his " Survey of London," in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, gives this account of the source and supply of water to the city : " Anciently, until the Conqueror's time, and for 200 years afterwards, the citie of Lon- don was watered (beside the famous river of the Thames on the south part,) with the river of Welsj as it was then called, on the west ; which water is called Wallbrooke, running through the midst of the citie into the river Thames, serving the heart thereof: with an- other water or bourne running through Langbourne Ward. In the west was another great water called Oldborne. Then there were three principal fountains, or wells in the other suburbs; Holywell, Clement's well, and Clerke's well. * * * Besides which, they had in every gate and lane of the citie, divers faire wells and fresh springs — and after this manner was this citie then served with sweet fresh waters ; which being since decayed, other means have been sought to supply the want. ***** " The first cistern, castellated with stone in the citie of London, was called the great conduit in Westcheap, which was begun to be builded in the year 1235."* The water for this cistern was derived from Paddington, and ran a distance of 1100 rods, or about three and three quarter miles, through leaden pipes, this being the first record of such a mode of distribution. This not extensive work occupied fifty years in the construction ! Another supply was soon after obtained from Tyburn, which was in like manner distributed by a leaden pipe of six inches diameter. Those living near the Thames, used * Hydraulia. PRELIMINARY ESSAY. 5} its water, " fetching it," says Stowe, " by many lanes that led to the water side in divers wards of the city." This right of passage-way was finally converted into a source of revenue by the owners of the soil, who exacted a duty from those who passed to and from the river. As the city increased, new schemes were constantly resorted to, and new sources of supply brought into use. The Paddington springs, and those near Islington, were trained through pipes into the city. At subsequent periods, springs at Hackney, Hamp- stead Heath, Marylebone, and Muswell Hill, were resorted to. An act of Parliament, in 1544, invested the mayor and commonalty of the city of London, with ample power " to enter into the grounds and possessions of the king, as well as every other person and persons, bodies politic and corporate, where they shall find or know any such springs to be, or may be found, (so that it be not under their houses, gardens, orchards, or places enclosed with stone, brick, or mud walls,) and there to dig pits, trenches, and ditches, to erect heads, lay pipes, make vaults, and do all and every such thing, in the same place and grounds, which shall be meet, proper and necessary, only for the conveyance of the said water and springs to the city, and the suburbs of the same ; and also to have free ingress, egress, and regress in and to all such places where such heads, pipes, or vaults shall be erected, laid, or made ; to view and see from time to time said heads, pipes, suspirats, and vaults, and them to amend, repair, translate, and do all things necessary and con- venient, as well for the finding of new springs, as for the conveyance of any water or springs now found, or hereafter to be found, to the city and suburbs aforesaid, without interruption, let, or impediment, of the owners of the ground, their lessees, assigns, or ministers, or any other person." All ground, however, needed for the use of these conduits, or aqueducts, was, by the same act, to be appraised by three or four indifferent persons, appointed by the Lord Chancellor, and to be paid for within one month after possession was taken. A special reservation, moreover, was made of the spring at the foot of Hampstead Hill, which was used by the inhabitants of the town of Hampstead. Slow was the progress of this Hampstead work, for in 1590 it was still unfinished. It was, however, finally accomplished ; a succession of reservoirs at different levels was constructed, each communicating with the other, and through two mains of seven inch bore, the neighborhood of St. Giles was supplied. Originally these works belonged to the city of London, but in 1692 they were transferred to a company incorporated by the name of the Hampstead Water Co., which now furnish a daily average of 150 gallons of water each to about 2500 houses on the Hampstead Road, Kentish-town and Camden-town — all suburbs of the city. 52