To complete the southern pvrt, 11 miles remain to be made from Weston Lullinglield to Shrewsbury. The engineers were, John Duncombe, who traced the original lines : William Jcssop, who was occasionally consulted in obtaining the acts, and during the early part ol the ca nal operations; and Thomas Telford, who planned the aqueducts, and under whose directions these, as well as all the canal works, were executed.
The Dee river is navigable from Chester to the Irish Channel, a distance of about 22 miles, of which the low er pat t is a wide estuary, incommoded hy shifting sands, and an extensive bar. From Flint to Chester it was for merly a very crooked channel, and so shallow, that VeS sels of 20 tons only could come to the town. Large ships were oblig-ed to lic 10 miles below. In 1740, there was a new channel made in a straight direction, by which, at spring tidcs, vessels of 250 tons came to the city wharfs. This improvement was effected by a company of adven turers, who, by changing and embanking the river chan nel, obtained a great extent of land now under excellent cultivation by the judicious management of Mr. Thomas Wedge, the river Dee Company's agent. There is a considerable trade in coals and lead upon this river, but the communication with Liverpool and Manchester is carried on chiefly by the 'Wirrall line of the Ellesmere and Chester canal. Above Chester bridge a weir is con structed across the river for the use of large mills. This prevents an immediate communication with the tideway. There is however a considerable traffic between Chester and Bmigor, (about 16 miles.) Grain, malt, and oak tim bet are sent down. Above Bangor the river is not navi gable. The rise from the tideway at Chester to the sur face of the Ellesmere canal, on its summit level on Pont cysylte aqueduct, at the Vale of Llangollen, and conse quently six miles up that vale to thc termination of the water line at Llandisilio, is 311 feet.
We must now return to the most western branch of the Ellesmere canal, at Llanymencech, where the Montgome ryshire canal commenccs. having descended by two locks, crosses the river Vernicw by a Very conside rable stone aqueduct, and proceeds to Gwernfelu, where a branch turns up the Guilsfield Valley. The main line descends by two locks into the valley, and having crossed it, immediately again ascends, and skirting the banks of the Severn, passes the town of Welshpool to Garth Mill, distant 16 miles from its commencement, having a fall of S3 feet into Gwernfelu by four locks, and a rise of 71 feet from the said valley to Garth Alin by nine locks. This canal receives its supply of water from the rivers Severn and Tannat. From Garth Mill the canal, by a
new act, has been extended 9 miles, with a rise of 48 feet to Newtown. The chief purposes of this canal are the impottation of coal, lime, and merchandise, and the exportation of oak timber and agricultural produce. First act, 34 Geo. III. Engineer, Thomas Dadford.
Returning to the shores of the river Mersey, we find the river Weaver navigation. This river has a very crooked course past Nantwich, Windsford, Northwich, and Frodsham Bridge, to the 'Mersey, about a mile below Runcorn,—all in the county of Chester. In the course of 24 miles, up to Windsford Bridge, it has only a rise of 42 feet ; but this gentleness of current has created sinu osities and fords, and thereby obstacles to the navigation, and the intercourse, on account of the numerous and ex tensive salt mines, being very great. Some of the coun try gentlemen obtained an act (7 Geo. II.) authorizing the construction of side-cuts, locks, and weirs. By these all the navigation above Frodshain I3ridge was greatly improved ; but below that place there WaS a rapid tide way, and a shifting bar of sand banks. This has of late years led to the construction of an artificial canal along the eastern bank of the river, of' about 4 miles in length, commencing opposite Sutton lock, above Frodsham Bridge, and terminating in the river :Mersey at Weston Point, a little way below Runcorn, where there is a tide lock, extensive basin, and a pair of gates to admit of vessels floating into it as soon as the tide will carry them. At the upper end, where this canal connects with the ri ver Weaver, there is a regulating lock. The length of the river Weaver locks is 80 feet, and breadth 18 feet. The vessels are 60 to 70 feet in length in the keel, and from 151 to WI broad in the beam, and draw, when loaded with 60 to SO tons, 5i to 61 feet water. There are about '260 vessels or fiats which trade upon this navigation. They are chiefly thc property of the salt proprietors. Rock salt pays, by the Excise account, 65 lbs. to the bush el, 40 bushels to thc ton. The tonnage of coals has been reckoned at 24 cwt. to the ton. The tonnage was originally 12d. per ton for the whole cr any part of the navigation. Subsequently 2d. more per ton was allowed until the expense of the Weston Point extension was defrayed. A little below Northwich there is a communi cation with the Grand Trunk canal by inclined planes. The revenue in 1814 was L. 24,000. The surplus pro duce, after maintaining the canal works, goes to defray the expense of the public works of the county, which greatly relieves the county rates.