154 
Captain Halfs Account of the Dundee Ferry. 
ing the steam-boat. The wages of the engineer, six seamen, 
and a fireman, is about - L. 800 0 0 
The expenditure of coals is about 1000 tons annu- 
ally, say, - - TOO 0 0 
The wear and tear, including interest, - 000 0 0 
Incidental expences, - - 5T 0 0 
Salaries of the superintendant and collector, includ- 
ing their houses, say, - - 200 0 0 
Making annually about, L. 2400 0 0 
The funds for improving the Dundee Ferry, to the extent of 
L. 7000, were advanced by private individuals, previous to the 
passing of the second act of Parliament. The interest to be 
paid on this sum was fixed at 5 per cent, by the first act- When 
the second act was in progress, some of the lenders petitioned to 
be relieved from their obligations, and the sums they had lent 
were, in consequence, repaid them. On the Exchequer loan 
bill being passed, the trustees of the ferry obtained from the 
Commissioners a loan of L. 18,000, and lately, the additional sum 
of L. 6000, making in all L. 24,000, for which ^ per cent, inte- 
rest is to be paid, and 7 per cent, per annum to be appropriated 
as a sinking fund, for liquidation of the principal sum due to 
Government. A bond has been granted, making this debt pre- 
ferable over the whole property and revenue of the trust ; and 
stipulating, also, that the whole of the money lent by the Ex- 
chequer, shall be applied to the erection of the works exclusive- 
No private pecuniary interests appear to have been served by 
this establishment. The public, in point of fact, derive the whole 
benefit arising from it, as the fares for crossing goods and passen- 
gers have in no case been raised, although the facilities of the fer- 
ry have been immeasurably increased, not only as to the traffic 
which formerly occupied the passage, but in the certain convey- 
ance of cattle, sheep and horses, the transport of which was 
heretofore almost unknown. 
Thus, these great improvements have at last virtually united 
two great districts of the country, by converting into an easy and 
