about 14 feet ; and on its summit stands an Egyptian obelisk formed of red granite, 55 feet in height, and covered with hieroglyphics. At the four sides of the rock are colossal marble statues, which designate the four great rivers in dif- ferent quarters of the world : viz. the Danube, the Nile, the Ganges, and the Plata : and from these statues the water flows in copious streams to the spacious basin below. ' The Nile and Ganges from the silver tide : La Plata too, and Danube's streams unite Their liquid treasures, copious, clear and bright.' " During the summer, it is the custom occasionally to per- mit the water to overflow the whole square, for the enter- tainment of the people ; and on midsummer's eve persons amuse themselves by wading and driving through the flood. This practice has sometimes been attended with fatal acci- 53 dents, and not only men but horses have actually been drowned in the attempts to pass it in carriages. " In the month of August the area of the square is like- wise filled with water for the purpose of amusement. " The same square likewise contains two other fountains, one of which consists of a capacious marble basin, having at its centre a Triton holding a dolphin by the tail ; and on the margin of the basin are four heads with the same num- ber of Tritons that spout the water from their mouths. The other fountain has not any remarkable characteristics to entitle it to peculiar attention." " Where formerly stood the circus of Flora is now the site of the Piazza Barberinni, which has two fountains to embellish it : — one of them being composed of four dolphins supporting a large open shell, with a Triton in the middle ejecting water to a great height. The other is fanciful, being also formed of an open shell, from which three bees throw out the water." " In the vicinity of the Temple of Vesta stands a hand- some fountain, having a capacious basin, in which some Tritons support a large marble shell. From the centre of the latter, the water spouts to a considerable height, and then descending flows over its margin into the basin beneath. Some fine fountains adorn the magnificent colonnade in front of the Cathedral of St. Peter. The Piazza di Spagna 14 54 has likewise for its embellishment, a fountain in the form of an antique boat. Besides the structures described above, there is a great number of other fountains which evince much diversity of taste and ingenuity in their contrivance. But at the different villas of the opulent, the abundance of water is rendered subservient to amusing as well as useful purposes, and several of them are rather singular. The description . of one will convey some notion of what is common to many of them. " The delightful promenades, groves, and gardens belong- ing to the Doria family, are interspersed with fountains of various forms ; besides having a beautiful lake with water- falls. Statues, antique basso relievos, and small fountains, adorn a kind of amphitheatre, where a circular edifice con- tains the marble figure of a fawn holding a flute, on which it seems to play different airs : the music, however, is pro- duced by a machine resembling an organ in its construction, and motion being given to it by the flowing of the water from a cascade." " Perhaps the few instances recited above will suffice to demonstrate the different modes employed at Rome, for calling into exercise genius, fancy, and taste, to diversify the public edifices concerned with its abundant supply of water ; thus rendering them subservient to magnificence, entertain- ment, and utility. Whilst John Dyer resided there, he viewed these celebrated fountains with the mingled feelings of the painter and the poet ; hence, associating them with 55 other interesting circumstances, they furnished the materials for one of his most striking and pathetic delineations. ' The pilgrim oft, At dead of night, 'mid his oraison hears Aghast the voice of Time, disparting towers, Tumbling all precipitate, down-dashed, Rattling around, loud thundering to the moon ; While murmurs sooth each awful interval Of ever-falling waters ; shrouded Nile, Eridanus, and Tiber with his twins, And palmy Euphrates ; they with dropping locks Hang o'er their urns, and mournfully among The plantive echoing ruins, pour their streams.' " Ruins of Rome. HISTORY OF THE PBOGBESSIYE MEASURES EOE SUPPLYING THE CITY OF NEW-YORK WITH WATER. As early as 1774, when the population of the city of New-York was only twenty-tico thousand, the Corporation commenced the construction of a reservoir and other works for supplying water ; and for the purpose of defraying the expense of the undertaking,