The main line of the Leicester navigation (acts 31, 34, and 37 Geo. III.) cooamencing itt the Loughborough Basin, proceeds on one level three miles to the separa tion of the Melton.1Moubray line. From thence to Lei cester the distance is 11 miles, and rise 45 feet. En gineers, William Jessup and C. Stavely.
The Melton-Moubray line (acts 31 and 40 Geo. III.) leaves the last at Toni Water Meadow, 3 miles above Loughborough, following the course of the Wreak and Eye livers, 12 miles to the town of Melton-Moubray, where the Oakhant canal commences.
The Oakham canal (acts 33 and 40 Geo. III.) as cends hy a winding course about 15 miles to the gene ral summit between the Trem and the Fen Basins, at the town of Oakhum, viz. to Editiondthorpe, 81 miles, rise of 26 feet; thence 61 miles to Oakham level. It is supplied by reservoit J. Engineers, William Jessop and (;. Stavely. It was opened in 1803. The imports are coal, lime, deal baulk, merchandise.
Flom Leicester the Union Canal proceeds to Market Darliorough, and from thence by the Grand Union to the Grand Junction Canal, and conipletes the connec tion to London and the Toames Irom this part of the Trent river; but this last canal belongs to the Central District.
Although an inland navigation has been opened from the valties ol the Trent and the Saar to the summit of lhe country at Oakharn, and although an extension of 15 miles, down to Stamford, would connect it with the Welland, which falls into the Wash Bay, yet all at tempts at accomplishing. this have hitherto proved abor tive. In 1810, Thomas Telford surveyed the country, and made a plan for extending the communication to the Welland at Stamford, the Witham at Boston, and the Nene at Peterborough, thereby embracing the whole bay of the Wash. A sum equal to the estimated ex pense was subscribed, and a bill brought into pdrlia ment ; but, from various causes, it was opposed and de feated.
Pen District.
The great level district of the Fcns forms a strongly marked division of out. subject. The high ground which forms the boundary of the extensive flats which sun ound the bay called the Wash, to the eastward in Norfolk and Suffolk, and also in the \Voids of Lincoln, composed of chalk, and the inlet of the Wash itself, seems to occupy a great breach of this chalk range. To the westward, the upper grounds are of a different nature, being- chiefly the freestones, or oolites, which occupy a considerably lower place in the series of sttata. It may therefore be
naturally concluded, that the bottom of the great level consists of the sands and golts, or marls, which occur in the intermediate space between these rocks when found in supra position; and which sands and marls spread over a flat surface, will readily account to us for the ob structed drainage, and vast accumulation of peat bog, or mour, which distinguishes this portion of our island.
Those parts within the reach of the spring tides would first be covered with the deposition, or warp, from the sea, and he converted into rich salt marshes, and which, by the regular flux and reflux of the tides, would enjoy the most effectual drainage. The securing of these would naturally attract the first attention of an indus trious people ; hence the early embankments of Holland and Marshlands, supposed to have been the work of the Romans: but this embankment became, in its turn, the main cause of the inundation of the great Fen behind. The greater floods had not their former direct passage to the sca, but were confined to certain reservoirs, or creeks only, and, regaining a head, penned up the land waters in the inner parts of the flats. The growth of aquatic vegetables succeeds, and promotes the stagna tion. The depositions both front the land and sea take place, and injure the °offal's, which go gradually to decay. In process of time the bed of the ancient outlet becomes higher than the adjacent country, and obliges the upland waters to find a new and more circuitous out let to the sea. This process, of which we have abun dant instances in all countries of similar formation, is strongly exemplified in the outfalls of the bay of the Wash, while the numerous cuts which have been made, very questionable even as regards drainage, prove unde niably injurious to the navigation of the original rivers. But it is equally certain that inland navigation generally has thereby been greatly extended ; because, as these cuts and drains are chiefly embanked, and nearly still water, they form navigations, ramifying and crossing each other in so many directions, as to render it vain for us nere to particularize them all.