54

HISTORY OF,

sand' pounds sterling, of which the king contributed seven millions, andthe province of Languedoc the remainder.

I shall liere give a concise description of this great work, the wonderof Europe, that modern engineers and projectors of inland navigationsmay be encouraged to encounter all difficulties that may oppose theirpatriotic labours.

This canal begins at Cette in the bay of Languedoc, and pastes throughthe lake Thau to the town of Agde, where is a round canal bason withthree openings, and three different depths of water meeting there ; andthe gates or locks are of such ingenious construction, that the vessel maypass through by opening either of them which the master pleases; acontrivance which excited admiration in the great Vauban himself.

Not far from Beziers, and beyond the tunnel already mentioned, areeight locks, which form a grand and regular cascade nine hundred andsixty feet long, and by means of which the vessels cross the river Orb,and, continuing their voyage on the canal, pass the towns of Beuers,Argens, Trelbes, Orbiell, Alzenne, Villepinte, into a large bason nearCastlenaudury, which receives the river Laudet. At St. Ferriol, near thetown of Reuel, Mr. Riquet constructed a reservoir to supply the canal,containing five hundred and ninety-sive acres of water, which is firstembanked, and then the embankment walled round with free stone,between two rocky mountains. Under this dam runs a vaulted arch orfewer, reaching to the main wall, where three large cocks of cast brassare turned, opened and shut by iron bars; these cocks discharge thewater through their mouths, which are as large as a man’s body, intothe aqueducts, and the bason at Norouse, which is the head of the navi-gation. The canal then descends from Norouse by Avignenel, Montes-quieu and Baziege into the river Garonne by three locks, about a quarterof a mile below the city of Thoulouse which it passes. Its breadth is one4 hundred