The Oyster-mouth railway proceeds from Swansea, seven miles along the coast, south-west to the village of Oystermouth, intended chiefly for carriage of limestone. On the eastern side, and parallel to the river, a level ca nal of three miles proceeds to the collieries of Mr. Smith at Llanfarnlet.
At Neat') the river is navigable four miles to Swan sea Bay. A canal has, however, been formed along the side of it, to a shipping place farther down the river. The same canal proceeds up the valley to Aberfergwn, where a railway joins it from the head of the Aberdare canal, a branch of the Glamorganshire canal. The total lengtla of the Neath canal is about 14 miles. Various railways branch from it into the neighbouring collieries. Acts 31st and 38th George III. Engineer, Thomas Shearsley.
On the western side of the Neath river, the Crumlin canal, a level of about 31 miles, proceeds from the ship ping place at Britton Ferry, through the Crumlin Bog to New Chapel collieries. This canal is private pro perty.
At Cardiff is the mouth of the Taff river, along the side of which has been constructed the Glamorganshire canal, under acts 30th and 36th George III. for the ex port of pig and bar iron from the Merthyr Tydvill works, also for coal. The canal departs from the Taff by a sea Iock for ships of 300 tons, into a basin ; and from thence, but of smaller dimensions, passes along the eastern side of the river, to the junction of the river Cynon, near Quakersyard, where it crosses the Taff by an aqueduct. Near the same place branches off the Aberdare canal, up the vale of Cynon, and the Merthyr and Cardiff rail way on the eastern side of the Taff. From this aqueduct the canal ascends by a stair-case of locks, and continues on the western side of the river to the Cyfartha iron works, the total rise being nearly 600. In the upper part of the canal there is frequently a want of water ; a supply is therefore obtained from the river by means of a steam engine some miles below :Merthyr. 'Phis cir cumstance led to the formation of a railway parallel to it, chiefly for the iron works of Plymouth, Pendarran, and Doulais; but this railway has not been carried lower than Quakersyard, being about nine miles front its com mencement. These canals and railways are carried through a very rugged count: y.
The Aberdare canal, 33(1 George III. is a branch of the above, and passes 7,1 miles north.wcst of Aberdare, where railways commence, passing the iron works of Abernant, Aberdare, and Hirwain, and thence to the summit of a precipice near the Neath Valley, where an immense inclined plane completes the communication with the Neath canal. Up this inclined plane the wag gons are dragged by u high pressure engine of Mr. Tre vithicle's construction.
The last congeries of inland navigations in this quarter terminates at Newport, near the mouth of the river Uske. It proceeds up that river to the town of Brecon, having various branches.
The Alonmouth canal, 32d, 37th, and 42d George M. from the lower part of this navigation, commences at Pillgwelly on the Uske, and passing Newport to Mal pas, divides into two branches. Of these, the one fol lows the channel of the Ebbw river, 11 miles to Crum lin Blidge, whence lines of (ailways proceed up the Ebbw 21 miles to Ebbw Vale and Beaufort irun-v.orks, with branches to Sirhowy, &c. also up the Ebb,.v-vach to Nant-y-Glo iron-works. The eastein, or main iinc, is from the Uske to Pont Newydd near Pontypool, 12i. miles, rising 447 feet ; whence a railway proceeds 51 miles, rising 610 feet to Blaen-Avon furnace. Various other branches of railways are connected with the navi gation, but the most important is the Sirhowy line. This railway commences at the Alonmouth canal, at Pill gwelly, and passing through Tredgar Park up thc Eb wy river, at Risca crosses that liver by a bridge of 16 arches, following afterwards the course of the Sirhowy river by Tredgar and Sirhowy iron-works to Trevill lime works, about 28 miles. A branch proceeds to Romney iron-works; and from the same place the Brinore rail way is continued over the Black Mountain to the vale of the Uske at Brecon; and from thence to Hay on the Wye, by means of which the price of coals in the upper parts of the cowries of Hereford and Radnor has been greatly reduced. The Sirhowy railway is accompanied through all its extent by a good turnpike road. There are also branches from the railway to the several col lieries, and likewise to the Monmouthshire canal in two places. On that canal the locks are 80 feet long and 10 feet wide.