CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS. XXV. 
timber trestles were over 60 feet high in some places, and 
the pipes which had tobe hoisted and laid upon them weighed 
about two tons each. At Guilford, the flume two miles in 
length, wasan imposing pieceof work, the trestles and frame- 
work being of oregon and the troughof galvanized corrugated 
iron bent into a half circle, was for a considerable distance 
from 70 to 90 feet above the ground. Special machinery, 
at short notice, had to be provided for making the wrought 
iron pipes, which were in 20 feet lengths, made of sheet 
iron about +s of an inch thick, rivetted together, one end 
being tapered to make a telescopic joint of about 5 inches, 
each pipe being dipped in a compositicn of asphaltum and 
tar. At the crossing of Duck Creek, it had been arranged 
that the Government would supply the necessary 36 inch 
cast iron pipes, to cover that portion of the line where the 
pressure would be greatest; but as these were not forth- 
coming, Hudson Brothers at the last moment had to make 
30 inch wrought iron pipes in substitution, and it was here 
that the greatest difficulty occurred in making the joints 
tight, which caused considerable delay in the completion — 
of the work, and the water did not commence to flow into 
Botany until January 15th, 1886, or 24 months beyond the 
contract time. 
Difficulty in Maintaining the Supply from Botany.— 
The completion of the temporary scheme gave consider- 
able relief, as the rainfall had continued to be deficient, 
and the drought having lasted for six years, the greatest 
anxiety was experienced, the authorities being at their 
wits end to devise means to maintain the supply from 
Botany. In December 1885, in consequence of the delay 
in bringing in the water by the temporary scheme, exten- 
Sive trenching operations were undertaken in the sand beds 
to augment the supply and lead it to the pumps, and the 
Bunnerong swamps were laid under contribution to the 
