The Old Birmingham canal departs from Farmer's Bridge, and proceeds by a very crooked course patt Smithwick and Oldbury, near to Dudley. It then passes to the east of Tipton, the west of Bilstone, and the cast of Wolverhampton, to the Staffordshire and Worcester shire canal at Autherly, a distance of 221 miles. For miles flom Smithwick, it continues level, but there it descends 18 feet by three locks. From this place, to within two miles of its junction with the Staffordshire and Worcester canal, it is level ; but in the last space falls 113 feet by 17 locks. At two places the canal is doubled : first, near Smithwick, where, on account of the great press of business, a new cut has been made, with three locks, parallel to those originally constructed ; secondly, at Tipton, where a passage of 1-1 mile has been made through the hill, in order to avoid a crooked course of four miles. Upon this new line there is a tunnel of 1000 yards in length.
The branches from this canal are very numerous at Birmingham. One passes to Newhall Ring Basin, another to Soho Foundery ; and, at Bromwich, that to NVednesbury and Walsal goes off, ancl is 8.1 miles in length. At the point of separation it falls 18 feet, by three locks ; at Ryder's Green it falls 43 feet by, six locks; the remainder is level. Nine branches go from this to distinct works ; that to 'Fon End rises 15 feet by three locks ; that to Bradley rises 20 feet by four locks. ..-111 the others are level. From the main line, east of Tipton, there is a branch of one mile, to Oker bill.
This canal is for 70 feet boats, of seven feet beam. Some water is supplied on the summit from one reser voir at Oldbury, and another at Smithwick ; but its chief dependance is upon steam engines from the water of old works, and returning the water from the lower to the higher levels. The trade of this canal, which is very great, consists of the raw materials and manufactured goods of Birmingham, and the supply of that populous and industrious place. The acts are, 8th, 9th, llth, 23d, 24th, and 34th of Geo. III. James Brindley was the engineer.
From the Birmingham canal, at Wolverhampton, passes oir the Wyerley and Essington canal. It pro ceeds past Polsal, the south-east corner of Connock Heath, and Litchfield, to the Coventry canal, about five miles from the Grand Trunk on Fradley Heath.
e length of the main line is 24, miles. The first 161 are level. On the remainder there is a fall of 264 feet by 30 locks.
This canal has various extensive branches. A little to the east of New Invention, is a branch to Wyerlcy bank collieries ; it is four miles long, and ascends 36 feet by 6 locks. From it passes off a branch, a mile in
length, to Essington collieries; which ascends 24 feet by four locks. Near to the town of Walsal, is a branch for half a mile on a level. Near Palsal is a level branch, 21- miles, to lord Hay's collieries. From Cannock Heath is a branch to Hay Head lime works. It is six miles, and level. The canal is 28 feet wide at top water, 16 at bottom, and 41 deep. The locks are for 70 feet boats, of 7 feet beam. It is chiefly for coal and lime. l'he acts are, 32d, 34th Geo. III. The engineer was William Pitt.
Not satisfied with the communication with the Se vern, by Wolverhampton and Stourport, a more direct line has been found from Birmingham immediately to the city of Worcester. A canal passes off from New. hall Ring basin, and proceeds by Edgebarton and King's Norton, to Tardebig, 14 miles upon the summit level. In this distance there is a tunnel of 110 yards at Edge barton, a second of 2700 yards at West Hill ; a third of 400 yards at Short Wood, and a fourth of 500 yards at Tar debig. In 1798,the navigation was opened to Tardebig. This part of the canal is 42 feet wide at top water, which is six feet deep. The tunnels are 18 feet 6 inches wide, and 18 high, with seven feet two inches water. From Tardebig to the Severn, at the city of NVorcester, a distance of 15 miles, there is a fall of 428 feet. For this portion many projects have been proposed, and some attempted, such as caissons and inclined planes; but, alter an interrup tion of several years, it has at last been completed by narrow locks.
From the last mentioned canal at King's Norton, about six miles from Birmingham, that of Stratford upon-Avon proceeds in a nearly southern direction, by Lapworth and Preston Mill, to Stratford, a distance of 231 miles. From King's Norton to Hockley Heath, 10 miles are level ; from that to Lapworth, 2-1 miles, there is a fall of 147 feet ; thence to Preston Green one mile is level ; to Preston 'Mill, 1.4 miles, is a fall 76 feet ; from thence to Wilmcote 6 miles are level; afterwards, in one mile, there is a fall of 86 feet ; then to Stratford 11 mile is level.
From Ilockley Heath, a branch 2-1 miles passes to Tanworth quarries, upon the summit level ; from near Lapworth, a branch proceeds 11 miles to the Warwick and Birmingham canal. Near Aston Cantelaw, is n branch four miles to the Temple Grafton lime works, with a rise of 20 feet. In May 1796, the canal was opened from the Worcester and Birmingham to ley Heath. The trade is chiefly in coal, lime, and paving-stones. The acts are, 33d, 55th, 39th, Geo.