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ROYAL MILITARY OR SHORNCLIFF AND RYE CANAL.
47 George III. Cap. 70, Royal Assent 13th August, 1807.

THE Royal Military Canal and other works therewith connected, were constructed as calculated to stop the progress of the enemy, should the descent threatened by Napoleon ever have been put into execution. Commencing in the tideway at Shorncliff, in the county of Kent, not far from Sandgate Castle, it proceeds from east to west, as far as Hythe, where it makes a very short detour; it then proceeds past the batteries, in a continued westerly direction, leaving Lympne, Bonnington, Ruckinge and Appledore, on its north bank, to the junction with the intended Weald of Kent Canal; it then proceeds to the south, till it unites with the River Rother on the borders of Sussex; in the bed of which river it is continued past Rye, as far as Winchelsea; at this place the river verges to the south-east to its opening into the sea, whilst the canal is continued in a direction due south, from Winchelsea to Cliff End, where it terminates.

The purposes for which it was originally constructed having become no longer necessary, it was deemed expedient by government, that the canal and towing-paths should be turned to some account in a commercial point of view, whilst they were likewise kept in repair, in case they should be wanted as a means of repelling an invading force. An act was accordingly passed in 1807, entitled, 'An Act for maintaining and preserving a Military Canal and Road, made from Shorncliff in the county of Kent, to Cliff End in the county of Sussex; and for regulating the taking of Rates and Tolls thereon.' By this act the Speaker of the House of Commons and other principal officers of the State are appointed commissioners for carrying on and maintaining the said canal and road, and to make the necessary orders for regulating the same. They are also empowered to order toll-gates to be erected and rates to be demanded for goods, &c. passing on the canal and towing-path, such rates to be raised or lowered as shall to them appear necessary; tables of these rates to be put up in conspicuous places on the line, and returns of them or any


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 therein to be made to parliament, but no toll-gate is to be erected between the two bridges at Hythe, nor on that part of the road opposite to Appledore, on the towing-path side lying between the River Wall and Appledore Bridge, being the road from Romney to Tenterden. No tolls are to be paid by the owners or occupiers of lands, if they use them only for carrying manure or produce.

The line of this canal is but little elevated above the sea, running near the boundary of Romney Marsh for a considerable distance; the length, from commencement near Hythe to termination near Cliff End, is near thirty miles; it was executed under the direction of government, and is well calculated for the warlike no less than for the commercial purposes of the country.

RUMNEY RAILWAY.
6 George IV. Cap. 62. Royal Assent 20th May. 1825.

THIS railway commences at the Sirhowey Railroad, Pye Corner, in the parish of Bassaleg, and about two miles and a half west from the market town of Newport. It takes a westerly course, running nearly a mile on the western bank of the River Ebbw, thence by the village of Machin to the northern bank of the River Rumney, along which it runs by Bedwas to Trehir, where the river changes for a course directly north, and along the eastern bank of which the railroad runs to Gellyhave Colliery, from whence is a branch railroad communicating with the Sirhowey Railroad to the east, and at the distance only of a mile and a half. From the last-mentioned place it continues to follow the course of the Rumney River by Pont Aberbangoed, near Bedwelty, to Rumney Iron Forges, where it terminates.

The railroad is divided into three planes; the first of which, commencing at Pye Corner, is two miles and three furlongs in length, and rises 114 feet, being but one-third of an inch in the yard; the next plane is ten miles, six furlongs and eight chains in length to Gellyhave Colliery, and rises 209 feet or one eighth of an inch per yard; the remainder of the railway is eight miles, four furlongs and two chains in length, and rises 433

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 feet or one-third of an inch per yard. The total length of the railway is twenty-one miles and six furlongs, and the whole rise from Pye Corner is 756 feet. The original estimate was made by Mr. George Overton and Mr. David Davies, and amounted to £47,850, and the whole sum was subscribed for by four individuals, viz.

The act for the completion of this work was obtained in 1825, and is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a Railway or Tramroad from the Northern Extremity of a certain Estate called Abertyswg, in the parish of Bedwelty, in the county of Monmouth, to join the Sirhowey Railway, at or near Pye corner, in the parish of Bassaleg, in the same county.' By this act the proprietors are incorporated as "The Rumney Railway Company," with power to execute the railway and all other necessary works, for accomplishing which they are authorized to contribute £47,100, in shares of £100 each; and in case this shall prove insufficient, they may borrow £20,000 in addition, on mortgage of the works. For paying interest, &c. they are to demand as

TONNAGE RATES.
Fractions of a Mile and of a Ton as the Quarters therein, and of a Quarter as a Quarter.

The Proprietors to direct what Rates shall be paid for Parcels not exceeding Five Hundred Pounds.

Wharfs may be erected and the following demanded as wharfage rates.


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WHARFAGE RATES.
If the above remain on Wharfs or in Warehouses above Forty-eight Hours, then there shall be paid in addition for the first Seven Days, One Penny per Ton for Wharfage and Two-pence for Warehousing, and the like Sums respectively for every further Seven Days.

Abounding as this country does with such abundance of mineral, the traffic upon this railway will amply repay the spirited proprietors who have embarked so large a capital in the construction of the work.

SAINT COLUMB CANAL.
13 George III. Cap. 93, Royal Assent 1st April, 1773.

THIS canal was executed under the authority of the above act of parliament, which is entitled, 'An Act for making or continuing a navigable Cut or Canal from Maugan Porth, through the several parishes of Maugan, Saint Columb Major, Little Colan and Saint Columb Minor, to Lower Saint Columb Porth, in the county of Cornwall,' and which authorizes John Edyvean, of Saint Austell, in the county of Cornwall, gentleman, and his executors, administrators and assigns to make and complete this canal, and to levy thereon the following

TONNAGE RATES.
It is stated that this canal will afford the means of improving many thousand acres of barren and unprofitable ground within and near the several parishes through which it passes; and it is enacted that it shall be exempted from the payment of any taxes, rates or assessments whatsoever.

For supplying this canal with water, power is given, by the act of parliament, to take all streams within three miles of the same; and also to make reservoirs within the same distance.


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The length of this canal is about six miles, and although of short extent is found very beneficial for the exporting minerals and of conveying sand and other manure to the adjoining lands.

SAINT HELEN'S AND RUNCORN GAP RAILWAY.
11 George IV. Cap. 61, Royal Assent 29th May, 1830.

THE main line of railway commences from Cowley Hill Colliery, about two miles north of the town of St. Helen's, from whence its course is southwardly by Gerrard's Bridge Colliery, crossing the Sankey Brook Navigation near St. Helen's; thence by Peaseley Cross, Barton Bank Colliery to Toad Leach, where it crosses the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Its course hence is by Tibbs Cross, Plumpton Mill, to the River Mersey at Widness Wharf, directly opposite the Old Quay Docks of the Mersey and Irwell Canal; crossing in its course the line of the Sankey Brook Extension near its western termination. Adjoining and communicating with the Mersey, a capacious wet dock, two hundred yards in length with two openings with tide locks, is to be constructed, where ships and other vessels may securely lie while waiting for cargoes.

The length of this railway, embracing the amended line from Runcott Lane towards Cowley Hill Colliery, is eight miles and seven furlongs; and there are thirteen branches which are together in length six miles, five furlongs and eight chains, viz. the branch from near Tibbs Cross, in a north-westwardly direction to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, at Elton Head Colliery, is one mile, five furlongs and four chains in length; another in a north-westwardly direction, to join and communicate with the Liverpool and Manchester Bailway with greater facility, one furlong and five chains in length; and another branch from the same point, communicating with the above railway to the eastward, two furlongs and five chains in length; one from the north side of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, to communicate with it in a south-westwardly direction, two furlongs and three chains in length, and another branch to the eastward, with the same object, one furlong and five chains in length; from near


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 Barton Bank Colliery, there is a branch to Broad Oak Colliery, in length seven furlongs and two chains; and from the last-mentioned branch there proceeds two collateral branches, one proceeding northwards to the Sankey Brook Colliery, one furlong and five chains in length, and another from the same point, in an eastwardly direction, to Ashton's Green Colliery, being in length two furlongs and six chains. The branch to Ravenhead Plate Glass Works quits the main line a short distance north of Peaseley Cross, and proceeds in a straight line westwards, across a branch of the Sankey Brook Navigation to the works above-mentioned, and is in length one mile and six chains; from this last-mentioned branch there proceeds three collateral branches, viz, one by Sutton and Burton Head Collieries to Dobson's Wood, which is in length six furlongs; another to the St. Helen's Plate Glass Works, in length one furlong; and another to Messrs. Clare and Haddock's Colliery, in length one furlong and one chain. From near the termination of the main line near Cowley Hill, a branch proceeds in a north-eastwardly direction to Rushy Park Colliery, in length four furlongs and six chains.

The main line, as we have already stated, is eight miles and seven furlongs in length, viz. from the Wet Dock to the Elton Head Colliery Branch, three miles, five furlongs and five chains; thence to the two branches, communicating north-eastwardly and north-westwardly with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, one mile, five furlongs and four chains; thence to where it crosses the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, one furlong and four chains; from the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to the two branches which communicate with it south-westwardly and south-eastwardly, one furlong and one chain; thence to the Ravenhead Plate Glass Works Branch, one mile and six furlongs; from the last-mentioned branch to where the Rushy Park Colliery Branch leaves the main line, one mile, one furlong and three chains; thence to its termination at Cowley Hill Colliery, two furlongs and three chains, making the total length eight miles and seven furlongs.

From the wet dock the railway is designed to rise gradually 142 feet in nearly one equal plane of four miles in length; and the next four furlongs and a half, terminating at the place called the


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 Clock Face, is level; from this place there is a descent of 70 feet in one mile and five furlongs by a gradual inclination; and from thence to its termination there is a rise of 18 feet.

The Elton Head Branch rises 44 feet in one inclined plane to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The branch to Dobson's Wood has three different inclinations, but altogether the rise from the Ravenhead Branch is 34 feet, and the last-mentioned branch rises 50 feet.

The Broad Oak Colliery Branch is nearly level; and the other remaining branches are of so little moment as scarcely to call for further description.

This work was designed by C. B. Vignoles, Esq. civil engineer, who estimated the cost at £119,980, which includes the sum of £31,620 for the wet dock, and £10,900 for contingencies.

The act authorizing the execution of the above works received the King's assent on the 29th May, 1830, and is entitled, 'An Act for making a Railway from the Cowley Hill Colliery, in the parish of Prescot, to Runcorn Gap, in the same parish, with several Branches therefrom, all in the county palatine of Lancaster, and for constructing a Wet Dock at the termination of the said Railway at Runcorn Gap aforesaid.'  The subscribers, at the time the bill was in parliament, consisted of forty-one persons, who were incorporated as "The Saint Helen's and Runcorn Gap Railway Company," with power to raise amongst themselves, the sum of £120,000, (of which, £100,200 was subscribed before the act was obtained) in twelve hundred shares of £100 each; and the whole is directed to he subscribed before the work is commenced. If the above be insufficient, they may raise by mortgage of the undertaking the further sum of £30,000.

The act further directs that the inside edges of the rails shall be 4 feet 8 inches apart, and the outside edges 5 feet 1 inch; and that the railway shall not cross the Liverpool and Manchester Railway on the same level, but either by a tunnel or by a bridge to be constructed under the superintendence of the engineer of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and that there shall be not less than three passing places in every mile.


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TONNAGE RATES.
When any Goods are conveyed on this Railway so short a Distance that the Rates do not amount to One Shilling per Ton, the Company are nevertheless empowered to demand that Amount.

TOLLS ON CARRIAGES, &c.
Fractions to be taken as for a Quarter of a Mile and Quarter of a Ton.

When the company carry goods they are allowed the following

TONNAGE RATES.
And for Persons, Cattle and other Animals, such reasonable Charge as shall from Time to Time be determined by the Company.

The Company may charge One Shilling and Nine-pence per Ton for short Distances where the Tonnage does not amount to such a Sum.

TONNAGE ON VESSELS USING THE DOCK.
No Vessel to remain in the Dock more than Seven Days, unless by Permission.

His Majesty's Vessels are exempt from these Tolls.


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No Waggon or other Carrisge shall be permitted to carry at one Time, including the weight of such Carriage, more than Four Tons Weight, except in any one Piece of Timber, Block or Stone, Boiler, Cylinder, Bob or single Piece of Machinery, or other single Article which nevertheless shall not exceed Eight Tons, and for which the Company may claim Sixpence per Ton per Mile. And no Piece of Timber. &c. weighing Eight Tons, including the Carriage, shall pass without the special Licence of the Company.

If the works are not completed in seven years, the powers of the act are to cease, except as to such parts as may have been executed.

In this act there is a clause for preserving the rights of his Majesty, of the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company, of the Liverpool Corporation and Dock Trustees, and of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company.

By the execution of this railway, an expeditious mode will be afforded of conveying coals from the extensive coal field of St. Helen's, Wirdle, Parr and Sutton, to the port of Liverpool, and the Cheshire Salt Works; and aided by the dock, quays and other works near Runcorn Gap, will give great facility to the re-shipping of merchandize.

SALISBURY AND SOUTHAMPTON CANAL.
35 George III. Cap. 51, Royal Assent 30th April, 1795.

40 George III. Cap. 108, Royal Assent 9th July, 1800.

THE first act of parliament respecting this undertaking was passed in 1795, and is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from the town and county of Southampton, to the city of New Sarum, in the county of Wilts, with a collateral Branch to Northam, within the Liberties of the town of Southampton.' This was followed in 1800 by a second act, entitled, 'An Act for altering and amending an Act made in the Thirty-fifth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, entitled, An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from the town and county of Southampton, to the city of New Sarum, in the county of Wilts, with a collateral Branch to Northam, within the liberties of the town of Southampton.'  The canal contemplated by these acts of parliament has been in part only made, that portion of it only between Southampton


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 and Redbridge, where it joins the Andover Canal, being completed. It was to branch from the Andover Canal at Mitchelmersh, and passing through the parishes of Mattisfont, Lockerley, West Dean, East Dean, East Grinstead, West Grinstead, Alderbury, Peter's Finger, Laverstock and Milford, to proceed to the Avon River at Salisbury.

That part of the canal between Salisbury and the Andover Canal was excavated, but in consequence of meeting with an extensive quick-sand, it would not hold water, and was therefore abandoned. The projectors of this work contemplated supplying the interior with fuel at a cheaper rate, and of transmitting, in return, the agricultural produce of that part of Wiltshire to the sea coast.

SANKEY BROOK NAVIGATION.
28 George II. Cap. 8, Royal Assent 20th March, 1755.

2 George III. Cap. 56, Royal Assent 8th April, 1762

11 George IV. Cap. 50, Royal Assent 29th May, 1830.

THIS canal, which was the first executed in the country, commenced in the River Mersey, at the mouth of Sankey Brook, from which it derives its name as well as its supply of water; the brook serving as a feeder to the canal. Running northerly in a circuitous route and alongside the Sankey Brook, it passes Sankey Bridge; then bending to the north-west, it passes Winwick Hail, and leaving Newton Park on the north, proceeds to Gerrard's Bridge and St. Helen's, where it terminates.

The first act of parliament respecting this navigation was obtained in 1755, and is entitled, 'An Act for making navigable the River or Brook called Sankey Brook, and Three several Branches thereof from the River Mersey below Sankey Bridges, up to Boardman's Stone Bridge on the South Branch, to Gerrard's Bridge on the Middle Branch, and to Penny Bridge on the North Branch, all in the county palatine of Lancaster.' By this act was authorized the collecting of the following

TONNAGE RATE.
Sixty-three Cubic Feet of Coal, Cannel Coal, Charcoal, Coke and Cinders; Fifty Cubic Feet of Fir, Poplar, Alder Wood. Withy or Willow; Forty Cubic Feet of Oak, Ash or any other Timber, to be rated as a Ton.


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A second act of parliament was obtained in 1762, for amending the former, entitled, 'An Act to amend and render more effectual, an Act made in the Twenty-eighth Year of the Reign of his late Majesty King George the Second, for making navigable Sankey Brook, in the county of Lancaster, and for the extending and improving the said Navigation;' which empowered the undertakers to continue the navigation to Fidler's Ferry on the River Mersey, and to take an additional toll of two-pence per ton, making the present

TONNAGE RATE.
This act allowed the undertakers till the 29th September, 1768, to complete their works. The length of the canal is about twelve miles, and it has eight single locks of about 6 feet fall each, and two double locks of about 15 feet each, making together about 78 feet fall; the depth is 5 feet 7 inches, and the width sixteen yards, and there are eighteen swivel bridges over it.

An experiment of propelling vessels by steam was tried upon this canal as early as 1797, when a loaded barge was worked up and down by a steam engine on board for a distance of twenty miles; but, singular as it may appear, to this time vessels have continued to be towed upon it by manual labour.

The principal articles carried on this canal are copper-ore, corn and coals; of the latter, one hundred thousand tons annually are conveyed to Liverpool; large quantities to the salt works in Cheshire; to the Anglesea Copper Works, and to the Plate Glass Manufactory near Warrington.

This navigation has three branches running to collieries in its neighbourhood; viz, the South Branch to Boardman's Stone Bridge, near St. Helen's; the Middle Branch to Gerrard's Bridge; and the North Branch to Penny Bridge.

The last act relating to this navigation was obtained chiefly for the purpose of enabling the proprietors to extend their navigation, from above the basin and lock at Fidler's Ferry, where it now enters the tideway of the River Mersey, across Cuerdley and Widness Salt Marshes to Widness Wharf, West Bank, near


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 Runcorn Gap, and there to terminate at the above-mentioned river. The length of the extension, including the new proposed basin at its termination, is three miles, two furlongs and eight chains, and on one level to the entrance of the basin, where there is to be a double lock, with a fall of 5 feet 6 inches to the level of average spring tide water at Runcorn Gap, which is 19 feet 6 inches above the sill of the Old Dock at Liverpool. The level of average neap tides at Runcorn, above Liverpool Old Dock Sill, is 11 feet 6 inches, and the level of the bottom of the basin and sill of entrance gates is 5 feet above it. The canal is to be 7 feet deep, and a branch is to be made to the west side of the basin terminating near the banks of the Mersey.

Its length is one furlong and seven chains, and level with the basin which is to be two hundred yards in length and fifty in breadth.

This act which received his Majesty's assent on the 29th May, 1830, and is entitled, 'An Act to consolidate and amend the Acts relating to the Sankey Brook Navigation, in the county of Lancaster; and to make a New Canal from the said Navigation at Fidler's Ferry, to communicate with the River Mersey at Widness Wharf, near West Bank, in the township of Widness, in the said county,' repeals the former acts of the 28th George II. and 2nd George III. and incorporates the proprietors under the title of "The Company of Proprietors of the Sankey Brook Navigation."

Previous to the passing of this act the navigation was divided into one hundred and twenty shares; it is now, however, to consist of four hundred and eighty of £200 each, the capital being £96,000; the proprietor, therefore, of one share previous to this enactment, is now entitled to four.

For the purpose of carrying into execution the intent of the act, the company are empowered to borrow, on assignment of the navigation as a security, the sum of £30,000; and for the purpose of creating a sinking fund for repayment of the sum borrowed, the company are required to set apart one-tenth part of the clear profits of the navigation.

As the previous acts are repealed, the following are the tonnage rates.


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EXEMPTION FROM THE ABOVE TOLLS.
Lime-stone, Paving-stones, Gravel, Sand and all other Materials for making or repairing of Roads, Quays and Wharfs, to or upon the Sankey Brook Navigation, and for the private use of the Persons whose Lands shall be cut or made use of for the same; Soapers' Waste, Dung and all Sorts of Manure is also exempted.

As the Land through which the proposed Extension is to be made is the Property of Sir Richard Brooke, Bart. he or his Heirs are permitted to convey any Description of Goods, being his or their own Property or that of his Tenants in Cuerdley, and being bona fide the produce of his or their Lands, free of Tolls; and also any Timber, Stone, Bricks or Slates, or other Materials intended to be used for any Building upon any Part of the above Estate in Cuerdley, or for draining the same.

For the better ascertaining the Tonnage of Coal, &c. Sixty-three Feet of Coal, Cannel Coal, Charcoal, Coke and Cinders; Fifty Cubical Feet of Fir, Poplar, Alder Wood, Withy or Willow; and Forty Cubical Feet of Oak, Ash, or other Timber shall be deemed a Ton.

Fractions to be taken as for a Quarter of a Ton.

No Vessels of less Burthen than Thirty-live Tons (except Pleasure Boats) to be permitted to pass a Lock without leave, unless a Tonnage to that Amount is paid.

Lords of manors or owners of land may erect wharfs; but if they refuse, the company may do it, and charge the following

WHARFAGE RATES.
For the use of Sir Richard Brooke, Bart. or his tenants in Cuerdley, the company are required to construct three wharfs or landing places, together with a small basin capable of receiving a vessel of eighteen tons burthen.

This act restrains the company from any interference with the rights of the King's Most Excellent Majesty, as regards his Crown or his Duchy of Lancaster; the Mersey and Irwell Company; the Corporation of Liverpool and Trustees of Liverpool Docks; the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company; and the Owners, Proprietors or Farmers of Sankey Quays.

Mr. John Eyes, of Liverpool, was the original engineer to the undertaking. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway crosses this canal by a stupendous viaduct about a mile from Newton, at the height of 70 feet above the surface water.


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 built by Senwosri (Usertesen) II. (2684–2666 ), was abandoned when the pyramid was completed. The houses were all built in unburnt brick, and in those cases where the rooms exceeded 8 or 9 ft. in width, columns in stone or wood were employed to assist in carrying the roof, which was constructed of beams carrying smaller timbers covered over with a flat roof of mud. The plans of the houses were not unlike those found in Pompeii, with open courts and porticoes and no external windows. The streets ran at right angles to one another, and the houses varied in size from the workman’s hut, of one room, to the overseer’s house with several rooms and courts; the principal residence, in the centre, occupied by the governor of the town, being of still larger dimensions.

Further knowledge of the Egyptian dwellings is chiefly derived from the “soul-houses” recently discovered by Petrie, and from the paintings in the tombs, which suggest that they corresponded to that class of residence which in Rome was known as a villa, viz. a series of detached buildings built in immense enclosures, with porticoes round, groves of trees, artificial lakes, &c. The walls, gates and buildings were all built probably in unburnt brick, and the whole site, if on the borders of the river, raised on great mounds. In this respect they accord with the houses of the fellah at the present day, which are raised on the accumulation of centuries, for when, owing to the rise of the Nile, the houses succumb to the moisture creeping up, another house is built on the top. The representations in paintings show that the houses were chiefly built in unburnt brick, and they sometimes were of two or three storeys in height, with windows in the upper floors, and a flat roof with a kind of dormer known as the Mulhuf, turned towards the north-west to ventilate the house. The paintings frequently represent the store-rooms, or granaries; and the preservation of those built by Rameses the Great, in the rear of the Ramesseum at Thebes, as granaries to hold corn, enables us to follow their construction. These granaries consist of a series of long cellars, about 12 to 14 ft. wide, placed side by side, and roofed over with elliptical barrel vaults. The reason for the elliptical form and the method of their construction is given in the article (q.v.).

The pavilion of Medinet Abū was built in stone, and consequently has been preserved more or less complete to our day. It consisted of three storeys with a flat roof and battlement round, said to be in imitation of those on a Syrian fortress, as they are quite unlike anything else in Egypt. The floors were in wood, but there are traces of a stone staircase. The windows, of large size, were filled with thin stone slabs pierced with vertical slits, like those of the hall of columns at Karnak.

About 3800 the earlier inhabitants of Chaldaea or Babylonia were invaded and absorbed by a Semitic race, whose first monarch was Sargon of Agade (Akkad). 1800 years later, emigrations took place northward, and founded Nineveh on the banks of the Tigris, about 250 m. north of Babylon. 1200 years later, the Assyrians began building the magnificent series of palaces from which were brought the winged man-headed bulls and the sculptured slabs now in the British Museum. The leading characteristics of the style, and the nature of the structures, temples and palaces, evolved by the Chaldaeans (or first Babylonian empire), the Assyrians, and the new Babylonian empire, are similar; they are best known by those which represent a culmination of the style in north Mesopotamia, and are therefore described here.

By a singular coincidence the remains of the oldest building found at Nippur (Niffar), in lower Mesopotamia, bear a close resemblance to the oldest pyramid in Egypt, Medum, before it received its final casing. The latter, however, is known to have been a tomb, whereas the structure at Nippur was a temple, which took the form of a ziggurat or stage tower. It consisted of several storeys built one over the other, the upper storey in each case being set back behind the lower, in order to leave a terrace all round. In some cases the terrace was wider in front, to give space for staircases ascending from storey to storey. In consequence of the extreme flatness of the country and its liability to sudden inundations, it became necessary, when erecting buildings of any kind, to raise them on mounds of earth. The more important the structure, the higher was it deemed necessary to raise it, so as to make it the most conspicuous feature in the landscape. The result is that from Abu Shahrain, the most southern town, to Akarkuf (Aqarquf), 220 m. north, there are a series of immense mounds, sometimes nearly a mile in diameter, and rising to a height of 200 ft., crowned with the remains of towns, which, notwithstanding the thirty centuries more or less during which they have been exposed to the torrential rains and the destructive agencies of man, form still the most prominent features in the country. The structures which were raised on the mound, i.e. the temples and palaces with their enclosure walls, were all built with bricks made of the alluvial clay of the country, shaped in wooden moulds and dried in the heat of the sun, a heat so intense that they acquired sometimes the hardness of the inferior qualities of stone. The walls of the temples, palaces and enclosures had the same batter as that already referred to in the preceding section on Egypt. In the latter country they were reproduced in stone, of which there were many quarries on either side of the Nile; in Chaldaea they were obliged to content themselves with the preservation of their ziggurats by outer casings of burnt brick and with pavements of tiles for their terraces. In order to vary the monotony of their temple walls, and perhaps to give them greater strength, they built vertical bands or buttresses at intervals, or they sank panels in the walls to two depths, a natural decoration to which brick work lends itself; and these two methods, which were employed in early times, were followed by the Assyrians in the palaces of Nimrud, Nineveh and Khorsabad.

The earlier settlements were those founded between the mouths of the Tigris and the Euphrates, on what was then the shore of the Persian Gulf, now some 140 m. farther south. The principal towns where the remains of ziggurats have been found, all on the borders of the Euphrates, beginning with the most southern, are:—Abu Shahrain (Eridu); Mugheir (Ur of the Chaldees); Senkera (? Ellasar or Larsa); Warka (Erech); Tello (Eninnu); Nippur; Birs Nimrūd (Borsippa); Babil (Babylon); El Ohemir (Kish); Abu Habba (Sippara); and Akarkuf (Durkurigalsu).

Although the ziggurats at Warka, Nippur and Tello are probably of older foundation, the great temple of Borsippa at Birs Nimrud is in better preservation, having been restored or rebuilt by Nebuchadrezzar, and may be taken as a typical example. The ground storey was 272 ft. square, and, according to Fergusson, 45 ft. high. The upper storeys or stages receded back, one behind the other, so as to leave a terrace all round. Although it is not possible to trace more than four storeys, it is known from the description on a cylinder found on the site that there were seven storeys, dedicated to the planets, each coloured with the special tint prescribed. The total height was about 160 ft., and on the top was a shrine dedicated to the god Nebo. An invaluable record of the researches which have been made during the last three centuries or more is given in H. V. Hilprecht’s Explorations in Bible Lands during the 19th Century. Two or three of them might be mentioned here. At Warka Mr Kenneth Loftus uncovered a wall, strengthened by buttresses 15 ft. wide and projecting 18 in., between which were panels filled with a series of semicircular shafts side by side, both buttresses and shafts being decorated with geometrical patterns consisting of small earthenware cones embedded in the wall, the ends of which were enamelled in various colours. The design of these patterns is so unlike anything found in Assyrian work, but bears so close a resemblance to the geometrical designs carved on the columns at Diarbekr ascribed to the Parthians, that this wall may have been built at a much later period; and this becomes the more probable in view of the discoveries made subsequently at Tello and Nippur, where Parthian palaces have been found, crowning the summits of the ancient Chaldaean mounds. In both these towns the researches made in later years have been carried out far more methodically than previously, and, following the example of Schliemann, excavations have been made to great depths, careful notes being taken of the strata shown by the platforms at different levels. At Tello, de Sarzac discovered the magnificent collection of statues of diorite now in the Louvre, one of them (unfortunately headless) of Gudea, priest-king and architect of Lagash, seated and carrying on his lap a tablet, on which is engraved the plan of a fortified enclosure, whilst a divided scale and a stylos are carved in relief near the upper and right-hand side. A silver inlaid vase of Entemena, also priest-king of Lagash (about 3950 ), and other treasures, were found on the same site.

title: Page:EB1911 - Volume 02.djvu/395


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 described his victories over Set or the monster Tebha (the Typhon of the Greeks). But the victory of Darkness over Light was appropriately represented by the myth of the Blind Horus. An ancient text speaks of him as "sitting solitary in the darkness and blindness." He is introduced in the royal Ritual at Abydos, saying, "I am Horus, and I come to search for mine eyes." According to the 64th chapter of the Book of the Dead, "his eye is restored to him at the dawn of day." A legend contained in the 112th chapter of the same Book describes Horus as wounded in the eye by Set in the form of a black boar. Anubis fomented the wound, of which Horus appears at first to have thought him the author, and according to another legend, Isis stanched the blood which flowed from the wound. But according to another account, Set swallowed the eye, and was compelled to vomit it from the prison in which he was confined, with a chain of steel fastened about his neck. The Eye of Horus is constantly spoken of as a distinct deity, terrible to the enemies of light.

The conflict of Light and Darkness is represented in many other mythical forms. The great Cat in the alley of Persea trees at Heliopolis, which is Rā, crushes the serpent. In most parts of Egypt the sun sets behind a mountain-range; it is only in the north that


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186 such is Zeus in the mythical portions of the epic. He is the father and master of gods and men, and the strongest; but he may be opposed, he may be deceived and cajoled; he is hot-tempered, amorous, luxurious, by no means omnipotent or omniscient. He cannot avert even from his children the doom that Fate span into the threads at their birth; he is no more omniscient than omnipotent, and if he can affect the weather, and bring storm and cloud, so at will can the other deities, and so can any sorcerer, or Jossakeed, or Biraark of the lower races.

In Homeric religion, as considered apart from myth, in the religious thoughts of men at solemn moments of need, or dread, or prayer, Zeus holds a far other place. All power over mortals is in his hands, and is acknowledged with almost the fatalism of Islam. "So meseems it pleaseth mighty Zeus, who hath laid low the head of many a city, yea, and shall lay low, for his is the highest power." It is Zeus who gives sorrows to men, and he has, in a mythical picture, two jars by him full of evil and good, which he deals to his children on earth. In prayer he is addressed as Zeus, most glorious, most great, veiled in the storm-cloud, that dwelleth in the heaven. He gives his sanction to the oath, "Father Zeus, that rulest from Ida, most glorious, most great, and thou sun, that seest all things, and hearest all things, and ye rivers, and thou earth, and ye that in the underworld punish men forsworn, whosoever sweareth falsely, be ye witnesses, and


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 the body of Osiris is said to have been plunged into the waters. According to another legend, the crocodile Maka, the son of Set, devoured the arm of Osiris. Other disastrous mutilations are described as befalling Osiris, Rā, Horus and Set, in their turn. Set and the other powers of darkness assumed the forms of fishes. Horus pursued them, and Set was caught in a net. Horus, on the other hand, was changed into a fish, and was saved by his mother Isis.

Set.

Set, though the antagonist of Light in the myths of Rā, Osiris and Horus, is not a god of evil. He represents a physical reality, a constant and everlasting law of nature, and is as true a god as his opponents. His worship is as ancient as any. The kings of Egypt were devoted to Set as to Horus, and derived from them the sovereignty over north and south. On some monuments, one god is represented with two heads, one being that of Horus, the other that of Set. The name of the great conqueror Seti signifies, "he that is devoted to Set." It was not till the decline of the empire that this deity came to be regarded as an evil demon, that his name was effaced from monuments, and other names substituted for his in the Ritual.


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 Thoth.

The Egyptian god Tehuti is known to the readers of Plato under the name of Thōyth. He is the Egyptian Hermes, and the name of Hermes Trismegistos is translated from the corresponding Egyptian epithet which is often added to the name of Tehuti. He represents the Moon, which he wears upon his head, either as crescent or as full disk; and as our word moon is derived from the root mâ, to measure, and "was originally called by the former the measurer, the ruler of days and weeks and seasons, the regulator of the tides, the lord of their festivals, and the herald of their public assemblies," we shall not be surprised if we find a very similar account of the etymology and attributes of Tehuti. There is no such known Egyptian word as tehu, but there is teχu which is a dialectic variety, and is actually used as a name of the god. This form supplies us with the reason why the god is represented as an ibis. As Seb is the name both of a goose and of the Earth-god, so is Techu the name of an ibis and of the Moon-god. Tehuti probably signifies, as M. Naville has suggested, the "ibis-headed." But it means something besides. Techu is the name of the instrument which corresponds to the needle of the


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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3 NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011 TOP SECRET – Sensitive "We warned them that time was extremely short, that the sects were about to take action by arms and that a peaceful solution would have to be introduced immediately or the opportunity would be lost. The opportunity was lost."

 * 2.

Lost because Cao Dai and Hoa Hao sect leaders joined with Bay Vien in February, put down hostilities among themselves and joined in a United Front of Nationalist Forces. In March, the United Front demanded Diem form a government of large national union. The eight sect cabinet members resigned (although Cao Dai Generals Thế and Phuong soon changed their minds). A United Front delegate tried to convince Bao Dai to withdraw Diem's powers as premier but the timely arrival of a personal letter from President Eisenhower outlining US objectives and progress in Vietnam proved more persuasive. The letter either reassured Bao Dai that the US had not written him out of the political picture or made him think twice about joining with the sects and thereby incurring US wrath. Whatever the reason, he refused to intervene on behalf of the Front. Diem called the Front Program an ultimatum and would not budge.

France wanted Bao Dai to mediate between Diem and the United Front. The US wanted to issue a joint declaration telling the sects both America and France opposed violence and warning them the the French Expeditionary Corps would block any movement of Hoa Hao troops into Saigon to reinforce the Binh Xuyen. Ely and Paris refused the warning clause: French troops would act only in protection of the lives and property of French and foreign nationals.

 * 3.

During this time, Lansdale was meeting almost nightly with Diem. He reports Diem

"was desperately trying to get French and US help to remove the Sureté from the the Control of Binh Xuyen. French and US reactions to the problem were in the form of advice to proceed slowly, to act with caution. Events would not permit this."

Before dawn on the 28th March, a paratrooper company loyal to Diem attacked and overcame the Binh Xuyen-controlled central police headquarters. The next day, Diem told Defense Minister Minh he planned to oust Binh Xuyen Police Commissioner Lai Van Sang that afternoon — March 29 — and replace him with someone loyal to his regime. Minh insisted Diem at least consult the cabinet before taking action. Diem refused and Minh resigned. Representatives of General Ely were able to persuede Diem to defer any move against the Sureté, however. Rh


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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3 NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011 TOP SECRET – Sensitive On the night of March 29–30 the Binh Xuyen struck back. Mortar shells fell on the palace grounds and Binh Xuyen troops tried to regain the prefecture. They were repulsed by National Army troops. The VNA than moved to attack the Sureté itself in retaliation but French officers apparently cut off their gas and ammunition supplies temporarily to keep the National Army on the defensive. Fighting ended by 3:30 in the morning on March 30.

General Ely opposed a VNA offensive against the Sureté headquarters, not because it might fail but because it was irrelevant. Relevant was Diem's inability to defeat the sects rapidly and decisively throughout the country. If force were used to prove a minor point, a long, bloody and major civil would surely ensue. Ely was outraged at Diem's attitude. He felt the premier verged on megalomania and was ready to "put the city to sword and flame to establish his authority." Collins sympathized with Ely, but also felt if Diem did not prove he could control Saigon he would he forced to accede to sect demands.

 * 4.

On March 31, a 48-hour cease-fire was won by General Jean Gambiez, trusted by both the National Army and the Binh Xuyen. The truce was extended into April but failed to cool tempers or ease tensions. (Cao Dai forces which had broken with the United Front were integrated into the National Army on March 31, however — one happy note for Diem.)

 * a.

Lansdale, whose account of this and later developments is not at all flattering to the French, says Ely decided to impose a cease-fire and won Collins' concurrence. French officers then moved in and stopped the fighting. Lansdale "saw Ambassador Collins...explaining that only the Binh Xuyen would gain by the cease-fire." But it continued:

"Ambassador Collins was sincerely convinced that the Binh Xuyen could be induced by French negotiations to withdraw from the Sureté and police control of the metropolis...."

Lansdale reports the French had long been working against Diem through the Vietnamese National Army (they used its G-6 as an arm of French intelligence) and that French soldiers under his command in the National Security Division of TRIM tried to sabotage the Diem regime and US programs designed to strengthen it.

The French had daily fed us the Latest French propaganda line (Diem was weak, Diem was bloodthirsty, the VNA had low morale...was unable to fight, Americans didn't understand the Vietnamese, all whites must encourage only selected Vietnamese loyal to the French because the reminder would turn against Rh


text: Page:The Religion of Ancient Egypt.djvu/7


text: Page:The Religion of Ancient Egypt.djvu/8


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meredith, Richard


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meredith, William


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meres, Francis


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meres, John


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merewether, Henry Alworth


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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3 NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011 TOP SECRET – Sensitive all whites in another "night of the long knives" similar to that of 1946.)

Now the French had been insistent that the National Army was a hollow shell, that its officers would refuse to fight...that morale was so bad the troops would desert rather than follow "bloody Diem."

Lansdale implies Collins fell for this "propaganda" but he, Lansdale, did not.

On the cease-fire, Lansdale reports:

The French told Diem that if he tried to take over Sureté headquarters which was now included in the French zone, French troops would open fire on the Vietnamese Army. The US advised Diem to be patient, that the French were really being helpful by negotiating with the Binh Xuyen. The cease-fire limit was extended...Sizeable sums were being offered (by French) to Army officers and to sect leaders who were remaining loyal to Die, and to entice them into being at least neutral. Those who refused were subjected to character assassination attacks...

 * b.

On April 7, Collins and Ely discussed Diem. Ely said Diem could be maintained only by overcoming enormous difficulties. After a full day of "soul-searching," Ely had been forced to conclude Diem had to go to preserve Vietnam for the free world. He would accept anyone but Diem as premier. Collins had been nearing a similar conclusion. On March 31 he told the State Department it was necessary to consider alternatives to Diem. A week later Collins cabled Dulles to insist Diem be removed. He recommended Tran Van Do (Diem's foreign minister who also resigned from the cabinet in March) or Dr. Quat as replacements.

 * c.

Dulles replied as he had in December: he could not see how Diem's replacement would solve the sect problem for any successor worthy of US assistance would still have to contend with them. A change in premiers would damage US prestige throughout the Far East: the US would be charged with paying lip service to the cause of Asian nationalism, than abandoning a nationalist leader when pressured by "colonial interests." Plus pro-Diem congressional sentiment was a problem. The Mutual Security bill was under debate and Mansfield had made it clear that Congress would be reluctant to appropriate funds to a Vietnam without Diem. Despite these difficulties, Dulles eventually agreed to consider a change if Collins would personally come to Washington for consultation. Rh


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merewether, John


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merewether, William Lockyer


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Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/584

SAUNDERSFOOT RAILWAY.
10 George IV. Cap. 108, Royal Assent 1st June, 1829.

THIS is an act for making a railway from Thomas Chapel, in the parish of Begelly, to Saundersfoot, with two branches therefrom; and a harbour at Saundersfoot, in the county of Pembroke. Messrs. William Bevan and Son, engineers, made an estimate of this work as follows:-

Sir Richard Bulkeley Phillips Phillips, Baronet, of Picton Castle, is the only subscriber.

This work was not completed at the time this article was written.

SEVERN RIVER.
19 Hen. VII. C. 18, R. A. - - - - - 1503.

23 Hen. VIII. C. 12, R. A. - - - - - 1531-2.

12 Geo. III. C. 109, R. A. 3rd June, 1772.

39 Geo. III. C. 8, R. A. 21st March, 1799.

43 Geo. III. C. 129, R. A. 27th July, 1803.

49 Geo. III. C. 121, R. A. 27th May, 1809.

51 Geo. III. C. 148, R. A. 10th June, 1811.

THE importance which has always attached to this noble river, which without artificial means is navigable to a greater extent than any other in the kingdom, to the incalculable benefit of the country through which it runs, may be estimated by the fact of the first legislative enactment respecting it being at the early period of the reign of Henry VII. entitled, 'An Act concerning the River Severn;' which was followed by another act of his son and successor Henry VIII. entitled, 'An Act for taking Exactions upon


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merfyn Frych


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  'the Paths of the River Severn.' In 1772 an act was passed 'for making and keeping in Repair a Road or Passage for Horses on the Banks of the River Severn, between Bewdley Bridge and a Place called the Meadow Wharf, at Coalbrook Dale, for haling and drawing Vessels along the said River.' By this act a number of persons were appointed trustees for carrying into effect the provisions of the act, and were empowered to take the following

TOLLS.
Horses drawing Vessels laden with Corn in the Straw, Muck or Lime for Manure, are exempted from all Tolls; as also are Horses which return within Twelve Hours after the Time they have been employed, and for which Tolls have been paid.

The act passed in 1799 states that the trustees had not complied with the provisions of the act of 1772, touching the repairs of the towing-path, in consequence of which that act was nullified; but the act of 1799 revives the powers contained in the act of 1772, notwithstanding the commissioners had not held meetings conformably to the directions of such act.

In 1803 an act of parliament was obtained by a company of persons who were thereby incorporated by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the River Severn Horse Towing Path Extension," which was entitled, 'An Act for extending and making the Horse Towing Path or Road, on the Banks of the River Severn,from Bewdley Bridge, in the county of Worcester, to the Deep Water at Diglis, below the city of Worcester.' By which act the company was empowered to raise amongst themselves, for the purposes of this undertaking, the sum of £5,000, in one hundred shares of £50 each; and, if necessary, a further sum of £6,000, either amongst themselves, or by creation of new shares; and they are authorized to take the following

TOLLS.
Vessels haled by Men pay no Toll.


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Another act of parliament, entitled, 'An Act for making and keeping in Repair a Road or Passage for Horses on the Banks of the River Severn, between a certain Place at Coalbrook Dale, to and above the Welsh Bridge in the town of Shrewsbury, county of Salop, for haling and drawing Vessels along the said River,' was passed in 1809, which appointed Lord Ossuiston, Lord Barnard, Sir John Hill, and a number of other persons, trustees for carrying the purposes of the act into execution, and authorized them to take the following

TOLLS.
Horses drawing Vessels laden with Corn in the Straw, Muck or Lime for Manure, are exempted from Tolls, as also are Horses returning within Twelve Hours from the Time of Paying Toll, and Vessels haled by Men.

The last act of parliament relating to this river was obtained in 1811, by a number of persons, amongst whom were the Earl of Coventry, the Earl of Essex, Lord Sydney, Lord Somers, Lord Beauchamp, the Bishop of Worcester and the Bishop of Gloucester, who were incorporated by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Gloucester and Worcester Horse Towing Path," and is entitled, 'An Act for extending time Horse Towing Path on the Banks of the River Severn, from Worcester Bridge to a certain Place below the city of Gloucester called the Lower Parting, situate at the Corner of Portham Mead, in the county of Gloucester.' By this act the company are empowered to raise amongst themselves the sum of £10,000, in four hundred shares of £25 each; and, if necessary, a further sum of £5,000, either amongst themselves, by the creation of new shares, or by assignment of the tolls, &c. as a security, and they are authorized to receive the following

TOLLS.
Vessels haled by Men exempted from Toll

The immense facilities afforded to the trade of the country by this river, are too well known to require comment. It has its source in the Plynlimmon Mountains, which are 2,463 feet above


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 the level of the sea, in Montgomeryshire, Wales, and after a navigable course of one hundred and seventy-eight miles, with a fall of 225 feet from Welshpool, through the counties of Montgomery, Salop, Worcester and Gloucester, it empties itself into the Bristol Channel.

There is a handsome stone bridge over this river at Worcester; an iron one has lately been erected near Tewkesbury; and the only bridge lower down the river, is a handsome one of stone at Gloucester.

The navigable connections of this river are the Montgomeryshire Canal, which is supplied by it at Newtown; the Shrewsbury Canal at Shrewsbury; the Shropshire Canal at the Hay; the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the Leominster Canal at Stourport; the Droitwich Canal at Hawford; the Birmingham and Worcester Canal at Diglis, below Worcester; the River Avon at Tewkesbury; the Coombe Hill Canal at Fletcher's Leap; the Hereford and Gloucester (when completed) at Gloucester; the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal at Gloucester, and its outlet at Sharpness Point; the Stroud Canal at Framiload; the Lydney Canal below Lydney; the River Wye at Beachley; the Bristol River Avon at Morgan's Pill; and the Monmouthshire Canal at Newport In addition to these canals, there are many railways connecting this river with the numerous coal and other mines, which are in its course.

SEVERN AND WYE RAILWAY AND CANAL.
49 Geo. III. C. 159, R. A. 10th June, 1809.

50 Geo. III. C. 215, R. A. 21st June, 1810.

51 Geo. III. C. 193, R. A. 26th June, 1811.

54 Geo. III. C. 42, R. A. 18th May, 1814.

3 Geo. IV. C. 75, R. A. 21st June, 1822.

THIS railway crosses the forest of Dean in a direction nearly from north to south, and connects, as the title implies, the Rivers Severn and Wye. Commencing from the River Wye at a place called Bishop's Wood, and proceeding thirteen miles and a half through the forest, it terminates in a basin at Cross Pill, a little below Lydney, and from thence is connected with the Severn at Nass Point by a canal one mile in length. There are nine


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meriton, George (1634-1711)


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 branches, amounting together in length to above twelve miles and a quarter, laid from the main line to coal and other mines in the neighbourhood; one from Ridnall's Mill; one other from Park End Bridge to the Birches; one other from Park End Bridge to Scroll's Tump; one other from Park End Bridge to Milk Wall; one other from opposite the Lodge Inclosure up Brookhall Ditches; one other from White Ley to Bixhead Quarries; one other from Cannop Hill, up, through and to the head of Howler Slade; one other from Vallet's Inclosure to Wimblow Slade; and one other from Miery Stock to the summit at Churchway Engine.

The first act of parliament relating to this undertaking was passed in 1809, and is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a Railway from time River Wye, at or near to a Place called Lidbrook, in the parish of Ruarclean, in the county of Gloucester, to or near to a Place called the Lower Forge, below Newern, in the parish of Lydney, in the said county; and for making other Railways therein mentioned, in the Forest of Dean, in the county of Gloucester;' and incorporates the persons who applied for it by the name of" The Lydney and Lidbrook Railway Company." The act states that the undertaking will open an easy communication between the Rivers Severn and Wye and the collieries and quarries in the forest of Dean, and greatly facilitate the conveyance of coal, stone and other productions of the forest to the cities and counties of Hereford and Gloucester.

The proprietors are empowered by the act to raise, amongst themselves, the sum of £35,000, in shares of £50 each, (but of which sum £3,000 is to be reserved for those free miners of the forest of Dean who shall signify their desire to possess shares before the 1st day of August next after the passing of this act, to be divided in shares of £10 each) and if necessary, a further sum of £20,000 may be raised, either amongst themselves, by the creation of new shares, by optional notes, or by mortgage of the undertaking as a security. The act likewise authorizes the company to levy the following


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EXEMPTION.
A special Exemption is made in favor of the Tenants of the Honourable Charles Bathurst, who are only to pay one-third of the Rate of Tonnage for Coal or Culm carried to or near the Lower Forge; one quarter for that carried to or towards the Middle Forge; and one-fifth for that carried to or towards the Upper Forge.

The forest of Dean belonging to the King, the company are to pay £300 per annum, from the period at which the main line of railway shall be completed, for the ground occupied by it and its branches, and a guinea a week towards defraying the expense of inspectors appointed by his Majesty.

Lords of manors and owners of ground on the railway are empowered, by this act, to erect wharfs and warehouses; and on their refusal so to do, in situations which the company consider desirable, the company of proprietors are authorized, after twelve months' notice having been given to such owners, &c. to do so on their own behalf, and the following wharfage rates may be levied, either by the owners of land or the company, as the case may be.


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meriton, John


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The Honourable Charles Bathurst is to allot sufficient land for wharfs on the Severn, and the company are to guarantee the wharfage to him from 1st January, 1813, to be not less than £500 per annum, they making up the deficiency, if any.

The next act of parliament obtained by this company is entitled, 'An Act to alter and amend the Lydney and Lidbrook Railway Act; to vary certain Parts of the said Railway, and to extend the same from Lydbrook to Bishop's Wood, and from the Lower Forge to the Cross Pill; and for making a Basin and Canal to communicate with the River Severn at Nass Point.' This act alters the title of the company to that of "The Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company," as it stands in the heading of this article, and authorizes them to continue the main line from Lidbrook to Bishop's Wood Furnace on the Wye, and from the Lower Forge in two branches, one on each side of a basin to be cut by the company to a creek called Cross Pill; and they are also to cut a basin at forty yards distance from and above the creek called Cross Pill, to be two hundred yards in length, fifty yards in breadth, and 21 feet deep; and a canal of 21 feet deep, eight yards in width at the bottom and twenty-eight yards at the top, to extend from the basin to the River Severn at Nass Point; they are also to make a lock between the canal and outer harbour, 21 feet wide and 90 feet long, and an outer harbour 28 feet deep, eighty yards long and twenty-six yards wide at the bottom, with a pair of gates or a lock to open into the Severn with the tide; they are also required to divert the waters of a creek called Lidney Pill into this basin and canal, and to stop up the present course of the creek. The company are authorized to take the following rates on the canal.

TONNAGE RATES.
Fractions to be taken as for a Quarter of a Ton.

EXEMPTIONS.
Vessels conveying Coal or other Commodities which have been carried on the Railway, and paid the Tolls authorized to be taken thereon, are exempted from these Rates; and a special Clause provides that Messrs. Pidcock and Co. the now Tenants, and any future Tenants, of the Collieries and Iron Works of the


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 Charles Bathurst shall be allowed the Use and Benefit of the Outer Harbour, Basin and Canal, for the conveying of any Coal, Lime-stone, Iron-stone, Iron Metals or any Goods whatever, to and from their Collieries and Iron Works, for the Use thereof or for Sale therefrom, free from all Tolls or Rates; and should there be any obstruction in the Creek or Basin, shall use the Railways by the Sides of the Creek and Basin with like Exemption from Tolls.

Boats of less than Twenty Tons Burthen to pay the same as those of Twenty Tons, except the contrary be allowed by the Company or their principal Agent.

The same Rate of Wharfage to be taken as in former Act.

The rates of the company to be a security to Mr. Bathurst for the £500 per annum guaranteed to him for wharfage rates, and they are also to pay him 10s. per annum for a piece of land of 70 feet in length and forty yards in breadth, on the basin, for a wharf for his tenants, Messrs. Pidcock and Company. The rates for warehouse-room to be the same as those taken upon the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, at Stourport, in Worcestershire.

In consideration of the company (by consent of the Surveyor General of his Majesty's Woods and Forests) deviating about five hundred yards from their original line, near Daniel Moor Ditches, they are to pay £10 a year, in addition to the £300 per annum provided to be paid in the former act.

The act of parliament obtained by the company in 1811 states that they have expended the £35,000, their original capital, with £15,600, part of the £20,000 which they were empowered to raise in addition thereto by the former act, and authorizes them to raise a further sum of £30,000, either by creation of new shares, or by borrowing it on optional notes. It likewise removes the exemption from tolls of those vessels entering into or going from the canal or basin with coal or other commodities, which have been already carried on and paid the tolls of the railroad, and these vessels are in future to pay the same tolls as others, but it continues the exemption in favor of the tenants of the collieries and iron works of Mr. Bathurst.

In 1814 the company obtained another act of parliament, authorizing them to raise a further sum of £30,000 in the same manner as in the preceding act.

The last act of parliament respecting this company was passed in 1822, and provides a compensation to Mr. Bathurst, who had built wharfs and warehouses and appropriated land for them, under the authority of the acts of parliament passed herein, but in consequence of the extension of the railway beyond his land to the


text:
Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/592

 outer harbour made by the company, he was likely to sustain considerable injury from a diminution of wharfage, by goods being deposited on the wharfs adjoining the outer harbour. The act therefore authorizes the company to pay to Mr. Bathurst, his heirs and assigns for ever, the following

RATES.
And on all Goods landed on the Company's Wharfs (except Coals to be shipped as above, and Materials for Repair of the Company's Works which shall be forwarded within Fourteen Days, or any Goods (not Coal) which shall be landed in transitu upon such Wharfs, and shall be transshipped within One Month) the same Wharfage Rate shall be paid to Mr. Bathurst, as would have been, had they been landed on his own Wharfs, and the Tolls of the Company to be a Security for the Payment of these Rates which are in Addition to, and not to affect the £500 per Annum guaranteed to Mr. Bathurst by the former Act.

This railway and canal, by its cosnmunication with the Rivers Severn and Wye, opens a channel for the transit of his Majesty's timber in the forest of Dean; and of the coal, stone and iron-ore which abound in the said forest, and which are raised by other parties.

SHEFFIELD CANAL.
55 George III. Cap. 65, Royal Assent 7th June, 1815.

THIS canal, which connects the town of Sheffield with the River Dunn, commences in the township of Tinsley, in a cut communicating with the River Dunn, and thence passes through the township of Attercliffe, in the parish of Rotherham, and, by an aqueduct, over the road from Worksop to Attercliffe, a distance of a little more than four miles, to Sheffield. There is likewise a side-cut of forty-seven chains in length, running by the side of Car Brook, to the township of Darnal, at the end of which is a reservoir called Darnal Reservoir; there are abo two other reservoirs covering in the whole about thirty-two acres and a half.


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A very large and commodious warehouse is built at the head of the basin, which basin is two hundred and twenty yards long and forty broad, from which, to the first lock, a distance of nearly three miles, is level; in the next seventeen chains is a fall of 38 feet 5 inches, by six locks; from thence, to a little above Tinsley Wharf, three quarters of a mile, is level; and from thence to the junction with the Tinsley Cut belonging to the River Dunn Company is a fall of 31 feet 8 inches, by five locks, in a distance of seventeen chains and a half, making a total fall of 70 feet 1 inch.

The act of parliament authorizing this canal was obtained in 1815 by a number of persons, amongst whom were Lord Milton and Sir James Graham, who were incorporated by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Sheffield Canal," and are empowered to raise, amongst themselves, for the purposes of this act, the sum of £80,000, in shares of £100 each; and, if necessary, a further sum of £20,000, either amongst themselves, by creation of new shares, or by mortgage of the undertaking as a security. They are empowered to charge the following

TONNAGE RATES.
Fractions of a Mile and of a Ton to be charged as the Quarters therein.

Vessels passing any of the Locks of this Canal with less lading than Twenty-five Tons, shall pay a Tonnage Rate for Twenty-five Tons, if there be sufficient Water to pass a Vessel with that Lading; but if the Water in the Lock shall not be sufficient to pass a Vessel with Twenty-five Tons Weight of Lading, they shall then pay for such Lading as the Water would pass.


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Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/594

WHARFAGE RATES.
The Column marked thus (*) are the Rates to be taken for above Seventy-two Hours and not more than Six Days.

The Column marked thus (+) for Six Days but less than One Month,

The Column marked thus (±) for One Month but less than Six Weeks.

The Column marked thus (§) for Six Weeks, but less than Two Months.

The Column marked thus (||) for Two Months but less than Ten Weeks.

Goods taken away before the expiration of Seventy-two Hours, not to pay any Wharfage Rate.

The act of parliament provides, that on the completion of the side-cut, a private railroad of about six hundred yards in length, running from the Duke of Norfolk's Coal Yard, in the parish of Handsworth, to the southern termination of the side-cut, should become public, the company making compensation to the owners and occupiers of the land through which the railroad passes, and to all persons who will suffer damage thereby. They are likewise to keep all the roads in the township of Tinsley in repair, which had been formerly done by the River Dunn Company.

This canal, by opening a communication between the River Dunn and Sheffield, is of incalculable benefit to that place, by the facilities it affords of transmitting articles of its extensive and important manufactories, and also of the coal and iron-stone which abound in the neighbourhood; and of supplying it with all articles of domestic consumption.

SHIPLEY COLLIERIES CANAL.
(SEE NUTBROOK OR SHIPLEY CANAL.)


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merke, Thomas


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Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/595

SHREWSBURY CANAL.
33 George III. Cap. 113, Royal Assent 3rd June, 1793.

THIS canal commences in Castle Foregate Basin, on the east side of Shrewsbury, near the Ellesmere Canal, to which it may be joined by mutual consent, and following the windings of the River Severn, passes Uffington; from thence, having a parallel course with the River Tern, it passes Upton Forge, Withington and Rodington, at which last place it crosses the River Roden; a little further on, it crosses the River Tern by an aqueduct at Long Mill, and runs by Langdon and Eyton, and crossing Ketley Brook, joins the Donnington and Shropshire Canals at Rockwardine Wood, in Shropshire. The proprietors purchased one mile and one hundred and eighty-eight yards of the Ketley Canal, which joins the Shrewsbury Canal at Wombridge, and now forms a part of the line of this work.

The act of parliament, under sanction of which this canal was undertaken, was obtained in 1793, and is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from the North End of the Shropshire Canal, in the township of Rockwardine Wood, in the county of Salop, to the town of Shrewsbury, in the said county.' It incorporates the company of proprietors by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Shrewsbury Canal Navigation," and authorizes them to raise amongst themselves the sum of £50,000, in shares of £100 each, and, if necessary, a further sum of £20,000 for the purposes of the act, and to take the following

TONNAGE RATES.
And in Proportion for a less Quantity than a Ton or a less Distance than a Mile.

And an addition of One Penny per Ton if passed by Inclined Planes, until the Canal pays a Dividend of Eight per Cent, when this last Rate shall cease.

Boats with less than Eight Tons to pay for that Quantity, except when returning.

All Manure (except Lime) exempt from these Rates.

There is a peculiarity in the construction of the locks on this navigation, which enables a long narrow canal boat, or two or four smaller boats (constructed for passing the inclined planes) to


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 go through them without unnecessary waste of water. The tunnel near Atcham is also remarkable; it is nine hundred and seventy yards in length and 10 feet wide, with a towing-path 3 feet wide, constructed of wood, and supported on bearers from the wall. Mr. Thomas Telford and Mr. William Reynolds were the engineers for constructing this canal.

The length of the canal is seventeen miles and a half; the first twelve miles of which, from Shrewsbury to Langdon, is level; thence to Wombridge, four miles and a quarter, there is a lockage rise of 79 feet; and from thence to Ketley Canal, another rise of 75 feet by an inclined plane, and thence along the Ketley Canal, (purchased of Mr. William Reynolds) is level, making, in the whole distance, a rise of 154 feet, partly by an inclined plane and partly by locks. The fall from the basin to the Severn at Bagley Bridge, Shrewsbury, is 22 feet.

This canal traverses a district of country abounding with coal and iron mines, the proprietors of which, as well as the flourishing and populous town of Shrewsbury, are greatly benefited by the facilities of transmission which it affords.

SHROPSHIRE CANAL.
28 George III. Cap. 73, Royal Assent 11th June, 1788.

THE Shropshire Canal commences at the Donnington Wood Canal, in the parish of Lillishall, and passing by Rockwardine Wood, Oaken Gates, Hollingswood, Stirchley, and Madeley, proceeds to the Hay, near which it is united to the River Severn at Coalport, formerly the Sheep-Wash Meadow, two miles below Coalbrook Dale. Its length is seven miles and a half; from the Severn at Calford to the Hay, a distance of three quarters of a mile, is level; then it rises 207 feet by an inclined plane; it is then level to Windmill Farm; from which point is a rise of 126 feet by another inclined plane; then level to near Rockwardine Wood; from thence it falls 120 feet by an inclined plane; and the remainder of its course to Donnington Wood Canal is level.

The act of parliament authorizing the cutting this canal waspassed in 1788, and is entitled, 'An Act for making and


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merle, William


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Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/597

  ' a navigable Canal from the Canal at Donnington Wood, in the county of Salop, to or near to a Place called Southill Bank, and from thence by Two several Branches, to communicate with the River Severn, one near Coalbrook Dale and the other near Madeley Wood, in the said county; and also certain other collateral Cuts to join such Canal.' It incorporates the company of proprietors by the name of" The Company of Proprietors of the "Shropshire Navigation," and empowers them to collect the following

TONNAGE RATE.
In addition to which Three-pence is charged for letting loaded Boats down the Inclined Planes.

This canal has assisted, very materially, the trade of its neighbourhood, by its conveyance of the raw materials to the many large furnaces and works thereabouts, and of their heavy manufactured goods, to the River Severn, thus affording a transit to both home and distant parts. The collateral cuts are from Southwell Bank, near Stirchley, to Coalbrook Dale; from the iron-works at Horse Hay is a railway to this canal.

The summit of this canal is 333 feet above the Severn at Coal Port and Meadow Wharf; and 120 feet above the summit of the Shrewsbury Canal, to which last it descends by two inclined planes.

Mr. William Reynolds and Mr. Henry Williams were the engineers, and the work, which was executed for about £47,000, was opened in the year 1792.

SIRHOWEY TRAMROAD.
42 George III. Cap. 115, Royal Assent 26th June, 1802.

THE act for making this tramroad was obtained by the Monmouthshire Canal Company, and relates principally to their concerns; but as there are a few clauses respecting this tramroad, not connected with the canal, we shall here extract them.


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The act, which is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining certain Railways, to communicate with the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation; and for enabling the Company of Proprietors of that Navigation to raise a further Sum of Money to complete their Undertaking; and for explaining and amending the Acts passed in the Thirty-second and Thirty-seventh Years of his present Majesty's Reign, relating thereto,' directs that the Monmouthshire Canal Company shall make the tramroad from their canal, at Newport, for a distance of nine miles, to Tredegar Park; that for the next mile through the park it shall be made by Sir Charles Morgan; and that Samuel Homfray, Richard Fothergill, Matthew Monkhouse, William Thompson and William Forman, iron masters and intended lessees of the Tredegar Iron Works, shall complete the railway from the Nine Mile Point to Sirhowey Furnaces. The act incorporates them by the title of "The Sirhowey Tramroad Company," and empowers them to rase amongst themselves £30,000, in three hundred shares of £100 each; and if necessary a further sum of £15,000, either amongst themselves, by creation of new shares, or by mortgage of the undertaking as a security; and they, as well as Sir Charles Morgan, are authorized to take the same tolls and rates on those portions of the tramroad respectively made by them, as are taken by the proprietors of the Monmouthshire Canal, and are stated under that article. This company is to pay the Monmouthshire Canal Company £110 per annum, in consideration of that company making a mile more in length of the railway than was originally agreed upon.

SLEAFORD NAVIGATION.
32 George III. Cap. 106, Royal Assent 11th June, 1794.

THE company of proprietors who carried into effect the purposes of this act of parliament, which is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a Navigation from Sleaford Castle Causeway, through the town of Sleaford, in the county of Lincoln, along the course of Sleaford Mill Stream and Kyme Eau, to the River Witham, at or near Chappel Hill, in the same county; and for


text:
Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/599

  'making necessary Cuts for better effecting the said Navigation,' are hereby incorporated by the name of" The Company of Proprietors of the Sleaford Navigation, in the county of Lincoln."

The act authorizes them to make navigable the Sleaford Mill Stream and River Kyme Eau, and for that purpose to raise amongst themselves the sum of £13,000, in one hundred and thirty shares of £100 each; and, if necessary, a further susn of £6,500, either amongst themselves, by the creation of new shares, or by mortgage of the tolls. The dividend on these shares is limited to £8 per cent and should the income in any year be more than sufficient to pay this dividend, the tonnage rates are to be reduced in proportion to such excess; a sum of £1,000 having been first funded to meet any deficiencies. The act of parliament empowers the company to take the following

TONNAGE RATES.
For every Ton of Lime or Lime-stone, Manure for Land or Materials for Roads, One-half of the several Rates aforesaid, and in proportion for any greater or less Weight than a Ton.

In Consideration of the great increase of Tolls which it is supposed the completion of this Navigation will cause on the River Witham, it is provided by this Act that Boats or Vessels passing through a Lock on this Navigation and paying the Rates thereon, and from thence to the River Witham, shall only pay Half the usual Tonnage Rates levied on that River.

The rates and tolls collected to be free from all taxes and assessments whatever.


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merlin Ambrosius


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Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/600

This navigation is about thirteen miles and a half in length, and its elevation very little above the level of the sea. There are two locks; one at Lower Kyme and the other near Flax Dyke, in the parish of Ewerley; and the act requires that locks shall be made at each of the mills on the stream, if required by the owners thereof.

This navigation is principally used for the conveyance of agricultural produce, and for supplying Sleaford with articles of domestic consumption.

SOAR RIVER OR LOUGHBOROUGH NAVIGATION.
6 George III. Cap. 94, Royal Assent 14th May, 1766.

16 George III. Cap. 65, Royal Assent 2nd April, 1776.

THE portion of the River Soar which was intended to be made navigable by the first act of parliament, is that which begins near Loughborough, at a place where Hermitage Brook unites with it, until it falls into the Trent; and by this act, which is entitled, 'An Act for making the River Soar navigable from the River Trent, to or near Loughborough, in the county of Leicester; and for making navigable Cuts or Canals from the said River Soar, to or near the Rushes, and the Hermitage Pool at Loughborough aforesaid,' a number of persons, including the Marquis of Granby and Lord Grey, were appointed trustees for carrying its provisions into effect.

The greater part of the course of the river to be made navigable forms a boundary between the counties of Leicester and Nottingham.

The act of parliament authorizes the trustees to take the following

TONNAGE RATES.
Fractions of a Ton in proportion.


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Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/601

EXEMPTIONS.
Stones, Timber, Gravel, Sand or other Materials to be used for making or repairing any Mills within the Limits of the intended Navigation; Soapers' Waste, Dung or other Manure, unmixt with Lime for Land, other than Lime or Lime-stone.

The tolls and rates to be exempted from all taxes whatever.

In 1776 a second act was passed, entitled, 'An Act for making the River Soar navigable, from the River Trent to Bishop's Meadow, within the liberty of Garenton, in the county of Leicester; and for making and maintaining a navigable Cut or Canal from thence, near, or up, and into the Rushes, at Loughborough, in the said county.' The preamble states, that it being found impracticable to carry into effect the provisions of the former act, in consequence of the frequent floods of the River Soar, a company is incorporated by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Navigation from the River Trent, to the town of Loughborough," with power to make the river navigable from the Trent to a place called Bishop's Meadow, and from thence to communicate with Loughborough, by a canal through Knight Thorpe and Thorpe Arch, to the Rushes, in that town.

The company are empowered to raise amongst themselves, for the purposes of the act, the sum of £7,000, in seventy shares of £100 each; and, if necessary, a further sum of £3,000, either amongst themselves, by new subscribers, or by mortgage of the navigation, and to take the following

TONNAGE RATES.
And in proportion for greater or less Quantities.

Lords of manors and land-owners may erect wharfs, &c. on the navigation, and take the following

WHARFAGE RATES.
The length of the River Soar, made navigable under authority of these acts of parliament, is seven miles; and the canal, from the river to the town of Loughborough, rather more than a mile


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merret, Christopher


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Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/602

 and a half. Situated as this canal is, with a fall at one extremity into the Trent Navigation, and into the Leicester at the other, it obtains a communication with the Grand Junction Canal through the Grand Union, and thus becomes a link in the great chain of inland navigation; thereby proving no less profitable to the proprietors than convenient to the public; for this is considered one of the most lucrative concerns of the kind in the kingdom.

SOMERSETSHIRE COAL CANAL.
34 George III. Cap. 86, Royal Assent 17th April, 1794.

36 George III. Cap. 48, Royal Assent 24th March, 1796.

42 George III. Cap. 35, Royal Assent 30th April, 1802.

THIS work commences in the Kennet and Avon Canal at Limpley Stoke, near Bradford, in Wiltshire, and running parallel with Mitford Brook to Mitford Mill, proceeds from thence in a westerly direction by Coombe Hay, Dunkerton, Camerton, High Littleton and Timsbury, to Paulton; a railway branching off from it in the parish of South Stoke, proceeds by Wellow, Foxcote, Writhlington and Radstock, to the collieries at Welton and Clandown, in Somersetshire.

At the commencement of the undertaking, it was designed to have a canal branch to Radstock, running upon one level to within a few hundred yards of the main line between Coombe Hay and Mitford Bridge; but in consequence of their funds being exhausted in completing so much of the canal, the company were unable to carry their lockage down to the level; a short railway was in consequence made on the Radstock Branch, to connect that portion of it, which was completed, with the main line of the canal; but here it may be observed, that above twenty years afterwards, a railway was substituted for the branch canal the whole distance.

To connect the Paulton line of canal with the lower level, the company, in the first instance, made whimsey and jenny roads or inclined planes at Coombe Hay, in lieu of lockage, of 138 feet descent; but after a short time it was found that they did not succeed, and that the company would be obliged to substitute locks for them. To raise funds for this purpose, an act, passed in 1802,


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 authorized the formation of a separate body called "The Lock Fund of the Somerset Coal Canal Company," which body was to Consist of individual proprietors of the Wilts and Berks, Kennet and Avon, and Somerset Coal Canal Companies, in equal proportions, with powers to raise the sum of £45,000, to erect the requisite lockage and to appoint deputies to manage the same, which has been carried into execution.

The first act of parliament relating to this undertaking was passed in 1794, and is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal, with certain Railways and Stone Roads, from several Collieries in the county of Somerset, to communicate with the intended Kennet and Avon Canal, in the parish of Bradford, in the county of Wilts,' and incorporates a number of persons therein named by the title of" The Company of Proprietors of the Somersetshire Coal Canal Navigation," and authorizes them to raise, for the purposes of the act, the sum of £80,000, in eight hundred shares of £100 each; and, if necessary, a further sum of £40,000, either amongst themselves or by mortgage of the tolls as security. This was followed by a second act of parliament in 1796, entitled, 'An Act to vary and alter the Line of a Canal authorized to be made by an Act, passed in the Thirty-fourth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, and to alter and amend the said Act.' This act authorizes the company of proprietors to make various alterations and deviations in the line of the canal and railway.

The last act of parliament relating to this undertaking was passed in 1802, and is entitled, 'An Act for enabling the Company of Proprietors of the Somersetshire Coal Canal Navigation to vary and alter the Lines of the said Canal and Works, and to alter and amend the Powers and Provisions of the several Acts passed for making the said Canal.' It states that the sums of £80,000 and £40,000 authorized to be raised under the former acts respecting this navigation, have been contributed amongst themselves and expended in the prosecution of the work, and that the shares have consequently become of the, value of £150 each. The act authorizes a deviation in the original lines, the expense of which was estimated by Mr. W. Bennett, in 1801, at £33,222, 15s. 2d. and empowers the company to raise a furthersum of


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merrey, Walter


text:
Wikisource talk:Versions

Selecting editions section
The way the 'Selecting editions' section [//en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Wikisource:Versions&oldid=4159154 currently reads] seems contrary to some the basics outlined before it. First, if a scientific work incorporates new findings, etc., since it's initial publication - doesn't that make it a new-revision of an evolving work rather than later-edition of the same work? If so, it should not be offered as a caveat justifying the selection of a later edition over the selection of the earliest possible/available edition(s). To the contrary, it should support the notion of hosting as many revisions as worthwhile to the possible reader in spite of the fact that would contradict the principle excluding evolving works from being hosted. Either way, it should be reverted/removed. The other bit about works "...[that] may be revised or partly rewritten by their authors, and released in a revised form that supplants the original", seems like the same variation on a theme as above. I get the point that it is possible for a later-edition to wind up as the definitive work in the career of some particular author but thats generally not our call to make. Again, it seems to justify selecting the 'older' over the 'earlier' (or even the 'original') rather than a rationale given for hosting multiple incarnations with multiple flavors (first, worst, best & last for example) of a work. It also seems redundant given the fact [Author] Revisions is given in the Why? section up top. And, I believe the intention behind mentioning a few simple caveats in that section in the first place was to leave us some wiggle-room to deviate from the guideline/principle at some point in the future for a good reason. I believe 'less is more' applies here & its better than trying to predict those points in some laundry list (imho). -- George Orwell III (talk) 20:55, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
 * We can lose that entire section if we need to. It was only meant as useful supplemental guidance; I consider the preceding sections as more important.  Alternatively, perhaps we can simplify the wording to a preference for the "most significant" edition, and leave the interpretation up to the contributing user. - AdamBMorgan (talk) 20:37, 3 December 2012 (UTC)
 * No, I think you had it right to begin with and Billinghurst wisely left a crack open in case there was good enough reason to deviate from that (Not that there is not enough going in Scriptorium as it is). I'd rather keep the section and loose the listing of possible reasons that could justify such deviatiosn - keeping the stipulation that whatever the User's reasoning might be, he/she should document that "somewhere" even if they don't seek out our advice in the process. -- George Orwell III (talk) 22:44, 3 December 2012 (UTC)

Coverage vs Depth
It seems to me there are conflicting arguments going on here. Shouldn't we decide up front which is the overarching policy on WikiSource? Either we want:

1. Broad coverage of as many distinct works as reasonably possible.

XOR

2. Comprehensive in-depth coverage of all variants of works already in WS.

Surely to attempt to be all things to all people simply dilutes the pool of available effort too much; with the inevitable result nothing is ever completed.

My personal vote is for option 1; but of course I bow to the majority decision. MODCHK (talk) 23:01, 2 December 2012 (UTC)

 * I don't see these as mutually exclusive at an project level. Ideally, given infinite time and resources, Wikisource will one day contain a copy of every single thing that has ever been published in the English language (deep and broad).  Wikisource is a volunteer-driven project, in which individuals tend to work on their personal projects.  At an individual level, if a user wants to contribute towards a comprehensive collection of every single edition of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," it would be largely redundant and use up time that could be used on a broader range of works (both mentioned in the guideline) but it is the user's time to spend however they see fit.  If they want to pursue that goal then I see no reason to stop them (beyond "Are you sure you want to do that?").  There is no guarantee that they would spend their effort broadening our coverage if deepening it were discouraged.  Broad coverage will happen by itself anyway through the medium of hundreds of different users wandering chaotically through the English corpus (in jargon: an emergent property of the behaviour of autonomous agents). - AdamBMorgan (talk) 20:37, 3 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Umm. No argument. (I was implicitly assuming the absence of "infinite time and resources"; but if it is safe to assume this I totally agree.)
 * In any case, I intended my comments as being guidance for encouragement of the "what can I do (next)?" crowd; rather than ham-fisted compliance directives to discourage the enthusiasts. The first group are almost always going to appreciate suggested activities; the latter will likely always resent any kind of interference with their "pet project(s.)" Guidelines should ideally hit a happy medium between the two. MODCHK (talk) 21:23, 3 December 2012 (UTC)
 * If we can avoid duplicate or frivolous efforts through the passage of this policy then I'm in agreement with Adam. But at this point, I'm more concerned with getting things setup right and in full from the point of upload than policing "most significant" editions. There is a lot of stuff on here that will never get done in our lifetime as it is so I can't really oppose the further edition of one thing or the other for whatever reason but I'm really starting to fume over how much of that is "junk" from a quality or completeness standpoint on day one. I welcome any policy or practice that [re]states the basics of uploading workable, complete and error-free source files and not worry so much about if they get abandoned for years after only two dozen or so pages of proofreading getting done. -- George Orwell III (talk) 22:44, 3 December 2012 (UTC)

Multiple copies
"Note that Wikisource should not have more than one copy of a specific edition." Adam, is there a precedent for this suggested policy, or do you just think you are stating the obvious? ResScholar (talk) 06:37, 18 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Some discussions on Proposed deletions imply that this practice is a de facto policy already. Duplicates lead to redirection or complete deletion.  Personally, I do think its redundant to have multiple identical copies of the same thing (not just unnecessary but also confusing for readers). - AdamBMorgan (talk) 13:34, 10 January 2013 (UTC)
 * "Should" is the recommendation, it is not imperative nor declarative (shall). It guides our thinking and allows someone to bring a second work to proposed removals, and it allows the community to keep it if they so decide. I feel that it is adequately stated, and really shouldn't be a light bulb moment. — billinghurst  sDrewth  03:58, 11 January 2013 (UTC)

title: Wikisource talk:Versions


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merrick, James


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merrick, Rice


text:
Page:The Religion of Ancient Egypt.djvu/132

 balance for measuring weights, the ancient Egyptian cubit of Techu. He is called "the measurer of this earth." He is said to have "calculated the heaven and counted the stars," to have "calculated the earth and counted the things which are in it." He is "the distributor of time," the inventor of letters and learning (particularly of geometry), and of the fine arts. Whatever is without him is as though it were not. All this is because the Moon is the measurer.

It is impossible, after this rapid, but, I trust, not deceptive glance at the myths of some of the chief Egyptian gods, to withstand the conviction that this mythology is very similar indeed to that of the Indo-European races. It is the very same drama which is being acted under different names and disguises. The god slays the dragon, or a monster blinds, maims or devours the god. What bright god is born from the embrace of Heaven and Earth, and who is his twin sister and spouse? Who are his two wives? Who is the "husband of his own mother"? Who is the divine youth who emerges from the lotus-flower? And what is the lotus? Which is the god who, having performed his course from east to west, is worshipped as the king and judge of the departed? Sanskrit


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merrifield, Charles Watkins


text:
Page:The varieties of religious experience, a study in human nature.djvu/7

 BEING

THE GIFFORD LECTURES ON

NATURAL RELIGION DELIVERED AT

EDINBURGH IN 1901–1902

BY

91 93 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

LONDON AND BOMBAY


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merriman, Brian


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merriman, Nathaniel James


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merriman, Samuel (1731-1818)


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merriman, Samuel (1771-1852)


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merriot, Thomas


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merritt, Henry


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merry, Robert


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Merton, Walter de


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mervin, Audley


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meverall, Othowell


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mews, Peter


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mey, John


text: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meyer, Henry