Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/148

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CALEDONIAN CANAL.

at the foot of that celebrated Mountain Ben Nevis, which rises 4,370 feet above the level of the sea. From hence its course is nearly in a straight direction, north-eastwardly, through Lochs Lochy, Ness, Doughfour, to Clacknacarry Basin in Loch Beauly, where it enters the Murray Firth, on the west side of the town of Inverness. Its total length is sixty miles and a half, and the following are the particulars of the lengths of the several cuts and locks, extracted from a document ordered by the Honourable the House of Commons, on the 1st of June, 1821.

. M. F. C.
Canal, from the sea lock at Clacknacarry to Muir Town 1 1 0
From Muir Town through Loch Doughfour to Loch Ness 6 5 5
Length of Loch Ness 23 5 6
From the south-west end of Loch Ness to Loch Oich 5 3 5
Length of Loch Oich 3 5 6
From the south-west end of Loch Oich to Loch Lochy 1 6 5
Length of the Loch Lochy 10 0 0
From the south-west end of Loch Lochy to Corpach Sea Lock 8 0 3
. __ __ __
Total length of the navigation 60 4 0

Of this, twenty-three miles and eight chains are artificially formed,and the remaining thirty-seven miles, three furlongs and two chains, are natural locks or lakes, which have been made navigable.

There are twenty-eight locks upon this navigation, viz:— from Loch Eil to Loch Lochy, twelve locks; and two more to the summit level at Loch Oich; from hence are seven locks to Fort Augustus, at the west end of Loch Ness; and seven from the end of the last-mentioned loch to the sea, at Loch Beauly, above low water of which, the summit level is only 91 feet.

The first act relating to this grand national undertaking occurs in the 43rd George III. and is entitled, 'An Act for granting to his Majesty the Sum of £20,000, towards defraying the Expense of