| Washington and the Potomac 511
the Kind and fancying ourselves not equal to such Undertakings. To cut
a Canal sufft. for our purpose if the Ground is favourable would not
exceed the power of many Individuals. Suppose the given Distance in
Miles, 12 feet at top 8 feet at Bottom so that the mean Breadth would be
ro feet and 3 feet deep would perhaps be sufft. for a Boat of iooo Bushels
Burthen.
Length to -Miles or 52,800 feet
multiply by the mean Breadth io
528,000
the product by the depth 3
1,584,000 Square feet.
If a Labourer cuts only 5o Feet in Length 4 feet wide and 6 Inches
deep p day he then cuts ion sq. Feet a Day the Work will require 1$,840
Days Labour which a. 3/ p day would cost for Labourers 2376
suppose for Tools too
Ovcrscers 200
2 small Locks to fall 3 or 4 feet 200
5 [Wastes ?] at iof ioo
priviledge of Land say 500
3426 £
[ 34767
To gain 3 feet depth of water in almost any Ground the Cut on the
c: i r i. rra~ n: : c... ..a1.- h., .. al„, font
deep but be paring away the Soil beyond the Line of the Cut on the lower
Side and throwing Clay to Clay it might be depended on against a little
weight of water and often make it unnecessary to go so deep as 3 feet.
Say 25 working DaN s to the month 8o Labourers would do the work in
8 months. The Expense might be lessened by buying about one half the
whole number of Labourers imported Servants who had been used to
Spades and picks they wd. do much more of this Kind of Work than
negroes and might be sold again at the end of 8 months for or nearly for
their original Cost. But say there can be no Saving add which is often
necessary on Calculations 2.~ p Ct. and then for the Sake of Caution Ct. p
Ct. Suppose three Times the Distance is necessary and therefore three
Times the greatest Sum may be necessary what is there still to frighten
provinces.
A Square Foot of Water weighing about 6o lbs. about equal to the
Weight of one Bushel of Wheat. A Boat 85 feet long 8 feet broad for
that Distance 1 and for a Canal she iniglit be made as long as the winding
of the Canal would allow and as full as possible at the Ends) sunk zo
Inches by her Lading would exclude about io66 Sq Feet of Water and
consequently carry about so many Bushels of Wheat. two Hands would
manage her with great Ease on dead water.
A River Battoe must be of a very difft. Construction. perhaps there's
not one on the River made as it ought to be. one of 6o feet may not carry
her Breadth, of 7 feet and an half at most, more than 40 feet. she ought
to have a fine Rake rise perhaps an Inch in a foot from a Line with the
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