5 2

HISTORY OF

and falls into the Seine near Fontainbleau. It is of the greatest utilityto all this part of France, and even to Burgundy. This canal has forty-two locks and sluices; and by it Paris is supplied with corn, flour, andprovisions, as well as the other productions of several provinces, such asProvence oils, dried fruits, hardware, mufcadel wines, paper, and othermerchandise; and in return the cloths and stuffs, camblets, &c. of Abbe-ville, Amiens, Rheims, Sedan, and Lisle, are also sent by this communi-cation to the southern parts of France.

The canal of Orleans, which joins this canal near the town of Montar-gis, was begun in 1675, to effect a communication between the Seineand the Loire near to the city of Orleans. It is considerably shorterthan the canal of Briare, and has only twenty locks and sluices. By thiscanal the inhabitants perform by an inland navigation, in their bateaux -coches (coach-boats or water-coaches), a voyage (or journey) to the neigh-bouring towns, and even to the city of Paris itself. These vehicles setout at stated times and places, for the convenience of passengers, and con-veyance of all sorts of goods. They are large and covered, and exceed-ingly well adapted for the purpose.

On this canal and the river Loire a number of small vessels are fastenedto each other, and ascend upwards by fails when the wind serves; or,when that fails, are towed by men, seventy or eighty men sometimesworking at a single rope.

The canal of Bourbon has been but lately undertaken; it is intended toeffect a communication from the river Oise to Paris, to prevent, as far asmight be in the power of human prudence, the possibility of a scarcity inthat city.

The junction of the river Somme with the river Oise by means of acanal, which is called the canal of Picardy, affords a ready conveyance toParis for the grain of Picardy; the fea-coal, wood, butter, copper, and2 spices