C A N 
The toll> or one fhiljing and five* pence halfpenny, and three, 
-halfpence per ton, payable to this company by 25 Geo. HI. 
/or certain goods palling out of or into the Dudley canal, 
are reduced to the Aim of eleven-pence per ton, which is 
eaclufive of the cuftornary rate of one penny per ton. The 
cut from Bloomfield to Deepfield being completed, this 
company are entitled to receive for the tonnage and wharf¬ 
age of all done, timber, wares, &c. (except coal, coak, 
iron-done, lime, and lime-done,) carried upon any part of 
this canal between the junftion of the Dudley and this ca¬ 
nal and Atherley, and which fiiall pal's through the tunnel 
on the Dudley canal, the fame rates as Inch done, See. 
would be liable to pay to this company, if the fame had 
been carried into or out of the Birmingham canal by way 
of Atherley. 
Stroud Canal into the Severn. 
After feveral attempts, rendered unfuccefsful by the 
oppofition of the millers, a navigation from Stroud to the 
Severn has been effected by means of a new canal, where- 
by the old river is as much as podible avoided, and the 
interference with the mills prevented. Its cottrfe, begin¬ 
ning at Bad-Brook, near tire town of Stroud, patfes on to 
Cain’s Grofs, by-Ebley, and acro-fs the main read at Stone 
Crofs, and by Stone Houle, near Rycot Mill, and to Lock- 
ham-bridge ; erodes the river near Whitmi’nder Mill, and 
goes into tlie river Severn at Framiload, being in length 
iomewhat more than eight miles, and falls one hundred 
and two feet. 
Droitwich Canal. 
'The courfe of this canal begins in the town of Droit¬ 
wich, in the county .of Worcelfer, and near Appletree 
Hill, whence it proceeds to Bryer’s Mill, and over Fal- 
iham-PiU Brook to SaUvarp, over Martin Brook by Hill 
End, through Ladywood, over Atterburn Brook, by Ja¬ 
cob’s Ladder and Hawfordrough to Hill Top, and acrofs 
the road from Kidderminfler to Worcelfer, by Hawford- 
houfe into the river Severn, near the place where the lit¬ 
tle river Sal warp joins the Severn, being a navigable courfe 
of five miles and five furlongs, and a full of fifty-fix feet 
fix inches. 
Junction of the Thames and Severn. 
The Thames is the fined river in Great Britain, and 
takes its rile from a copious fpring, called Thames Head, 
two miles fouth-wed of Cirencefter in Gloucederfhire. 
About a mile below the fouce of the river is the fird corn 
mill, which is called Kemble Mill. Here the river may 
properly be faid to form a conlfant current; which, though 
not more than nine feet wide in dimmer, yet in the winter 
becomes fuch a torrent as to overflow the meadows for 
many miles around. But, in the dimmer, the Thames 
Head'is fo dry, as to appear nothing but a large dell, in- 
terfperfed with ftones and weeds. From Somerford the 
ftream winds, to Cricklade, where it unites'with many other 
rivulets. Approaching Kemsford, it again enters its na¬ 
tive county, dividing it from Berkflfire at Inglelham. It 
widens confiderably in its way to Lechlade ; and being 
there joined by the Lech and Coin, at the diffance of 138 
miles from London, it becomes navigable for veflels of 
ninety tons. At Enfliam, in its courfe north-ead, to Ox¬ 
ford, is the fird bridge of done, built by the earl of Ab¬ 
ingdon. Fading by the ruins of Goddow nunnery, the 
river reaches Oxford, in whofe academic^groves its poeti¬ 
cal name of Ifis has been fo often invoked. Being there 
joined by the Charweil, it proceeds fouth-eaft to Abing¬ 
don, and thence to Dorcbefter, where it receives the Tame. 
Continuing its courfe fouth-eaft by Wallingford to Reading, 
and forming a boundary to the counties c>f Berks, Bucks, 
Surry, Middlefex, Effex, and Kent, it warhes the towns of 
Henley, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windfall, Eton, Egham, 
Staines, Laleham, Chertfey, Weybridge, Shepperton, Wal¬ 
ton, Sunbury, Eaft and Weft Moulfey, Hampton, Thames 
Ditton, Kingfton, Tcddington, Twickenham, Richmond, 
Vol. HI. No. 155. 
A L. 6 7 ) 
Ifleworth, Brentford, Kcv, Mortlake, Barnes, Chi/wickf, 
RammerfVmth, Putney, Fulham, Wandfw'ortli, ‘Batterfra, 
Chelfea, and Lambeth. Then, on the north'bank of the 
river, are Weftminfter and London, and, on th.c oppefife 
fide, Southwark; forming together one continued city, ex¬ 
tending to Limehoufe and Deptford ; and hence the river 
proceeds to Greenwich, Erith, Greenhithe, Gray’s Titur- 
rock, Grave fend, and Leigh, into the ocean. It receive:.- 
in its courfe to Dorcheder, the rivers Rennet, Loddon, 
Coin, Wey, Mole, Wandle, Lea, Roding, Da rent, and 
Medway. The jurifdiction of the lord mayor of London 
over the Tliames, extends from Coin Ditch, a little weft 
of Staines, to Yendal or Yenleet to the eaft, including 
part of the rivers Medway and I.ea ; and he lyas a deputy, 
named the water-bailiff, who is to fearcli for and punifh 
all offenders againft the laws for the prefervation of the 
river and its filli. Though the ’Thames is faid to be na¬ 
vigable 138 miles above bridge, yet there are fa many 
flats, that in dimmer the navigation weft ward would be 
entirely flopped, when the fprings are low, were it not for 
a number of locks. But thefe are attended with confider- 
able expence ; for a barge from Lechlade to London pays 
for palling through them 13 1 . 15s. 6d. and from Oxfoid 
to London 12!. iSs. This charge, however, is in dimmer 
only, when the water is low ; and there is no lock from 
Lond.ori-bridge to Bolter’s lock ; that is, for fifty-one miles 
and a half above the bridge. The tide flows up the 
Thames as high as Richmond, which, following the wind¬ 
ings of the river,fis feventy miles from the ocean ; a greater 
diftance than the tide is carried byanyotherriVerin Europe, 
The Severn lias its fource- from a large bog' on.the top . 
of Plinlimmon, a mountain in Montgomeryfhire in North 
Wales ; from whence, ruflring down with a fwift current, 
and being joined by many fmaller torrents, it prefently ap¬ 
pears confiderable ; and palling by Llanydlos and New town 
becomes navigable near Welchpool, where the liver Ver- 
new joins it, with a dream very little inferior to its own ; 
from thence proceeding gently forward to ShrCvvfbury, 
which it furrounds nearly in the form of a horfe-fhoe, it 
flows on through a rich vale, with many extenfive wind¬ 
ings, till it comes to Benthall Edge, receiving into it tlie 
river Tern, which waters all the north of ShropfhiVe. 
Here the Severn begins to be rapid, being pent up be¬ 
tween two oppoflte hills, both very lofty and deep ; and 
from thence to Bridgenorth and Bewdley the channel is 
confined by high woody banks and rocky cliffs, which 
afford variety of beautiful profpefts. Afterwards it a- 
gain glides pleafantly on through the fruitful plains of 
Worceflerdiire, vifiting in its way the city itfelf; and a 
little below is confiderably augmented by the influx of the 
river Terae. This addition, however, is much inferior 
to that which it receives from its junftion with the Avon 
at Tewkefbury, which is navigable up to Perfhore, Eve- 
fham, and Stratford. Thefe two rivers thus united, pur- 
die their courfe to Glouceder, and about fifty miles below 
that city arc lofl in the Briflrrl channel. This river, juftly 
efleemed the fecond in Britain, is of great importance, be¬ 
ing navigable for velfels of large burthen more than one 
hundred and fixty miles from the fea, without the affilt- 
ance of any lock. Upwards of one hundred thoufand tons 
of coals are annually (hipped from the collieries about 
Madeley and Brofeley, for the cities and towns fituate on 
its banks, and thence conveyed into the adjacent countries. 
Great quantities of grain, pig-and bar iron, iron manu¬ 
factures, and earthen-ware, as well as wool, hops, cyder, 
arid provifions, are likewife continually fent to Briftol, 
and other places, from whence various kinds of goods are 
brought in return. The freight from Shrewfbnry to Briftol 
is about ten (hillings per ton, and from Briftol to Sbrewf- 
bury fifteen (hillings per ton. The rates to the inter¬ 
mediate towns are in proportion. In May 1756, the 
number of barges, and trows on the Severn, navigating 
from Welchpool and Poolflake .downwards to Briftol, a- 
mounted to three hundred and feventy-fix ; and lince that 
time, by the addition of the inland canals from the Trent, 
8 K - the 
v.. 
