140 



Rye and Dericent Drainage. 



to any great extent, inasmuch as his own estate had a complete 

 system of drainage effected at his own cost, with its outfall below 

 the lowest of the mill-dams. 



The following is a summary of the entire cost of compensation 

 which was agreed to be accepted by the millowners : — 



£. s. 



Cost of steam-engines .... 3,500 0 



The fee-simple of maintaining them . . 13,382 5 



Compensation for damage to mills, &c. . . 3,367 15 



20,250 0 



Equal to 289Z. 55. ^d. per horse-powder. 



Such were the terms upon which the Commissioners succeeded 

 in procuring the removal of the three mill-dams. 



Having now gone through most of the details of the operations 

 of the Commissioners, and explained the best way I am able 

 the principles upon which the valuation of the water-power and 

 its substitution by steam-power was made, and the mode in 

 which the land was assessed and the money expended, I must, 

 before I conclude this paper, lay before the reader my opinion of 

 the effect which has been produced, and the amount of success 

 which has crow^ned their efforts ; because success is ever more 

 tempting to imitation, than is the enunciation of the truest 

 principles untested by practice, and because there are not wanting 

 those who even deny the benefits so manifestly received if they 

 have to pay for them, though, as the assessments get gradually 

 liquidated, the complainants become fewer and fewer ; and I 

 doubt not in the end, that the work of this drainage, which I 

 have endeavoured to describe and to hold out as an example to 

 other districts, will be considered as the very greatest benefit, in 

 an agricultural as well as in a sanitary point of view, which this 

 district of Yorkshire has ever received. 



That floods would be altogether obviated was never contem- 

 plated or expected even by the most sanguine ; but the result 

 has been that when they do occur, they have been very much 

 less both in extent and duration. In fact, two or three days will 

 now run off the highest floods we have ; and instead of the 

 country, in the basin of the vale, lying under water the greater 

 part of winter, which when an autumn flood occurred was in- 

 variably the case, the water is now within the banks of the rivers 

 in a few hours. 



To give your readers some idea of the volume and violence of 

 the floods, to which this vale before the removal of these obstruc- 

 tions of art was subject, I may be allowed a short digression. 

 It happens that the confluence of the two rivers is in the very 

 centre of the vale, at the lowest level of the basin, each running 



