702 
On  the  Fanning  of  Somerset. 
But  the  greatest  evil  is  the  want  of  proper  means  for  drawing 
off  the  water,  which  is  owing  partly  to  natural  and  partly  to 
artificial  defects. 
First  and  foremost  is  the  smallness  of  the  channel  of  the  River 
Parret,  between  Langport  and  Boroughbridge.  If  sections  of 
the  channels  of  the  Yeo,  of  the  lie,  and  of  the  Parret  be  taken 
above  Langport,  the  areas  of  the  three  sections  added  together 
would  cover  double  the  area  of  the  section  of  the  main  channel 
into  which  those  rivers  flow.  Up  this  narrow  channel  as  far  as 
Langport  flows  the  tide  from  the  sea,  carrying  with  it  during 
the  time  of  flood-tide  all  the  waters  of  the  Tone  valley. 
Secondly,  the  artificial  drainage  of  King’s  Sedgemoor  is  very 
deficient.  In  principle,  the  plan  of  this  drainage  is  good,  with  a 
view  to  the  ultimate  adoption  of  a general  system,  for  it  has 
diverted  the  downfall  waters  of  the  Cary  river,  which  used  to 
find  their  way  into  the  Parret  near  Boroughbridge,  and  to  that 
extent  the  main  river  is  relieved.  But  the  King’s  Sedgemoor 
Cut  was  not  originally  made  large  enough,  and  its  bridges  were 
of  too  small  a span.  Its  outlet  was  wrongly  placed  in  conse- 
quence of  the  opposition  of  one  powerful  landowner,  and  is  not 
as  low  as  it  ought  to  be.  Some  improvements,  however,  have 
lately  taken  place.  The  sluice  has  been  lowered  20  inches,  and 
some  of  the  bridges  widened. 
Plans  of  Improvement. — It  would  require  a combination  of 
engineering  skill  and  exact  local  observation,  neither  of  which 
I can  pretend  to  possess,  in  order  to  decide  what  is  the  best 
remedy  for  these  evils.  I can  only  attempt  to  state  the  opinions 
of  others,  and  to  indicate  certain  principles  which  ought  to  he  kept 
in  view. 
A very  able  Report  on  the  state  of  King’s  Sedgemoor  (exclusively  con- 
sidered) was  drawn  up  by  an  eminent  engineer,  Mr.  Glyn,  in  the  year  1842. 
He  suggested  two  plans : the  one,  to  improve  the  outfall  of  the  King’s 
Sedgemoor  cut,  by  altering  the  situation  of  the  sluice  so  as  to  gain  four 
feet  more  fall,  and  make  an  improved  cut  from  Bawdrip  Bridge  to  the 
sluice  ; the  other,  to  turn  the  lower  part  of  the  present  cul  into  a reservoir, 
into  which  the  water  might  be  pumped  over  a barrier  by  steam,  the 
reservoir  clearing  itself  with  the  ebb  tide  These  suggestions  have  refer- 
ence to  King's  Sedgemoor  alone,  and  make  no  provision  for  warping  the 
land  with  thick  water  in  winter. 
A plan  has  also  been  laid  before  the  Commissioners  of  Sewers  for 
making  a barrier  against  the  tide,  just  above  Bridgewater,  which  would 
imply  very  complicated  and  expensive  arrangements  to  combine  the  inte- 
rests of  the  navigation  and  the  drainage. 
Another  plan  has  been  suggested  by  Mr.  Perrott,  a yeoman  who  resides 
on  his  own  property  in  the  Marsh,  which,  if  it  be  practicable,  appears  to 
fulfil  more  nearly  than  any  other  the  conditions  of  a comprehensive  mea- 
sure. It  is,  to  construct  large  catchwater-drains,  by  which  the  waters  above 
Langport,  on  reaching  a certain  height,  shall  be  diverted  round  the  base  of 
Ham  Hill  on  the  north,  and  the  waters  of  the  Tone  Valley  in  like  manner 
