This is a prolongation of the canal of Orleans and that of Briarc, from Montargis to the Seine, at the small vil lage of Mamort, near the city of Moret, being a distance of 33 miles. Letters patent for improving- the river were granted in April 1720, and the works were completed in 1724. The canal is generally 44 feet at the water Atrface, and 34 at the bottom, with four to five feet depth of water. On each side there is a towing path, 6 feet 5 inches in breadth. Three feet above the hauling path there is an embankment, 19 feet at thc base, and 12 feet ') inches at the top, to prevent the floods from overflowing. Regimorte was thc engineer. It enters the river in va rious places. It has 21 locks, with a total fall of 136 feet 3 inches. The locks vary in height from four to seven feet, and in breadth from 15 to 16 feet.
In Normandy, Poitou, and Bretagne, there have been tnany projects for canals, but none have been executed. The rivers are, at thc same time, very imperfect naviga tions. In 1746, complaints were made, that upon the banks at the mouth of the Loite there was only seven to eight feet of water. The Allier, which falls into the _Loire, has not more than 40 miles of good navigation. In general all the provinces have rivers, which have either ceased to be practicable, or are too piecarious to be useful.
This canal is formed by the river Layon being render ed navigable 35 miles, from Concourson to its nriouth in the Loire at Chalonne. This canal begins between Concourson and St. George ; is 25i feet in the narrowest part, and 43 in the broadest. It has 28 locks. It was opened in 1776.
The river Charente is useful in several provinces for 60 miles. In 1772. M. Tresaquet was employed io form a proper plan for improving this river. The work was begun at Sicray in Poitou, 35 miles north of Atigouleme, and 25 south of Poitcrs, with three locks with chambers, and 70 small sluices with portes busques. In 1777, six of the latter had been constructed, admitting boats of 60 tons, which pass these pertuis of 3 to 3i feet fall, by the help of a capstan worked by, six men in tell or twelve minutes. The ancient pertuis WCIT very troublesome and dangerous, but Tresaquet greatly improved them, as will be explained hereafter. The gabares upon this river are from 101 to 104 feet long, including rudder, and 194. feet broad.
The river L'Isle is navigable from Liboimc, where it falls into the Dordogne, to the port of Fourche, near Courtras, where it receives the Drone.
The Lot, which descends from Gevaudcn, and falls into the Garonne below D'Agen, at Equillon, has 12 sl uices.
Lalande observes, (p. 419.) that the slopes of the French rivers are well adapted for navigation; but that, at present, it scarcely exists, even in the large rivers ; and that the navigation of the Seine, from Rouen to Paris, is so tedious as to cause land carriage to be preferred. Lalande's book was published in 1777.
Spain.
This great peninsula is in no respects distinguished by its inland navigation. Anciently the theatre, where the most ambitious powers contended for empire, Carthagi nians, Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Moors, and Christ ians, have successively been its rulers. In later times it has been distracted by the contentions of separate king doms, as well as by a too frequent change of dynasties. The acquisition of South America has also been inimi cal, as well as the habits arising from political and reli gious establishments.
The country, being composed of great valleys, divi ded by rugged mountains, is no doubt unfavourable to inland navigation ; but, if industry were properly en couraged, these apparent obstacles would be surmounted, and communications established between the hitherto unconnected districts.
The following brief sketch exhibits rather the general intentions respecting inland navigation, than what has been really accomplished in Spain.
Commencing in the southern parts of the kingdom, we find the Moors had opened a canal from the city of Grenada to the river Guadalquivir, and had, of conse quence, formed a communication with the Gulf of Ca diz. By a chart published in 1776, it appears that a canal was proposed in the province of Murcia. Its length, from its commencement at the river Gualantin, to its termination at Carthagena, is 103 miles in a direct line. This canal, though commenced, was, we under stand, abandoned.
In the interior of Spain a canal was planned in 1784, to proceed frotn near thc Escurial to the Tagus and the Guadiam, and, filially, to terminate in the Guadalquivir Auduxa. It was planned by Le Maur, a Frenchman.
It was afterwards prosecuted by his sons; but we suspect little progress has been made. Another canal was begun under the administration of M. Grimauldi, to open a communication between thc Tagus and the river Man zanares; but it was scarcely commenced, when the want of means restiained it to the supply of a few mills, about ten miles in length being all that was executed.