DERBYSIBRE, crosses the southern extremity of Yorkshire between Shire Oaks and the village of Wales, near which there is a tunnel of 2S50 yards upon the summit level of the canal. The Dearne and Dove Canal commences at Swinton, in a side-cut which forms part of the Don or Dun Navigation, and proceeds north-west to the aqueduct for conducting the Barnsley Canal across the river Dearne, near Barnsley, a distance of 91 miles. It has a branch of 2 miles to Worsborough, which communicates by a railway with extensive collieries near Stainborough Hall ; and there is also a branch canal of 21 miles, belonging to Earl Fitzwilliam, to the Elsecar iron-works. The Der. went River Navigation is sufficiently noticed in the account of the river io a previous column. The Driffield Navigation commences in the river Hnll, at Aike Beck Mouth, about 41 miles N. from Beverley, and half a mils N. from the junction of the Leven Canal. For a dis tance of 5i miles northward the navigation is chiefly in the natural bed of the river, and it extends a short distance up Frodingham Beck, the chief feeder of the Hull, which has a short private cut to Fasten Mills; but a little north of the junction of Frodingham Beck with the 'lull the canal proceeds by an artificial cut of nearly 51 miles, partly parallel with the Hull, to Driffield on the north-west. The Don or Dun River Navigation is described already under the river Don; so likewise is the Foes Navigation under the river Puss. The Hedan Haven Navigation, from the Humber to Reda°, in the promontory of Heideman, is simply a natural creek or stream improved for the purpose of navigation. The Huddersfield Canal is one of the most stupendous works of the kind, considering its limited extent, ever executed. This canal, which is fitted for small craft 7 feet wide, and is capable of admitting boats of 24 tons burden, commences on the south of the town of Huddersfield, and takes a south-west direction by Slaithwaito, being nearly parallel to one of the branches of the river Coble, a tributary of the Calder, which it crosses by witieducta in three place*. Approaching Marsden in the same direction, it rises 436 feet by 42 locks, and thereby attains its summit level, which is rather more than 656 feet above the level of the sea at low water, and higher than any other canal in the kingdom. This level it maintains for a distance of 4 miles, of which • of 5451 yards, or more than 3 miles, is in a tunnel under the mountain ridge generally called Standedge. As there is no towing-path, the boats are hauled through this tunnel by manual labour in about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Emerging from the tunnel at Diggles, the canal pursues the same direction by Saddleworth along the valley of the Tame, which river it crosses several times, and after running parallel with the boundary of Lancashire for some miles, it turns westward near Dukinfield, and passe' for a very short distance through that county to its junction with the Ashton Canal. Its total length is 191 miles. By this means a water-communication is obtained between the eastern and western shores of the island. The Hull and Leven Canal extends about three miles eastward from the river Hull to Levee, for the conveyance of lime, manure, corn, and other produce. The Knottingley and Goole Canal, forming part of the Aire and Calder Navigation, has been already described.
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which is partly described under Lan CASHI six, commences at the north-western termination of the Aire and Calder Navigation at Leeds Bridge, proceeds • short distance along the river Aire, and then enters en artificial channel, which pursues a north-western course to Shipley, where it receives the Bradford Canal.
From Shipley it proceeds westward to New Mill, where It crosses the Aire by an extensive aqueduct ; after which, to the neighbourhood of Garerave, It continues a winding course to the north-west along the northern bank of the river. At Bingley, a short distance beyond the
New Mill aqueduct, the canal rises suddenly by a series of locks a height of 8S fast 8 inches, end thereby attains a level which extends for 18 miles without a lock. Beyond Gargrave the canal turns south west, crones the Aire again by a large aqueduct, and runs southward across the Craven Moors, attaining at. the summit-level at Greenber field an elevation of 411 feet 4 inches above the Alre at Leeds, and about 500 feet above the level of the sea at low water. On the summit level it receives • branch from limestone-quarries at itainhill Rock ; and this level continues beyond the point where the canal enters Lan caahire at Fouiridge, near Colne. The length from Leeds to the summit-lock at Greenberfield Is 41 miles. This great andertakine was 46 years in program, and was not completed so as to allow vessels to pass from Leeds to Liverpool until 1816. The Market Weighton Canal is important both for the purposes of navigation and the drainage of the low level. through which it is conducted. It commences at a point called New River Head, near Market Weighton, iu the East Riding, and pursues a nearly straight course to the south, joining the r by a sea-lock very near the confluence of the Ouse and Trent, Teaming through Walling Fen, which contains 20,000 acres of land. the Ouse River Navigation la described among the rivers in a previous page. The Pocklington Canal was formed for the conveyance of coal and lime to, and agricultural produce from, the neighbourhood of Peeklington, in the East Riding, near the Welds. It commences in the river Derwent, at East Cottingwith, and runs nearly parallel with one df its feeders in a circuitous north-eastern course, to near Pock lington. In length is about 81 miles. Sir John Ramsden's Canal commences at the river Calder, at Bridge, and runs south west for abut 31 mike to liudderafield. in addition to its import ance as a link In the communication across the island by the Hudders field Canal, this navigation has been the chief means of raising tho town of Huddersfield, the greater part of which was built on Sir John Etamsden's property, to its position as one of the principal markets for woollen goods in the county. The Ripon Canal is a short cut parallel with the river Ure, for conuecting Ripon with the navigable part of that stream. The itochdale Canal commences in the Calder and Hebble Navigation; at Sowerby Bridge wharf, near Halifax, and runs west-by north along the valley of the Calder to Hebden Bridge, where it turns with the river west-by-south, leaving the county near Todmarden, where it enters LANCASHIRE. This canal is made of sufficient size to receive vessels capable of navigating the tideways of the Humber and the Mersey. The Selby Canal is a short cut connecting Selby, on the Ouse, with the Aire at West Haddlesey. The Sheffield Canal com mences in a cut communicating with the river Don ar Dun at Tinsley, and pursues a course of little more than four miles, nearly parallel with the Don, to Sheffield, crossing by an aqueduct over the road from Worksop to Attercliffe. The Stainforth and Keadby Canal commences in the River Dun Navigation, near Stainforth, and proceeds eastward by Thorne into Lincolnshire, where it joins the Trent at Keadby, crossing the county boundary near Crowle. Its total length is 15 miles, of which about half ie in Yorkshire, and passing through a very flat country, it has no lock, except at its junction with the Trent. The Thanet Canal is a short branch from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to limestone-quarries near Skipton, farmed by the Earl of Thanet under an Act of 1773. The River Ure Navigation is noticed uuder the river itself, and a part of it also under tha title of the Ripon Canal Nearly all the canals of Yorkshire have been either leased or purchased by the several railway companies.