unless the discharge of all the land waters could be carried beyond the mouth of the estuary. This again awakened speculation to devise means to stop, or at least diminish, the injurious effects foreboded. The plan of the Bridge was laid before the Corporation of Wisbech, and it has always been a great cause of regret amongst the merchants and masters of vessels frequentting the port that they should have sanctioned its present position; which has been found to be in the greatest degree dangerous to navigation, so much so as very frequently to deter vessels coming to Wisbech, if they can be supplied with cargos for other ports. The Corporation are however now fully aware of the importance of the subject and of the injury sustained by the present fearful construction of the Bridge and are, we understand about to adopt some effectual means to remedy this evil still so loudly and justly complained of.*

The promoters of the Bridge Scheme, the Corporation of Wisbech, and North Level Commissioners held a conference in London, and it was then decided on forming a new channel from Kinderley's Cut to Crabb Hole, and uniting it with the bridge scheme as one measure,

* The measures by which the river Nene could be brought into its most advantageous state to the town of Wisbech may be comprised in the following extract from Watson's Wisbech. 'Erasing the bend of the river below the opening of the new road leading to Peterborough, heretofore called Barton Lane; cutting a channel from the toll bar on the south side to the west end of Mr. Marriott's house; making an additional arch and giving a greater water-way to the Bridge; straightening the channel of the Horse-Shoe, by cutting through the lands on the east side of the river; and confining and deepening the channel of the Nene to the sea.

the former of which was estimated to cost £130,000. The Duke of Bedford with the North Level proprietors and those of Great Portsand, agreed to undertake the concern on £60,000 being guaranteed to them by the other parties, a proposition which after some discussion was agreed to. The proprietors of the estates, immediately adjoining the town of Wisbech, consented to contribute £30,000, one moiety of the stipulated sum; and the other was agreed to be provided by the Corporation of that Town, the latter being empowered by the act of Parliament to levy the further sum of sixpence per ton (threepence per ton having been charged by a previous act) upon all goods, and sixpence per chaldron upon all coals in vessels arriving at and leaving the port of Wisbech. The sum of £30,000 however then contributed by the Corporation has been found, by a calculation of the tonnage duties subsequently received, to have been too great a proportion; but the interests of the North Level Commissioners, and those of the Duke of Bedford were so exceedingly powerful in Parliament, that it was thought on the part of the Committee, more adviseable to acceed to the terms, than raise an ineffectual opposition to the passing of the bill.

This amicable arrangement between all the parties was immediately succeeded by an act of Parliament acknowledging the measures, and operations were forthwith commenced.

The execution of the outfall Cut was entrusted to the care of Messrs. Jollife and Banks, and the work will stand for ages, not only as an object of pride to the contractors and those who brought the plan to maturity; but also to the Merchant and the Mariner, whose vessels

can now safely reach the port of Wisbech. Even the little landed proprietor will forget the trouble and anxiety which the rates for executing the plans have occasioned, in the reflexion that he was in some measure instrumental to the accomplishment of such a great and national work.

The result of this cut was signally prosperous. The whole river from Wisbech to the Sea, was now wound into nearly a straight direction; except a portion ex tending about three quarters of a mile through Woodhouse marsh, which was still, and had been for several years, an impediment to the outfall, and an expence to the Corporation of Wisbech. In other respects the extensive Cut, which we have been describing, was most satisfactory and complete in its results. The tide, after its opening, flowed to an unprecedented height, and ebbed lower than had ever been known; whilst the constantly scouring force of the stream proved wonderfully advantageous to the river, by removing those precarious sands which in various parts used frequently to delay the free navigation.

Nothing is perhaps more illustrative of the efficacious outfall gained by this work, than the circumstance of the Hygre having deserted the river on its opening in June 1830. While the channel remained in its confined, circuitous, and obstructed condition, it retained a considerable body of water, even at its lowest ebb. The tide, in making its way to Wisbech, was frequently delayed by these turnings and obstructions, until it had flowed a considerable height in the mouth of the river, and it was often high water there before there was any rise near the town of Wisbech.

L

This

weight of water, pressing forward with accumulating strength, forced itself in rolling waves over the impediments, and down the narrow passes of the river, especially at the time of the equinoxes, when it came down the stream in a broad hurrying gush of water often tearing the vessels from their moorings, and sweeping onwards with alarming velocity. So uncommon a spectacle, although a subject of amusement showed, at the same time, the incompleteness of the outfall. It had probably appeared in this river from the time of its principal branch being turned into the Ouse at Salter's Lode, for we have an interesting record preserved of it in 1680, in the Diary of Ralph Thoresby * which we extract. We should almost suppose, from the manner with which this quaint author has noticed it, that it was more powerful in those days, and that consequently the channel of the river was then more obstructed, than in our time. "This morning' says he 'before we left Wisbech, I had the sight of an Hygre or Eager, a most terrible flush of water, that came up the river with such violence that it sunk a coal vessel in the town, and such a terrible noise that all the dogs in it did snarl and bite at the rolling waves, as though they would swallow up the River, the sight of which (having never seen the like before) much affected me, each wave surmounting the other with extraordinary violence!"

These various and important measures had brought the river from Wisbech to the sea, in almost an unin

* Vol. 1. p. 82. quarians of his age.

Thoresby was one of the most celebrated anti

His correspondence with the distinguished men

of his times are volumes of rich interest.

terruptedly straight direction, excepting a bend, near to the Horse Shoe, referred to in Mr. Rennie's report; and another near to a place called the Woodhouse Marsh. The latter was considered such a great obstruction to the passage of vessels, that the Corporation of Wisbech were extremely anxious, if possible, to remove it and make a new excavation, in a line with the termination of Kinderley's Cut. The opinions of several local Engineers were taken, and they varied very considerably in their estimates of the expence, one stating about eight hundred pounds to be sufficient, another naming upwards of six thousand pounds as the probable cost. With this uncertainty and the impoverished state of the Corporation Funds, it is probable that the work would never have been commenced, had not a circumstance occurred in the year 1827, which held out a very powerful inducement to the Corporation. It was found, by the Parish authorities at Wisbech, exceedingly difficult to provide labour for the unemployed poor, and a conference was held between the Corporation and the Select Vestry, when it was agreed that they should jointly contribute to the expence, and the paupers were immedtately set to work upon the Cut. During the years 1827, 28, and 29, their labours were continued, and the sum of £2000. was expended by the Corporation, but to little effect; the tide continually swept their works away, and all that they effected, was to give the Cut, which was afterwards completed, the name of the Paupers' Cut, which it will long retain, although not a vestige of their labour is left.

In 1830, the Corporation resolved boldly to execute