No. 30.-LETTER from General Mann to R. Byham, Esquire, &c. &c. &c. Correspondence with BOARD's Order thereon. SIR, 84 Pall Mall, 1 Jan. 1827. I INCLOSE herewith, for the consideration of the Master General and Board, a letter of Colonel Durnford, dated Quebec, 10th November last, with accompanying correspondence on the subject of the several works recommended by the Engineer Commissioners to be undertaken in the Canadas, showing what steps have been taken by the Commanding Engineer, with the concurrence of the Commander of the Forces, to carry into effect the orders and instructions of the MasterGeneral and Board, upon the several points adverted to. The subject which seems most immediately to call for attention, is the want of some official communication from the Colonial Office to the governments of the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada; without this (however they may be disposed to facilitate the operations of the Engineer Department, under the instructions of the Master-General and Board of Ordnance) no progress can be made in entering upon the lands through which the Rideau Canal is intended to pass, nor can any other steps be taken towards the possession of other grounds that have been pointed out as necessary for the works in contemplation to be constructed. Moreover, it is found that delay may tend to advance the value of the lands required. I am, &c. (signed) Gother Mann. relative to the Canal Communi 8th January 1827. cation in Canada. Ordered to be sent to the Master-General, and that his Grace be apprized that the Board have communicated, from time to time, with the Secretary of State for the Colonial Department, on all the steps as they have proceeded, respecting the projected works in Canada; and Mr. Wilmot Horton has stated in his letter of the 18th April last, "that Lord Bathurst would "communicate with the Governor-Ge- No. 31.-LETTER from Colonel Durnford to Major-General Darling, SIR, &c. &c. &c. Royal Engineer Office, Quebec, 14th October 1826. AS I rely on his Lordship the Commander of the Forces having received the expected communications from the Secretary of State for forwarding the views of his Grace the Master-General and Honourable Board of Ordnance respecting the prosecution of the Rideau Canal, I have the honour to enclose, for the information of his Lordship, a copy of the instructions I propose sending to Lieut.-Colonel By, that no time may be lost in proceeding on the important work alluded to. Should I be mistaken as to the receipt of the communications from the Secretary of State, I can only trust that his Lordship, having before him copies of all the orders of his Grace and the Board that have been forwarded for the guidance of Lieut.-Colonel By, will be pleased to sanction his proceeding to carry the same into immediate effect, and make such communications to his Excellency Sir P. Maitland, as well as to enable him also to afford facility as to the compensation of ground which will be required for the Rideau Canal, so as to prevent the possibility of their being considered in the light of illegal intruders on the property they are required to survey and take sections of. Correspondence relative to the Canal Communication in Canada. No. 82.-LETTER from Colonel Durnford to Lieut-Colonel By, SIR, When at Kingston you will inspect the ground near the mills where it is proposed the Canal should terminate, and in case you judge that the services of Captain Bolton, now he appears to be getting better, can be more essential to you at Kingston than at Montreal, you will of course call his attention thereto either immediately or early in the spring. I have, &c.dt en m E.W. Durnford, (signed) Col. Com RI. Eng", Canada. No. 33.-LETTER from Major-General Darling to Colonel Durnford, SIR, &c. &c. &c. Military Secretary's Office, Quebec, 25th Oct. 1826. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th inst. submitting copies of the instructions which you propose sending to Lieut.-Colonel By, for his guidance in the prosecution of the several works intrusted to him by his Grace the Master-General of the Ordnance, on the Report of the Commissioners of Royal Engineers. Although the Commander of the Forces has not received the expected communication from His Majesty's Secretary of State, authorizing the important services alluded to, his Lordship will, nevertheless, sanction your proceeding with the arrangements for carrying into effect the orders of the Master-General and Board, as contained in the documents accompanying your letter of the 7th September. To this end I have received his command to express his entire approbation of the instructions before mentioned, which, together with the documents accompanying them, as well as those with your letters of the 14th, 16th and 19th instant, I have had the honour to submit to his Lordship. A communication will be made to Major-General Sir P. Maitland, agreeably to the desire expressed in your letter of the 14th, requesting his Lordship to afford every facility depending upon his authority, to the officer charged with the execution of the Rideau Canal in Upper Canada, so as to prevent him, or the person employed under him, from meeting with opposition or difficulties in the occupation of such ground as it may be necessary for them to enter upon, in making the requisite surveys, sections, &c. I have, &c. Mily Sec'. No. 34.-LETTER from R. W. Horton, Esq. to R. Byham, Esq. &c. &c. &c. SIR, Downing-street, 31st Jan. 1827. I HAVE laid before the Lord Bathurst your letter of the 15th inst. with the accompanying correspondence, relating to the work recommended by the Engineer Commissioners to be undertaken in the Canadas, and I am directed to acquaint you, for the information of his Grace the Master-General and Board of Ordnance, that his Lordship has instructed Lord Dalhousie to take the necessary steps for the purchase of the land required in Upper and Lower Canada for the line of the Canals. I am, &c. No. 35.-LETTER from Lieut.-Colonel By to General Mann, &c. &c. &c. SIR, Rideau Canal, 1st November 1827. I HAVE the honour to transmit, for the information of his Lordship the MasterGeneral and Right Honourable and honourable Board, my Report and Estimate, with Plans of the various works indispensably necessary to form a Navigable Communication with five feet depth of water from the Ottawa to Kingston; and although I have commenced the building of three locks agreeable to my instructions, on the same scale as those of the Grenville and La Chine Canal, yet as these Canals have nothing to do with the down trade of the country, as already explained in former letters, I cannot refrain from hoping, that when the Plans and Estimate are examined, and the nature of this Water Communication thoroughly understood, that I shall receive orders to construct the large lock of 150 feet long by fifty wide, with five feet depth of water; as these locks would pass steam-boats of sufficient size to navigate the lakes, and also the spars from 120 to 130 feet long required for the Royal Navy, which those of La Chine Canal cannot do, they being only 108 feet by twenty wide. I further beg to observe, that as the melting of the snow in the spring of the year rises the water in the Ottawa River from twenty-two to twentyfour feet perpendicular, and in the Rideau River from thirteen to fifteen feet, it is evident that these torrents must have washed away from the banks all substances that can be removed, and therefore the idea of the paddles of steam-boats injuring such banks is quite erroneous, particularly as the proposed Canal will only retain the water to the height of five feet, Correspondence relative to the Canal Communication in Canada. £.474,844. 20 feet broad. 5 feet deep. 108 feet long. The accompanying Plans will show the very little excavation required, and that See PLAN, No. 5. being chiefly rock, there can be no part of the banks but what may be rendered perfectly secure from injury. His Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie, Commander of the Forces, having suggested the necessity of my sending an officer with my Plans and Estimate, to insure their arrival in time to lay before Parliament, I have ordered Lieutenant Pooley, Royal Engineers, to be the bearer of these Papers. He having been with me at the commencement of the work, and just returned with me from examining the various works on the whole line, can give the fullest information, and explain whatever I may in the hurry of business have omitted. Lieutenant Pooley is an excellent officer, and has shown great perseverance and zeal in this service. I further beg to state, that from the progress already made at the various works, I feel convinced that on the 12th of August 1830, I shall have completed this magnificent Water Communication from the Ottawa to Kingston; but to enable me to do this, I shall require about £. 100,000 each year for positive disbursements on the spot, and have marked on the Plan where the four Companies of Royal Sappers and Miners could be employed to great advantage, should I be favoured with the assistance of two more Companies, in addition to the two already arrived. No. 36.-LETTER from the Marquis of Anglesey to the Right honourable SIR, Uxbridge House, 26th Jan. 1828. I ENCLOSE the copy of the Report of the Committee of Engineers which assembled to examine into the merits of the Plans and Estimates furnished by Lieut.-Colonel By, of the Royal Engineers, and of that adopted by the Commission of which Sir James Smyth was president. The Report of the Committee appears to be so full and explicit upon the several points to which their attention was directed, that it is unnecessary for me to make any observation, except that it should be understood that in the estimates and calculation of the expense of the Canal, there is no provision for superintendence. No exact sum can be stated, as it will depend upon the time the work will be in hand, as the expense will be proportionably lessened by the celerity with which the work can be carried on. The annual expense at present sanctioned is £. 3,850. The suggestion of wooden locks thrown out by the Committee, is I think quite inadmissible; but I am by means of opinion that the consideration of the enlarged locks (perhaps not to the extent proposed by Lieut.-Colonel By) ought to be given up. Ön the contrary, I think it is a subject which ought to be fully discussed and considered in all its bearings, not only with reference to the defence of the country, but as connected with its trade and revenue. No. 37.-LETTER from Major-General Bryce to General Mann, SIR, &c. &c. &c. 84, Pall Mall, 23d Jan. 1828. I HAVE the honour of submitting herewith the Report of the Committee of Engineers, of which I am President, on the Rideau Navigation, conformably with your orders of the 4th inst. It will be observed, that Major-General Sir James Smyth has expressed his dissent from the rest of the Committee on Lieut.-Colonel By's proposition for enlarging the locks. Lest the observations of Sir James Smyth, on the question of enlarged locks on the Rideau Canal, should lead to an erroneous view of the opinion of the remaining Members of the Committee, it is thought necessary by them to observe, that they have not, nor did they intend to recommend the adoption of wooden locks in pre ference Canal Communi ference to stone, but have merely stated, that should imperative financial conside- Correspondence rations render the adoption of wooden locks at present expedient, the measure would relative to the be attended with the incidental convenience of affording an opportunity hereafter of cation in Canada. adopting whatever size of lock should be then best adapted to existing circumstances; and the remaining Members of the Committee have also to observe, that they did not conceive themselves called on by their instructions to offer any opinion regarding the annual expenditure to be made on this Navigation during its progress. I have, &c. No. 38.-REPORT of the COMMITTEE of ENGINEERS on the Plans and SIR, 84, Pall Mall, 22 Jan. 1828. IN obedience to your orders of the 4th instant, we have carefully examined the Plans and Estimates for the construction of the Rideau Canal in Upper Canada, together with the several documents on the subject, which have been laid before us; and having also obtained such other information within our reach as we deemed expedient, we now respectfully submit our Report, commencing with the first head of our instructions, by which we are required, "To give our opinion upon the Plan proposed by Lieut.-Colonel By, of effecting the Water Communication from the "Ottawa to Kingston, in all its details," especially as to the practicability, economy and safety of the dams, which the Lieut.-Colonel proposes throwing across the River, and thus rendering the small falls into still water. The general tracing of the Water Communication between the Ottawa River and Kingston, adopted by Lieut.-Colonel By, is that which appears to have been contemplated by the Commission of Engineers, of which a survey and estimate had been prepared by Mr. Clowes (a civil engineer) for the Legislature of Upper Canada; the only material variation in the two lines appears to be near the entrance on the Ottawa, which Lieut.-Colonel By proposes to form above the mouth of the Rideau River, whilst the civil engineer proposed the entrance below. The reasons Lieut.-Colonel By has given for preferring the entrance above appear to us well founded, as the small bay in which he has placed the entrance is better sheltered than it would be below; the ascent from the Ottawa to the Rideau is easier, being partly through a ravine, and the distance is somewhat shorter; there is also a difference in the direction of the two lines between Barrel's Rapids and Merrick's Mills, where Mr. Clowes has proposed to carry his Canal through six miles and a half of cultivated land, whilst Lieut.-Colonel By carries his Canal on the opposite bank of the river for one mile and a half, where the land is waste; for the remainder of the distance he proposes raising the water in the river by dams, by which means he will avoid the purchase of much valuable land (but which is not estimated by Mr. Clowes) and very considerable cutting in rock, and we therefore think that Lieut.-Colonel By's line here is the preferable; and also being by comparison of the two estimates, the most economical. These observations are all that seem to us necessary to be made in this plan, on the proposed trace of Lieut.Colonel By's line of communication. With regard to the dams proposed by Lieut.-Colonel By for raising the water in the rapids, to render the Rideau navigable, we would observe that this is by no means a novel expedient, having been much practised both in the old and new hemispheres, under the more usual denomination of waste weirs; the principle and use however is the same, but we have not learnt that any have been constructed so high as Lieut.-Colonel By has proposed at the Hog's Back, and at Jone's Falls, those being 45 feet and 48 respectively, The Americans have one of 28 feet in height on the upper part of the Hudson, above Albany, where the river is from 250 to 300 yards wide, which is about twice the width of the Rideau, where Lieut.-Col. By's first dam is proposed; Mr. Clowes also, in his project, has availed himself of the use of waste weirs or dams to raise the water on the rapids, though he has not carried this expedient to the same extent as Lieut.-Colonel By, the former having only 10 dams across the river, varying from three to seven feet in height, whilst Lieut.-Colonel By has 20 of different heights, from eight feet to 48. As a general |