In consequence of Mr Jessop's merited reputation, be was consulted respecting the inland navigation of the sis ter kingdom, which was for many years conducted solely under his direction. The leading arrangements were then made in order to establish a water communication from the city of Dublin on the east, to the river Shannon in the inte rior, and by it to Limerick on the west ; besides various col lateral branches to the southern and northern parts of that fine island. The principal and most difficult operations required to accomplish these desirable objects, were per formed under his direction, and the whole put into a state of progress, which afterwards only required to be regulat ed by the financial resources and growing demands of that rising country.
In regard to harbours, besides many of comparatively inferior importance, which we have not room to enumerate, the great canal and magnificent West India docks in the Isle of Dogs; the extensive improvements in the ports of Bristol, Hull, and Dublin, were planned and executed un his direction. These undertakings, upon an unexampled scale of magnitude and perfection, afford unequivocal evi dence of his abilities as an engineer, and at the same time formed a valuable school for others who had occasion to construct similar works.
From being scarcely of sufficient importance to consti tute a separate profession when he entered into it, works requiring the attention of a civil engineer were, in a short time, so greatly increased, that Mr Jcssop found that the most unremitting exertions were unequal to the demands upon his services ; he, therefore, in the year 1785, intro duced Mr Rennie as engineer to the Lancaster canal. This selection is a striking evidence of his discernment of hu man character, and although as the demand about that time became urgent, such natural talents and assiduity must ul timately have acquired distinction, yet their progress was not a little facilitated by the long continued aid of so expe rienced and enlightened a friend. .
The preceding narrative contains only a rapid sketch of the professional career of this valuable man, who departed this life on the 18th Nov. 1814.
It will he evident to the reader, that in the course of dis cussing the important article Aland NAVIGATION, we shall have frequent opportunities of stating more at length the share that Mr Jessop had in the public works which are here only slightly alluded to, and also the peculiarities in his mode of practice, as well as the particular benefits for which his profession was indebted to him.
His mind was comprehensive, inventive, and sincere. At the age of threescore his mental energies were unabated. Unshackled by prejudices, he retained a youthful ardour for professional improvements ; and he would even then not unfrcquently display a degree of jealousy, lest a more perfect mode was possible. lle constantly devoted whole mind to the subject before him, and from which all personal considerations seemed excluded. Under these impressions his uniform aim was to accomplish his pur poses by the simplest and most economical means : these he sometimes carried to a length to which the average talents of mankind could not always do justice in the exe cution ; but he invariably disdained to screen personal re sponsibility by unnecessary expenditure, upon the grounds, that it was the business of an engineer, and what ought chiefly to distinguish him from the common workman, to effect his purposes rather by ingenuity of construction, than quantity of materials : that it was an imperative duty rather to risk occasional partial failures front imperfect workmanship, than uniformly to perseveic in an unpardon able waste of capital ; and that no clamour of ignorance, or prejudice, or consideration of personal interest, should for a moment deter him front this conduct.
His discerning and ingenious mind led him to found his practice upon observation and just principles, rather than precedent. In the important articles of Locks, Wharfs, and Retaining Walls, he introduced an entirely new form, composed of nearly one half the quantity of materials em ployed by the French and early English engineers; he con trived an excellent method of draining morasses and boggy land, more especially for the purpose of constructing navigable canal through it ; he communicated very judi cious views respecting the management of lie seized with eagerness the idea of acquiring an expedt tious mode of conveying heavy mate, ials by iron rail roads; and was particularly zealous for the general use of cylin drical broad wheels upon roads composed of gravel. But all these matters, as has been already observed, will be dis cussed under their proper heads, our intention in men tioning them at present being merely to exhibit the gene ral tenor of Mr Jcssop's mind and conduct.