attention, and which perhaps the present commercial state of Europe feems to encourage, it will be perhaps prudent to see the effect of that principle before we totally derange prefent accommodations by the adoption of fo great and fudden a revolution in the trade of the Port, from the perfuafion that commerce will extend its accommodations in proportion to its regular wants, and that revenue, in all fituations, could easily adopt its regulations with security to its own objects, and with convenience to that commerce from which it draws its refources.

THE EFFECTS OF TIDES ON DOCKS, &C.

I here beg to notice one objection that has been made to Wet Docks, grounded on the supposition that their basons will, from time to time, gather filt or form fhoals in their beds, and render them from day to day lefs commodious for shipping. In this respect, the Wapping Docks, proposed by the merchants, will possess many advantages over Hull, Liverpool, Oftend, and Ramfgate, and all other places that lie within the tide of the fea or the vortex of its influence.

The filt or fand in the bafon will be at all times confiderably less than that which accompanies the tide in the River, as the bafon will be principally supplied by the upper furface of the tide, which will be freed from all those dense particles and fub

stances

stances which ground and roll with the tide along the bed of the River.

The tide of the River will never be permitted to go farther than the bason, and thereby the inner Docks will always be kept free from the daily filt of the tide.

At Hull, there is a fingle Dock, oblong in its form, and open to every agitation of the tide and of filt, on opening of the gates. It has been obferved there, that the great body of filt deposits itself in the lower part of the Dock for about one-third of the way, and the remaining two-thirds acquire but little fediment, though there is no back-water. Horfe-boats are used to cleanse the Docks. The fame obfervations have been made in the Docks at Oftend.

The bafon and locks are fo conftructed, by means of fluices, &c. and position, that they can always be fcowered at pleasure without disturbing or deranging the upper Dock, which will not for years ftand in need of cleanfing; and a period will probably arrive when inland-navigations will bend their course towards the Wet Docks, and bring with them not only an increafing commerce, but a conftant fupply of water on a higher level than the Docks themselves.

The fame principles that effect the Docks as to filt will apply to the canal from Blackwall, where the filt of the tide will feldom operate, and even

then

then but a short way up, and may be easily cleanfed by intermediate gates in the canal, which may be opened or fhut, as occafion require, for fcowering or repairing any part of the canal. The Docks, Bafons, and Canal, by the shifting of water, may be made to fcour and cleanfe each other. I have only to add, that the whole of the Dock-premises, exclufive of the line of the canal, is about 81 acres, and that the proposed Docks may be varied as to form, dimenfions, and fubdivifions, according to pleafure or convenience; and, by allowing room for fhifting and for lighters, the Docks could accommodate near 500 fail.

[The Witness delivered in a Section of the River, Locks, Bafons, and Docks in Wapping, as applicable to the Depth of Water at Spring and Neap Tides in the Docks and Befons, which Section is annexed in the Appendix.]

N. B. The Obfervations on the Tides and the Plan, formed part of another Paper, but were added at the particular request of a refpectable Member of the Committee.