feet, soldered lengthwise, and covered by a strip or sheet of lead of the same thickness, covering the first solder about two inches. The conduit was soldered at the joints, six feet apart, by the same material, which made a swell at that distance. On each joint were these words in relief, C. CAINTIUS POI HINUS. P., apparently the name of the maker, or of the architect who laid down .the pipes in the time of the Romans. My project of laying pipes along the bottom of the Charente, would not have been half so difficult, PS it had no doubt been to lay them across the Rhone, where this was found. Hence it may be believed, as I now think myself that many things sup- posed to be new, and now for the first time invented, may have been thought of long before, even in remote ages.— Traite de la Construction des Ckemins, p. p. 129-30. PRELIMINARY ESSAY. 63 consisting of stories, each of which is occupied by a separate family, with a stone stair- way in common ; but such is the arrangement and power of the Glasgow works that abundance of water is distributed into every story. A considerable quantity is also sup- plied to fountains, or hydrants, on the side-walks, and in the alleys, or closes. The Cranston Hill Works, made many and costly experiments, as to the best mode of filtering the water, which they, too, drew from the Clyde, and eventually so impaired the capital of the company, that in 1834 they were fain to sell out to the Glasgow Com- pany. The experience thus dearly purchased, was, however, productive of benefit to the community, for the water now supplied, about 3,500,000 gallons daily, is thoroughly filtered. Greenock, which may be called the seaport town of Glasgow, is most prodigally supplied with water, and, like Edinburgh, without the intervention of machinery, being situated at the foot of mountains, from which issue numerous streams. Mr. Thorn, a skilful engineer, in 1824, devised a plan by which he gathered into vast reservoirs various mountain rills, and after passing them through filters, conducted them in great profusion to all parts of the town ; and not only furnished in this way, water for all domestic uses, but enough for the operations of several mills. The filtering reservoirs are 200 feet above the level of the town. The receiving reservoirs are capable of containing 700,000,000 cubic feet. The number of inhabitants of Greenock is 25,000, receiving each two cubic feet, or about fourteen and one-tenth gallons daily. Paris will next occupy our attention — and considering the skill in all departments of engineering, which on all hands is acknowledged to belong to the French, it is remark- able that their capital, and, as it is often called, and really considered, the capital of Europe, is so much behind England in its contrivances for an adequate supply of water. The early supply of this city, like others, having a fresh river running through it, was from that river, and from wells. Nevertheless, as the Romans had constructed an aqueduct at Arcueil, for the supply of Paris, it seemed reasonable to endeavor to restore what Norman fury, in the ninth century, had left of it — accordingly, Henry IV., "Seul Roi dont le peuple ait garde la memoire," in 1609, caused researches to be made for the ancient conduits, but it was soon ascertained that it would be easier to rebuild, than to attempt to repair, and, under the regency of Marie de Medicis, in 1613, the work was undertaken, and completed in 1624, occupying nearly 12 years. The architect was Jacques de Brasses, the same who furnished the design for the Louvre. The quantity of water, however, thus obtained, was so small as scarcely to compensate for the expense of the work. At subsequent periods, additional 64 PRELIMINARY ESSAY. supplies were connected with this aqueduct, and the united streams led to the reservoir at the Observatory in Paris, whence they were distributed to the fountains. Two smaller aqueducts, that of the Pre St. Gervais, and that of Belleville, of ancient, but unascertained date, furnished a small additional supply of water, but it became apparent, as the city grew, that resort must be had to other sources. The Seine was naturally looked to, and a Fleming, in Paris, as a Dutchman had in London, first provided the means of raising the waters of that river above its level. John LintlcBr* proposed to Henry IY., the construction of a pumping machine in the Seine, to be set in motion by the flow of its current, and, being engaged to perform the work, he succeeded in raising the water above the Pont Neuf, and thence, in distributing it to the Louvre, and