164 Account of the Welland Canal. 



company have power to construct a towing path on the Ni- 

 agara river, from Fort Erie to the Welland, and thence up 

 ten miles, until it intersects the canal by which vessels may 

 enter, or return without any obstruction from lake Erie, by 

 passing the ship lock now constructed at Black Rock. 



The other entrance by the mouth of the Grand river, 

 has been already described, and the advantages expected from 

 this connexion will be mentioned hereafter. — In either case 

 Lake Erie will serve as a feeder, which by coming in at one 

 end of the canal will always afford an equal and abundant 

 supply of water, and the same supply may be made use of 

 on each level to any extent for hydraulic purposes, which 

 will form a productive branch of revenue, as there are no 

 mill seats on the peninsula except the Falls of Niagara. 



The natural advantages which the route possesses, can be 

 more fully understood by the following abstract of distances. 



Natural Artificial 

 M. C. M. C. 



From lake Erie to the marsh on Grand 

 river and broad creek, - - 2 38 



Entire cut through the marsh and mill 

 creek, ..... 12 40 



To River Welland, - - 10 



12 38 12 40 

 From River Welland to Lake Ontario 

 including reservoirs and ravines, - 1 1 26 6 15 



Total, 23 64 18 55 

 The wide surface afforded by these ravines and reservoirs 

 will make the canal appear more like a large river than an 

 artificial navigation. 



Another remarkable feature in this navigation is, that by 

 throwing a dam over and constructing a lock in the Wel- 

 land river below the entrance of the canal, and raising the 

 locks two feet, the water may be raised throughout the ca- 

 nal to a depth of ten feet, with very little additional expense; 

 the towing path is now raised four feet above the surface in 

 situations where excavation is necessary, with a view to this 

 extension, whenever it may be found desirable. 



We have been thus minute in describing the geographical 

 situation of this canal through the Peninsula and its progress 

 and prospects, as it has seldom been noticed, and its utility 

 is likely to be tested by actual experiment before it will be 

 fairly before the public. 



