OF BRIDGES.

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flat countries, where the rivers are neither so precip-itate in their courses, nor have such hills on eachside to swell them with their torrents. Such aflood unfortunately occurred after the completion ofthis undertaking, which tore up the largest trees bythe roots, and carried them down the river to theBridge, where the arcs were not sufficiently wide toadmit of their passage. Here, therefore, they weredetained. Brushwood, weeds, hay, straw, andwhatever lay in the way of the flood, came down,and collected about the branches of the trees, thatstuck fast in the arcs, and choaked the free currentof the water. In consequence of this obstructionto the flood, a thick and strong dam, as it were, wasthus formed. The aggregate of so many collectedstreams being unable to get any further, rose hereto a prodigious height, and with the force of. itspressure carried the Bridge entirely away before it.William Edwards had given security for thestability of the Bridge during the space of sevenyears; and of course he was obliged to erect anoth-er; and he proceeded on his duty with all possiblespeed. The Bridge had only stood about two yearsand a half. The second Bridge was of one arc, for