation is nearly all finished, and 

 the locks in a forward state. 



From this, the Canal enters another ravine to St. Catha- 

 rines, a distance of two and a half miles, in which there are 

 twelve locks of twenty two feet width ; the banks are high, 

 and the same easy descent is maintained throughout — the 

 work on this part is likewise nearly all finished — this may be 

 termed the mountain descent, as in a distance of four miles 

 and seventy two and a half chains, from lock No. 1, there 

 are thirty two locks, with a declination of three hundred and 

 twenty two feet — their dimensions are one hundred feet length 



Vol. XIV.— No. 1. 21 



