During the latter part of the year I had some correspondence with the municipality of Odessa about paving their streets and making a complete system of sewers for the city; and in the spring of the following year I was requested by the municipality to come to Odessa, and to confer with them as to the best means of carrying these works into effect, and the cost of doing so.

I accordingly started for that city; but when I arrived at Vienna I could get no idea as to when the steamer would leave for Odessa. So to pass away the time I determined to visit the SÖmmering Mountain, over which the Imperial Elisabeth Railway passes on the great line from Vienna to Trieste. As that part of the line which crosses the SÖmmering Mountain was said to be a great feat of engineering, we determined to visit it, and certainly it was a very creditable performance. The inclines were very steep, and the curves very sharp and very numerous. Galleries were cut through the rock, high embankments made, and bridges thrown across the ravines, and the railway, having to wind round the sides of the mountain, was very tortuous. The works, however, upon the whole were not badly designed or executed, though I will not say whether a better line might not have been found. The engines used were of the most powerful kind.

Having returned to Vienna we descended the Danube and reached the Sulina mouth. This mouth of the Danube was selected as the most capable of improvement, and considerable sums of money have been expended upon it, under the direction of Sir Charles Hartley, an English engineer of considerable reputation. The works designed by him consisted of two embankments or moles carried out from the shore, one on each side, and nearly parallel to each other, in an E.S.E. direction, for a considerable distance seaward, having a good opening between them for the entrance. These moles, by keeping the current of the river to one course, enable it to act more effectually in deepening the channel and lowering the bar. The operations of the current are assisted by dredging. The works, I understand, have been very successful so far, although by no means completed. An increased depth over the bar and in the channel has already been obtained, which is a very great improvement, for on account of the continual shifting of the channel, and its shallow and tortuous course, it was at all times uncertain and frequently very dangerous. When we passed, the new channel had not been completed; the captain of our steamer therefore thought it advisable to come to anchor for the night and wait until the following morning. There is a wretched place called the town of Sulina, on the right bank of the river, near the commencement of the moles; it consists of wooden houses, stores, shops, and cafÉs, scarcely two feet above the level of the water, and surrounded by marshes, that send forth the most pestiferous malaria. I was told that fevers constantly prevail there, and I am not surprised at it, for a more abominable, uninviting place I have seldom seen. Next morning we started for Odessa soon after daybreak, and after a tolerably smooth passage reached the western harbour at about four o’clock in the afternoon.

The view of Odessa, at about two or three miles’ distance, as you approach it from the sea, is rather pretty and imposing. It is situated upon a calcareous sandstone cliff, about 40 feet above the sea, with a very fine row of majestic stone buildings running the whole length from north to south, having a spacious road, terrace, and garden between them and the edge of the cliff. The town behind is for the most part well and regularly laid out, with wide, spacious streets, at right angles to each other, and some handsome shops and buildings, the residences of tradesmen and merchants. A great number of wealthy nobles and landowners reside here in winter, and houses worthy of the name of palaces, such as those of the elegant and high-born Countess of Urrenzoff, the Governor-General Prince ManukebÈ, Count Tolstoy, Mr. Maas the great banker, and numerous others. The surrounding country, although the soil is rich, is open, with very few trees, and has therefore a bleak, uncomfortable appearance. The custom-house officers were very civil, to my surprise, and gave us very little trouble, so we soon got permission to land, and immediately went to the HÔtel de Londres, a very fine extensive building, situated in the grand row of buildings already mentioned facing the sea. Here we obtained handsome, spacious, well-furnished rooms, and lived very comfortably at a moderate charge.

The next day I called upon the Governor, Count Strogonoff; the Mayor, Count Tolstoy; the English Consul, Mr. Grenville Murray, and several members of the municipality. Having paid these formal visits of ceremony, at which I was courteously received, I immediately began to inquire into the best mode of paving and draining the city, where the best materials were to be obtained and their prices; in fact, everything connected with them.

Before proceeding further it may be proper to describe the state of the place as regards paving and sewers, which may be summed up in a few words. There was neither one nor the other; and it is difficult to conceive how such a fine and wealthy city could have been built, or could have existed so long without them. First, with regard to the streets. The soil is composed chiefly of sand mixed with clay, which during fine dry weather makes a tolerably good road, but the moment it becomes saturated with water, which is the case for a considerable portion of the year, it is converted into one vast puddle, and the large and constant traffic cuts it up into deep holes and gullies, so that in a comparatively short time the road is a sea of mud, and almost impassable. During my stay there were only a few days’ rain, but even this gave me a tolerable idea of it, so that I could easily believe the account given to me by the authorities and other inhabitants was by no means exaggerated. During the worst state of the streets, the obstruction of bullocks and horses trying to drag the loaded waggons and carriages was something dreadful, and many a waggon was left irrevocably fixed in the mud with numerous carcasses of horses and bullocks lying beside it. It was a singular thing that nearly all the corn warehouses were in the upper parts of the town, about a mile from the harbour where the corn was to be shipped, instead of being close by. During the wet season it costs as much to get the corn from the granaries to the harbour as to take it from Odessa to London. The butchers’ shops were at the upper end of the town, from half to three quarters of a mile from the eastern part, where all the principal people live, and when provisions were required for the family they were obliged to hire a carriage with three or four horses to get them; and unless a family kept a regular store of provisions they ran a great risk of being starved. The roads in the country round are not a bit better than those in Odessa; during wet weather they are almost impassable. About twenty-eight miles from Odessa, at a place on the River Dneister, is a kind of depÔt for the vast quantities of corn brought down from the interior. Immense heaps or hills of corn were lying there when I visited it. In wet weather these cannot be removed, and I was informed that a great deal was burnt or allowed to rot because it could not be taken away, either on account of the badness of the roads or the dangerous state of the bar at the entrance of the river.

The sewers were very simple. Gullies had been made along each side of the streets, into which all the filth was thrown, so that in dry seasons it accumulated there, creating the most offensive effluvia, and in wet weather it would not run off, on account of the gullies being blocked up with mud. It was impossible to find a city in a worse state, and it was astonishing that such a great, wealthy, and luxurious city could have so long existed in such a condition. As there was no stone in the neighbourhood fit for paving the streets, granite or a similar hard stone being the only kind fit for the purpose, the next question was where it was to be found, how to get it, and the cost of doing so. Upon inquiry, I heard that excellent granite might be obtained in any quantity from a quarry situated on the river Bug, and on proceeding there I found that very good stone might be got with great ease, and at a comparatively trifling cost. Having made my report, I returned to England.

In 1862 I was appointed chairman of the Civil Engineering Department of the International Exhibition, assisted by the Marquis of Salisbury, M. Bommart, M. Koch, of Berlin; M. Lelere, Belgium; M. Loehr, Austria; Cesare Valerio, Italy; the Baron Baude, M. Mille, Mr. C. Manby, Mr. Kelk, and Mr. Page.

Our report, I believe, was entirely satisfactory.

After this I was asked to examine the water supply of Vienna, and accordingly, having reached that city, I turned my attention to the following objects:

First, to the mode there adopted for supplying the water; this I found to be by means of steam pumping engines of inadequate power, which forced the water through iron pipes to fountains in the different streets, whence it was obtained and delivered into the houses by carts and carriers. The supply was not enough for the wants of the town, neither was the water sufficiently pure nor properly filtered. It contained a good deal of vegetable matter at the best of times, as the water was admitted through the porous soil adjoining the river into very small reservoirs, and it had no time to deposit the alluvial matter with which it was charged before it was delivered for use. Moreover, this method of supplying the water by means of steam pumping engines was a constant expense, and the more water that was required the greater would the expense be. I found, also, that an English party had proposed to extend and amplify the existing system, by erecting more powerful engines, and by making receiving and filtering reservoirs upon a much larger scale about three or four miles higher up the Danube, on the same side, where the water was clearer and more free from the sewage of the city. Now, when I considered that the population was even then between five and six hundred thousand, and that it was daily increasing, this pumping system appeared to me to be the worst plan possible to effect the desired object, unless no other means could be found. I therefore determined to explore the environs of the city, as I felt convinced, from the geographical features of the neighbourhood, that there must be numerous streams amply supplied with water, with their beds sufficiently elevated, and with reservoir room to any extent, to afford, by gravitation, an abundant supply of the best water to Vienna, not only for the present number of inhabitants, but for three millions and upwards. In other words, I proposed to conduct the water from some of these sources in a covered aqueduct, simply by its own natural inclination, to a reservoir situated above the tops of the loftiest houses, in the highest part of the city; thus all pumping would be done away with, and a vast yearly expenditure would be saved; the first cost of these works would not exceed the first cost of the extended plan on the old system above mentioned, as proposed to be made higher up the Danube. Further investigation completely established the correctness of my opinion.

On my return I took the railway to Trieste, passing by Baden, Neustadt, up the line or valley of the Leitha, as far as the base of the SÖmmering ridge. Here I first visited the Fischa Dagnitz river, one of the tributaries of the Leitha; it is a splendid stream, about twenty feet wide, three to four feet deep, the water as clear as crystal, and flowing over a gravelly bottom. During the height of summer the temperature seldom exceeds 40 degrees of Fahrenheit. It is impossible to imagine a finer stream; it has been analyzed and highly approved by some of the first chemists, who pronounce it to be exceedingly pure. This water could be conveyed by gravitation through a covered conduit to the top of a hill overlooking Vienna, and from thence it could be delivered to the highest parts of the city in ample quantity, without pumping or filtration. The water of the Danube, even after filtration, cannot be compared with it. The Fischa Dagnitz turned a number of mills in its course, and this was the only objection to taking the water. But this was a loss that could easily be compensated for by making reservoirs, to be supplied by the surplus waters of this and other streams. The Fischa Dagnitz, therefore, appeared to me to be decidedly the best source for supplying Vienna with pure water, for any reasonable number of inhabitants. I next examined the Leitha above the Dagnitz, and here I found that there was a superabundant supply, although the water was by no means so good as that of the Dagnitz. I examined several other tributaries to the Leitha, passing over an extensive mass of dÉbris, called the Steinfeld, where I found that by damming some large reservoirs could be made, from which an ample supply could be obtained of the same quality as that of the Leitha, although by no means so good as that of the Fischa Dagnitz. It was quite clear, therefore, that plenty of water could be obtained for Vienna now and for all future time from this quarter. But not wishing to overlook any source from whence a supply of water could be procured, I took the railway from Vienna to St. Polten, a town on the road to Linz.

Here I found a very fine and copious stream, though when I examined it, it was nearly in its lowest state. The ground between it and Vienna was very high, so that to a certain extent pumping must have been resorted to, if this source of supply was adopted. Another objection was the much greater distance as compared with the streams up the valley of the Leitha. I felt therefore satisfied that it would not do, and that the question lay between the Fischa Dagnitz and the tributaries of the Leitha on the Steinfeld above mentioned. All these observations I embodied in a report to the municipality of Vienna, and recommended the Fischa Dagnitz; for although there might be a few feet less fall, still, taking into account the far greater purity of the water, it was the best. The municipality received my report, and returned me their thanks for it. At all events, I had decided the question against taking the water from the Danube.

Having made these investigations and sent in my report upon them, it now remained for the municipality to decide. They said they would take time to consider, and accordingly appointed some of the most able and scientific officers of their own body, as well as those attached to the Government, to investigate the subject further. After above two years’ examination these persons made their report, recommending that the principle of gravitation as proposed by me should be adopted, and that the supply should be taken from the tributaries of the Leitha in the Steinfeld: this was in fact adopting my plan, although I preferred the Fischa Dagnitz as the source of supply, as none could or did dispute the superior quality of its water to all others.

The municipality have been deliberating ever since on the best plan of carrying this great work into effect, whether by a private company, or whether they shall execute the works by contract and supply the water at their own cost. This question, as far as I know, has not been settled, although it has been now nearly six years in agitation; meanwhile the city suffers materially from the want of a good supply of pure wholesome water.

In the spring of 1861 a Mr. Parkenscholz, and M. JosÉ de ContÉ, a member of one of the wealthiest and most respectable families of St. Michael’s, the principal island of the Azores, called and informed me that the Portuguese Government had decided to make a harbour at Ponta Delgada, the chief town of St. Michael’s, the cost of which was estimated at the sum of 134,000l. I replied that I should be willing to undertake the superintendence and construction of this harbour, provided that I was not compelled to serve them beyond the term of four years, and that I was not to be responsible either for the plan or for the amount estimated to complete it. To these terms the Portuguese Government consented, and I started for the Azores in September, 1861.

We reached Ponta Delgada on the 20th September, and were very much delighted with our first view of it. The town rose rapidly from the sea, and presented a most interesting appearance. The spires of numerous churches, starting up from the level of the surrounding houses, pierced the blue sky, while here and there were gardens filled with the gayest of flowers, and groves of orange, lemon, and olive trees, the whole embosomed in a picturesque bay, backed by evergreen conical hills, reminding one a good deal of Naples.

On landing I was received with great ceremony, and was waited on by the Junta at my hotel. The next day I attended a meeting of the Junta at the Governor’s house, when we discussed all the various preliminary operations that were necessary preparatory to commencing the harbour.

It appeared desirable that the first stone should be laid before I left the island, and preparations were ordered to be made accordingly. I gave Mr. Plews full instructions as to what was necessary for this, and having two days to spare I determined to accompany my friend, Mr. Thomas Ivens, on an excursion to Furness, a celebrated watering-place, situated near the eastern end of the island, about 27 miles distant. We started on a couple of good donkeys, with another carrying some provisions, and proceeded along the south shore over a very fair carriage road, for about five miles, through some neat villages embowered in orange and lemon orchards, passing also by comfortable villas and country houses, and then struck in a north-easterly direction across the island over an undulating well-cultivated country, chiefly growing Indian corn and other cereals and green crops. When we reached the summit of this part of the island we got a good view of the mountains to the eastward and of the sea on the north and south sides. We halted for about an hour, and then proceeded to a large town situated on the northern shore, surrounded by rich gardens and fields, having every appearance of prosperity. From thence we proceeded along the north shore over some very steep hills and cliffs overlooking the sea, the road still good, until we got to a little roadside inn about dark. There was, however, light enough from the stars to find our way, so off we set again, and going over a very wild hilly country got to the top of the pass which descended to Furness about ten o’clock at night. Here the road ceased, and we found it necessary to get off the donkeys and walk, for fear of being tumbled over their heads, although they were very sure-footed. At a subsequent visit to this place I crossed over the pass by daylight, and the view from the summit is very fine, looking into what was formerly the crater of a volcano, which is nearly two miles wide, surrounded by lofty rugged hills between 2000 and 3000 feet high, the bottom of the crater valley being now covered with rich verdure and gardens and tropical trees and plants of various kinds. Near the crater was the little village of Furness, with its church and white houses dotted about, and close by were the sulphurous hot baths sending forth volumes of steam, the whole forming one of the most picturesque and agreeable scenes imaginable. We got to the inn at the bottom of the valley at about 12 P.M., thoroughly tired, having ridden and walked for nearly eleven hours. The inn, considering all things, was by no means bad. I got a good bed and supper, and soon fell asleep, while my companion, Mr. Ivens, went to his family, who were stopping there. After a sound night’s sleep I got up in the morning and took a warm sulphur bath as hot as I could stand it, which was about 96°; but you may have the water at almost any temperature, as it issues boiling from the spring. Close by, within a few yards, is a cold chalybeate spring, and not far distant is a vast extent of rich alum deposit, from which great quantities may be extracted, and a manufactory had then commenced operations. I walked about until midday, quite enchanted with the beauty of the place, dined with my friend Ivens and his amiable family, and about one o’clock in the afternoon mounted my donkey and started off with the guide for Ponta Delgada, being determined if possible to get there that night. We had a tolerably stiff hilly road fit only for mules, donkeys, or horses, before we could get out of the valley. Having ascended the summit of the first pass, we had a delightful view behind over the delicious valley of Furness which we had just left. We then came to a rather extensive lake, surrounded by evergreen hills of much less elevation than those surrounding the valley; and on the opposite side of this lake, which was two to three miles long and about a mile wide, we observed the country house of our Consul, Samuel Vines, Esq., seated on the side of a hill about 200 or 300 feet above the lake, embosomed in woods; and at the foot of the hill, close by the water’s edge, was a strong sulphur spring, of the same temperature as those of Furness, and like them covered with clouds of steam. There was not a house near it all round the lake. It was singular that he should have chosen such a solitary spot. I continued along the south and west side of the lake, which is bounded by hills covered with underwood and evergreens, but not a house nor even a shed to be seen; only a few solitary cattle here and there with a shepherd boy. Nothing could be more still or lonely; but at the same time there was a degree of quiet and repose which gave to the place a certain undefinable charm not to be resisted.

Upon leaving the west end of the lake we ascended the hill over a rugged path, passing through a wild, bare district, and from the summit enjoyed a fine view of nearly the whole of the island, which was very beautiful whichever way you looked. We now descended a very steep path, the view changing at every turn. At last, about five o’clock, we reached the clean, pretty town of Villa Franca, where I halted nearly an hour for refreshment.

Villa Franca, which is situated in a small bay on the sea-shore, was formerly the capital of the island, but an earthquake having occurred near, it was abandoned for Delgada. It is still a thriving little place, with a rich surrounding country. There is a small island, a few hundred yards from the shore, where a good harbour might be made.

After leaving this town we had to take a rough road along the sea-coast for a couple of miles, partly through deep sand, and partly among scattered rocks, for there was no regular road. We then left the shore and travelled over the cliffs by an equally bad path, sometimes over deep chasms and sometimes up narrow glens, until we reached the high road again, at which I was very glad, as it was now dark and very difficult to find our way. We pushed forward with confidence, and the donkeys went on very well; after passing through numerous villages, sometimes lying on the sea-shore, at others a little distance inland, at last, much to my satisfaction—for I was very tired—we reached Mr. Rodrigue’s comfortable hotel about midnight. Old Rodrigue was surprised that I had made the journey of between 50 and 60 miles in so short a time, for although it was the month of September, the sun was very powerful, and the road for many miles was very bad.

Next day we had another meeting of the Junta, and they made all the arrangements for laying the first stone of the new harbour, which was to take place with every possible ceremony. I found that Mr. Plews had got a couple of large stones well dressed for the purpose; the captain of the port had provided the sheers and tackle for hoisting them; and the Junta had procured in the town a very pretty silver trowel, a mallet, and mortar holder. A commodious gangway had been prepared from the shore to the west end of the old mole, fronting the area where the new pier or mole was to commence, according to the plan approved of by the Government.

The whole town was in motion at an early hour, and great numbers of people came in from the neighbouring towns and villages, all dressed in holiday costume. The town was decorated with the flags of various nations, amongst which the Union Jack was particularly conspicuous. In fact, it was considered a great national fÊte; the more so, as a work such as this was intended to be had never been previously undertaken in this island, or in the kingdom of Portugal itself. The procession was marshalled at the Town Hall, and consisted of the band of the militia of the island; then the governor, his secretary, and the Junta or committee that was to conduct the work, followed by the principal officers, merchants, and deputations from the chief towns in the island, with their respective banners, closed by a number of the most respectable inhabitants of the place; the lower orders, clad in their best, lining the way by which we passed. Upon arriving at the place we were met by the chief priest of the island, who, in a short prayer, invoked a blessing from the Almighty that the enterprise might prosper. Then, upon a signal being given, coins of the realm, together with a printed paper, containing an account of the proposed work, the names of the governor and Junta, the engineers, officers, &c., were placed in a glass bottle, and deposited in the cavity of the lower stone, which had previously been prepared and set. The governor having placed the glass case in the cavity, I handed to him the silver trowel, with which he spread out the mortar. The stone was lowered into its place, and the governor, having previously adjusted it, gave the usual three taps with the mallet, and the ceremony was finished with a discharge of guns from the fort, and numerous showers of rockets from the town, amidst the cheers and vivas of the bystanders, the band playing the national anthem. In the evening a very handsome entertainment was given at M. JosÉ de ContÉ’s villa, on the outside of the town, to which the Junta and principal officers and merchants of the place were invited. The Portuguese band played admirably during and after dinner, and we all retired much pleased with the success of the day’s proceedings. The governor presented me with the silver trowel, which I respectfully declined, and requested him to keep it as a memorial of the happy day; which he, after some hesitation, accepted, and I contented myself with the polished mortar holder, and the next leading man of the Junta accepted the mallet.

The next day I made final arrangements for my departure by the packet, which was expected on its return from Fayal the day after. In the mean time I had been considering the danger of the harbour as laid down or rather approved by the Government, and found that if the west mole was commenced at the east end of Fort San Bray, as proposed, the fort would be exposed to a much heavier swell; but that by making it commence at the western end of the fort this would be avoided; moreover, the sum of 600l. would be saved, and the harbour would be made so much larger. This recommendation was afterwards adopted by the Government. I now took my leave of the governor and all the authorities, and my other friends, with my grateful thanks for their kindness and attention.

The island, taken in a direct line from north to south, is about 40 miles long, and from 7 to 9 miles wide. It is entirely volcanic. The east and west ends exhibit the most powerful effects of the volcanic force. In the former we see mountains raised to the height of about 3300 feet above the level of the Atlantic, in the centre of which lies the valley of Furness, the bottom being occupied by a lake that still sends forth sulphurous vapours; and in the latter or west end we find mountains of about 3000 feet, the centre of which is occupied by a large lake, without any exhibition of existing volcanic action. Near the centre of the island, which is the narrowest part, there are numerous minor conical-shaped hills of less elevation, but all more or less showing their volcanic origin. The island enjoys a most genial climate, and frost or snow is of rare occurrence; but during the autumn and winter it is visited by heavy gales from all quarters of the compass, which extend over a distance of about 100 miles. During this period a great deal of rain falls, and the climate may be said to be moist, much resembling that of Madeira. Formerly a good deal of wine was produced here, but since 1855, when the oidium disease made its appearance, the vintage has been very unsatisfactory; and although a certain quantity of wine, resembling that of Madeira, is still made for home consumption, none is exported. The principal productions of the island now are oranges and lemons, of which vast quantities are annually exported to the north of Europe. The district where these are produced is restricted to the centre of the island, commencing at Ponta Delgada, and extending eastward about 7 or 8 miles. On the north it is bounded by the central ridge of hills, and on the south by the sea, the width being about 3 or 4 miles, so that it enjoys the full rays of the southern sun. These orange and lemon orchards are cultivated with the greatest care, and wherever they are exposed to the east, west, or southern gales are protected by high stone walls. On the north the hills alone afford sufficient shelter.

Towards the latter end of October the season commences, and continues until about the end of February, during which time the harbour of Ponta Delgada is continually crowded with shipping, whilst on shore the inhabitants are busy packing the fruit in boxes; these boxes are made from the wood brought chiefly from the forests that clothe the mountains at the eastern end of the island. The vessels in which the fruit is exported are principally small schooners, built rather short, capital sea boats, and manned by the best of captains and sailors, who thoroughly understand their profession. They go to sea in any weather, which is at times most severe, rarely if ever meet with any accidents on the voyage, and make the passage to England in from eight to ten days. It is true they are sometimes driven ashore when they break from their moorings in the exposed roadstead of Ponta Delgada during heavy gales from the south-west to the south-east, to which it is exposed; but this will be obviated by the new harbour, and was one of the objects of its being made. Sometimes, during the prevalence of these gales, they are obliged to slip their anchors, and run for shelter to the northern side of the island, where they occasionally ship their cargoes, which is always done by means of lighters from the shore. Immediately they are laden they start with the first fair wind, however strongly it blows; they never wait for weather, but as soon as laden they put to sea, and generally make good, indeed, the best of passages.

I met a young botanist who had come out in one of these vessels to Ponta Delgada, for the purpose of making botanical researches in this and in the neighbouring islands, in the month of March; they had an excellent passage until they got within about a hundred miles of St. Michael’s, when he said to the captain, “We shall be there to-morrow.” The captain, an excellent sailor, looking at the signs of the weather, replied, “I don’t think so. We are going to have a hard gale from the southward.” He immediately ordered his mate to well batten down the hatchways, shorten sail, and make all as snug as possible. The captain was right; the gale from the south came a few hours afterwards, with a very heavy sea.

The young botanist frankly confessed to me that he began to be terribly afraid at seeing the tremendous sea running after them, and asked the captain if there was any danger; when the captain coolly replied, “Never fear: it is only a little loss of time. Go to your berth, and lie there quietly. We shall get there safe enough, with a little patience.” The captain then ordered the vessel to be hove-to, and there she lay as comfortably as possible, never shipping a single sea, although the waves were running mountains high. After about five or six days she entered the bay of Ponta Delgada without having sustained the least damage. She got her cargo of fruit aboard and returned directly, and made one of the quickest passages that season to England.

Besides oranges and lemons, St. Michael’s grows large quantities of Indian corn, wheat, barley, potatoes, and other articles, of which she exports largely to Portugal, and is considered the granary of the kingdom; her exports are much larger than her imports, and she receives back in return wine, oil, and manufactured goods. In fact, St. Michael’s is looked upon by the Portuguese as their most productive and wealthiest island. The population is extremely civil, hard-working, and industrious, and the upper classes are wealthy, enterprising, and energetic, and send some of the most talented deputies to the Cortes, who by their ability and perseverance attain the highest offices in the State; for example, the late Minister of Finance, Senhor Avila, who, although a rough subject, was yet possessed of great talents and integrity. The island also furnishes some very fine hardy sailors and soldiers; and I was told that the other islands of Pico, Fayal, and St. Mary’s, although not equal in extent or wealth, do the same.

On the 9th of October (1863) I again left London for Lisbon by one of the Royal Mail steamers, and reached it on the morning of the 13th following, and on the 15th, in the evening, I started in the packet for Ponta Delgada, which we reached on the morning of the 20th, after an agreeable and tolerably smooth passage. I found that some considerable progress had been made with the preliminary works; although these were not so far advanced as they might have been, in consequence of the Junta not having found the necessary funds. I had previously explained to them in written reports, that the more complete the preliminary works were made, and the larger the scale on which the operations were conducted, the sooner the harbour would be completed, and the greater would be the economy. I have already observed that the Government had approved of a certain plan for the harbour without consulting me, and that it had simply confided to me the charge of carrying the design into effect. However, I felt it my duty to consider the plan more maturely, so as to ascertain how far it was likely to answer the object intended; as, for example, whether the estimate made was sufficient for the purpose, and whether it could be done within the time stated. I could not at first do this, because I had not had time sufficient to investigate the local circumstances; however, upon my second visit, the experience of my former one, combined with the observations which Mr. Plews had made in the meantime, enabled me to master the subject; and upon carefully considering the plan adopted by the Government, and comparing it with the local experience which I had now obtained, I felt convinced that the design would not effect the object proposed. Vessels would neither be able to enter nor depart during the most dangerous and prevalent winds, without the risk of being shipwrecked; neither could those vessels lying in the harbour be considered safe. The plan was deficient in all the qualities necessary for a good harbour; as regards the expense, it would cost at least more than double the estimate; and as to the time, it would be extremely difficult to state when the works would be completed. Having clearly satisfied myself upon these points, I felt it my duty to inform the Junta, so that they might report the same to the Government. The Junta received my remarks very cautiously, and said that several objections to the plan adopted had occurred to them; however, they did not pretend to give any opinion upon the subject, and they requested me to make a full report upon the plan adopted, together with all my objections, and the cost of carrying it into effect. They also requested me to prepare a new plan, according to what I conceived best adapted to the local circumstances; also an estimate of the cost of carrying it into effect; and said that as soon as they received them they would send them to the Government, and would communicate to me their decision as early as possible. This I accordingly did upon my return to England.

This report was submitted by the Junta to the Government, and it was decided that the plan I proposed was the best, and the Government ordered it to be carried into effect. This decision was very gratifying to me, for I was strongly convinced that I was right, and if the Government had decided otherwise I felt that there was no alternative but to resign my situation. The works were therefore ordered to be proceeded with according to the new plan that I recommended. The Junta before I departed arranged with me that the contract for my services should be limited to five years from 1861, although I was previously informed that it should only be for four years, the sum for my remuneration being the same for five as for four years; this was certainly a loss to me, but I did not wish to make any difficulty about it, as I was anxious that my plan should be adopted.

My design consisted simply of one mole or breakwater carried from the west side of Fort St. Braz, and in such a direction that no eastern pier would be required, as the opposite shore of the bay would answer that purpose. The mole consists of two arms, one at the shore end, 2000 feet long, and the outer end from 800 to 1000 feet long, with ample depth within from 40 to 50 feet, and covering a water space of nearly double the extent of the old plan. This new mole when finished will have a strong promenade stone parapet 20 feet above the level of high water, and a roadway below 40 feet wide, lined by a quay wall on the inside, alongside of which the largest vessels may approach and take in and deliver their cargoes at all times. Railways will be laid along the quays, and cranes worked by steam will travel along them for loading and unloading the vessels.

This mole is now advanced outwards about 1600 feet, and if the Junta had only followed my advice, it ought to have been finished by this time. I always calculated that after the first year, when the whole of the works were in full operation, from 1000 to 1200 tons of stone should be daily deposited, whereas, upon an average they have not done half that quantity, in consequence of their not employing sufficient plant in the shape of waggons, trucks, cranes, locomotives, tools, &c.; however, that is their fault, not ours. I have constantly made reports pointing out these deficiencies.

The quarries having now been opened, railways laid, and a sufficient number of locomotives, waggons, and trucks having been provided for the present, I proposed to the Junta that they should commence depositing stone on the line of the great mole. The laying of the first, as mentioned before, was simply a matter of ceremony, as they were really not then in a position to commence the actual work. The Junta approved of my proposal, and accordingly, two days before my departure, this ceremony took place. About six waggons laden with blocks from two to five tons weight were drawn by one of the locomotive engines from the quarries to the end of the staging or platform in the line of the mole, and were there deposited with great Éclat. The locomotive then returned with the empty waggons and brought six more, which were deposited in the same manner, and this operation continued throughout the day. As this mode of conducting the harbour works had never been before seen on the island, it created much interest and astonishment amongst the natives, and the ladies were particularly amused by taking a ride upon the locomotive engines. I simply observe once for all that this mole was to be constructed by depositing, from open staging in the line of the mole, blocks of rough stone varying from a quarter of a ton to 10 tons in weight, when they could be obtained. These blocks being deposited in the sea, the waves would soon drive and consolidate them together, until after a time the mass becomes immovable; in fact, the sea is the workman or mason to arrange the stone deposited in such a manner that it shall become fixed in its place; therefore, during the operation the more and heavier the storms the better, the great point being that the stone shall be carried out and deposited in such masses that the sea shall not break through it, but merely act upon it, by drawing down the exterior or sea slope to such an angle that it will stand after the heaviest storms. Now my father, who commenced this system at the breakwater in Plymouth Sound, and in other places, found that the sea slope of a mole or breakwater constructed in this manner would stand an inclination of about 5 or 5½ to 1 for every foot perpendicular, and 1 to 1 on the land side, as I have mentioned in a former chapter.

Throughout all my experience I have found the same, therefore the breakwater at Ponta Delgada was founded upon this principle. Five lines of railway of the 7-feet gauge have been carried out upon the staging, so that the top has a width of fully 50 feet; and as the works proceed outwards another will perhaps be added, if circumstances require it, which will make the width 70 feet. By keeping up a constant supply of stone, there will always be sufficient for the waves to act upon until the sea slope has attained its ultimate point of repose. As fast as the large blocks of stone are deposited and washed into their place, great quantities of quarry rubbish are supplied to fill up the minor interstices and render the whole mass more solid, until the slopes are in a fit state to be regularly formed and paved for receiving the parapet.

For some years there had been constant complaint from merchants and shipowners that they were taxed for Ramsgate harbour when their vessels never did or could use it. These continued complaints, so often repeated, at last had effect, and Parliament decided, in the year 1861, that the passing toll of Ramsgate harbour should cease, and that only those vessels that used it should pay, according to a certain tariff. The trustees under whose direction the harbour had been made and maintained, complained to the Government that without the passing toll they did not see from whence funds could be derived to maintain it in a proper state of efficiency, and therefore they requested to be relieved of their responsibility, and tendered their resignations, which were accepted by the Government, and an Act of Parliament was passed in the year 1862 relieving the old trustees from their trust, repealing their Acts of Parliament, and vesting the harbour, all its funds, and responsibilities, in the Board of Trade. I succeeded my father in December 1821 as engineer-in-chief to the harbour, at the same salary, namely, 210l. per annum, which included travelling and office expenses of every kind, the trustees paying the salary of the resident engineer themselves. The harbour was in a very dilapidated state, in fact, it almost required rebuilding, when it came under my direction, and monthly visits of two and three days were necessary, besides attending the Board in London once every fortnight examining accounts, correspondence, reports, and plans, all of which required a good deal of labour and responsibility, and which, if paid for according to the usual professional scale, would have amounted to at least treble the sum of 200l., or more; but considering the appointment to be permanent, and that upon retirement I should be entitled to an adequate pension according to my years of service, I thought it better not to decline. In the year 1822, a committee was appointed by the House of Commons to investigate Ramsgate harbour and everything connected with it. Mr. Wallace, afterwards Lord Wallace, was chairman of this committee; he made a searching inquiry, and found nothing wrong. I was examined at great length touching all works, the mode of managing them, and what would be the total cost of doing so. The cost it was extremely difficult if not impossible to state, for the greater part of the works were under water, and failures and accidents were constantly occurring without any previous warning, so that what was sound one day was in ruin the next.

As an example, I may mention the west pier-head: this upon examination carefully from above appeared quite sound; not a crack could be seen above low water. It is true that the projecting basement floor of the lighthouse, which was not properly connected with the lighthouse tower itself, and was little more than a mere shed, showed a slight subsidence, but this outer part of the lighthouse was in no way connected with the outer walls of the pier head; in fact, it rested upon the chalk filling between the outer walls and the lighthouse. Now this chalk filling might have subsided, by some leaks through the outer wall of the pier head, without denoting any serious defects in the pier-head walls; however the walls fell, with little or no warning, and the consequence was that it was necessary to rebuild the whole pier-head, and the lighthouse also, at a cost of nearly 20,000l. To a certain extent the same thing occurred at the east pier-head; but this I observed in time, and completely secured it at a cost of 2000l. The whole of the inner walls of the east and west piers were completely undermined, although from above they showed no signs of failure, and I was obliged to underpin them to a depth of from 10 to 12 feet below low water of spring tides. The old wooden sluices were worn out; and these it was necessary to replace. The main entrance from the harbour to the basin was in such a dilapidated state that it was necessary to take it down and rebuild it; this cost 18,000l. The quay walls of the inner basin were fast going to decay; and I was obliged to take them down and rebuild them. All the filling in between the outer and inner walls of the outer harbour had sunk in numerous places, and it was unsafe for any person or carriage to go over it; it was therefore imperative to take the whole of this out and refill it with proper concrete. The pavement also was completely worn out, so that we had to renew it. There was no means of supplying the ships with fresh water, or of extinguishing fires. It was therefore necessary to lay pipes with stop cocks and hoses round the piers and basin, connected with the main water-pipes in the town. The whole of the sewage of the town was discharged into the basin, and at low water it created a most offensive effluvia, which rendered this part of the town unhealthy; I therefore recommended that an intercepting sewer should be made round the basin, so that all the sewage should be diverted from the town and harbour into the sea, to the westward, and by this means it was carried away by the tide, and a great nuisance taken away from the town. There was no regular tide gauge to ascertain the exact rise and fall of the tide, so that the harbour light at night could not be shown at the proper time, neither could the day signal be hoisted to show when there was sufficient depth at the entrance. This defect I remedied by establishing a self-acting tide gauge in a well within the lighthouse at the west pier-head. The pole of this tide gauge was connected with a cylinder and a clock hand; on the cylinder was a roll of paper, and to the hand of the clock was attached a pencil, which, as the rod or tide gauge rose and fell, marked it on the paper; thus the rise and fall of every tide was indicated upon the paper, and the clock showed the time, so that the rise and fall of every tide was regularly registered and kept in a book from year to year. I also established barometers at different parts of the harbour, under lock and key, the latter of which was kept by the harbour-master; these barometers were set every morning, and the rise and fall was registered in a book, so that all the captains of vessels in the harbour could ascertain as nearly as practicable the state of the weather; rain gauges were also established, a regular account of the rainfall being registered. Before my time the trustees had got an admirable time clock, by Moore, for which they paid 200l., and Mr. Turner, one of the chairmen of the trustees, got another clock from Dent’s, which cost 105l. These two clocks were kept in repair by a competent person, and corresponded to a second with the Royal Observatory time at Greenwich, hence every captain of a vessel starting from Ramsgate could carry the correct time with him. Thus Ramsgate was provided with all the instruments for ascertaining the correct time, the state of the tides, together with the barometer, thermometer, the wind and rain gauges, and everything necessary to indicate the probable state of the weather.

All harbours ought to be provided with these instruments, and a regular journal should be kept, forming a careful record of the observations made from them. After the harbour was transferred to the Board of Trade I still continued as principal engineer, at the same salary, viz. 315l. per annum and travelling expenses.

In the middle of the last century a breach was made on the left bank of the Thames, near the village of Dagenham, and many thousand acres of the adjacent lowlands were inundated. The most skilful engineers of the day tried long and in vain to close the breach, but at last it was effected by Captain Perie, at a cost of 20,000l.; but although the breach was closed, and nearly the whole submerged lands relieved from the water, still a space amounting to about 100 acres, where the breach took place, has ever since remained covered, and is called Dagenham Lake at the present day.

The position of this fine sheet of water being on the London side of the Thames, its depth varying from 4 to 20 feet below low water of spring tides, the great depth and width of the river in front of it and its proximity to London render it admirably adapted for wet or floating docks. For a long time it passed unnoticed, until, the trade of London increasing, other docks were established on both sides of the Thames at and close to London; the enormous cost of these and the high rates which they were necessarily obliged to charge in order to get anything like a remunerating dividend for the capital expended, induced enterprising people to look out for some situation lower down the river where docks could be established upon more moderate terms, and where consequently the rates would be much lower. Amongst other places Dagenham Lake attracted their notice, and very naturally so, for it possessed all the requisites for making a complete establishment of the kind at a most moderate cost, far below that which had been expended upon any of the great dock establishments in London. Who were the first persons who originated the idea of converting Dagenham Lake into a great dock establishment I do not know, but amongst others, I am told, was Mr. George Burge, the well-known contractor, about 1845. Subsequently Mr. Crampton took up the idea, and proposed to convert Dagenham Lake into a great dock establishment nearly twenty years ago, but the project never came to maturity. At last Mr. George Remington, a well-known projector, entered into it in 1854, and asked me to join him. On investigating the subject I was satisfied of its intrinsic merits, and agreed to co-operate in the undertaking. A Bill was therefore obtained in the year 1855 for this purpose. It was simply proposed in the first instance to connect the Dagenham Lake with the Thames by means of a lock, together with some small warehouses, landing wharves, and a railway to connect it with the London and Tilbury line; the whole estimate of what it was proposed to do there being confined to 120,000l., that is to say, 90,000l. subscriptions, and borrowing power of 30,000l. This, it must be observed, was merely to commence the undertaking upon a moderate scale; and it was intended to extend the quays and warehouse room in proportion as the increased trade required it, for the floating basin accommodation was equal to that of the largest docks in London, and the depth of water in the river and in the dock was greater. The dock, if it could be commenced upon this moderate scale, could not, it is true, have been considered as a powerful rival to the other dock establishments, but it would have relieved them from the greatest part of the lumber trade, which they could not accommodate without great inconvenience and even loss, such as the timber, guano, hemp, flax, coal trades, &c.; moreover, it would give accommodation for laying up in ordinary the great number of vessels which are always more or less unemployed in the port of London. It is computed that of unemployed vessels there are generally about 150,000 tons; now these vessels, at a penny per ton per week, would alone return 7000l. per annum, and as they require no superintendence except from their owners, they alone would have paid 5 per cent. upon the total capital of the Company, and all the other trade would have added so much more to their income. It was quite clear that it would be to the interest of all the unemployed vessels to lay up there, because they could do so at half the expense compared with the other docks; for even if they were to lie at their moorings in the river, although they would be charged nothing, still their expenses would be a great deal more. There was, besides, another trade open to these docks, that could not be accommodated in any of the others, namely, the foreign cattle trade, which is every day increasing, and which must continue to increase with the population of the metropolis.

The first Act, as I have already said, passed in 1855, and although several attempts were made to form a company to carry it into effect, they all failed. In 1862 another Act of Parliament was obtained, as the original one had nearly expired. In the new Act the powers were enlarged, and the works were extended to 300,000l., with power to borrow 100,000l. more; and it was again attempted to form a company to carry it into effect, but failed. In 1865 a third attempt was made to form a company, and by the aid of Messrs. Rigby, the well-known contractors of the great Admiralty harbour at Holyhead, a company was at length formed. Those gentlemen contracted for the works at a certain price, and agreed to take a large number of the shares as well in payment. The works commenced under my direction, in the month of May 1865, and proceeded very well until the end of March 1866, when the Messrs. Rigby got into difficulties, and were unable to complete their contract, and the consequence was that the whole of the works were stopped. The state of the money market ever since has been so depressed that it has hitherto been impossible to find the money to carry them on, and thus this really valuable concern remains still in abeyance.

In 1866 another Act of Parliament was procured, enabling the Company to obtain more land and to increase the works, so that ultimately, when times become favourable, it is very probable that this great undertaking will be carried out, and will form one of the largest and most important dock establishments on the banks of the Thames.

During the year 1866 it was attempted to obtain an Act of Parliament for making a railway between Romford and the docks. It passed the House of Commons, but when it got into the House of Lords its supporters drew back and the Bill was abandoned.