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tute for an inland canal, being a long valley, occupied, for thegreater part, bv the natural navigable canals of Loch Ness , LochOich, and Loch Lochy. It is upon a scale by much too grandfor private undertaking, and is executed entirely at the expenseof Government; the expense is computed to be about 800,000/.;its profitable use is not likely to be adequate in any degree to theexpense. It is 20 feet deep, SO feet wide at bottom, and 110 attop; the locks are 20 feet deep, 170 long, and 40 broad. Fri-gates of 32 guns, and merchant ships of 1000 tons burthen, willbe able to pass through it. One great intention of the work isunderstood to have been, that of giving employment at hometo those of the Highlanders, who would have emigrated. Andprobably, many who may have thus been initiated into industri-ous habits, will continue to exercise them, in other parts of thecountry, where there may be a demand for labour, when thisemployment shall have ceased.
The Crinan Canal cuts across the peninsula of Kintyre, andabridges a voyage from the West Highlands and Hebridian portsto the river Clyde, by 200 miles. It is in length 9 English miles;its depth 12 feet; and its breadth sufficient to admit vessels of160 tons burthen. It cost 140,000/. ; but the toll-duties wouldseem insufficient to keep it in repair, and the use would seem in-adequate to the expense.
The Ardrossan Canal is to run from Glasgow across Renfrew-shire, and the north part of Ayrshire, to Ardrossan at the monthof the Firth of Clyde .
Some few other canals have been projected; but their executionhas been suspended.
It is well remarked by Smith, in his Wealth of Nations, (and theremark is equally applicable to iron rail-ways), that canals maysafely be left upon the footing of private property; because, ifallowed to get into disrepair, they are immediately unnavigable,and the revenue from them ceases. Not so public highways,which do not cease to be travellable or travelled, though in verywretched repair, and of course the revenue from them continw.s.Highways ought, particularly upon this account, never to be pla-ced under the administration of Government. Some great roads,coming under the eye of foreigners, might be maintained in ahigh degree of splendour : those attracting less notice would beneglected, till the revenue from them failed, from their becomingtotally impassable : nor would it be an easy matter to call the of-ficials of the administration to an account.
Iron rail-ways, (excepting a few, cariied to very short distan-5 es > and merely for the accommodation of private coal, lime, oriron works), have been but of late thought of in Scotland .
The only one that has been executed, of any considerablolength, is the one from Kilmarnock, in the county of Ayr, to