The minimum width of the canal at the bottom is 120 feet, its depth 26 feet. But for several miles below Manchester this width will be increased, so that ships may be moored along the sides, and yet sufficient space left for the up and down lines of traffic in the middle. In this way, works and manufactories on the banks will be able to load and unload their cargoes at their own doors, and it may be expected that the advantages so offered will cause the banks of the canal to be much in request for the sites of works of all kinds. At the several places where the locks are placed there will be a smaller and a larger one, side by side, so that water shall not be needlessly used in passing a moderate sized vessel through the greater locks. As these last are 550 feet long and 60 feet wide, they are capable of receiving the largest ships, whilst the smaller locks are 300 feet long and 40 feet wide. Again, both the larger and the smaller are provided with gates in the middle, so that only half their length may be used when that is found sufficient. Coming down the canal from Manchester, the first set of locks will be at Barton, about three miles distance, just below the place where the Bridgewater Canal is carried across the Irwell, which is now to become the ship canal, by means of the aqueduct of 1760, by which Brindley became so famous. There is a story told about Brindley being desirous of satisfying the duke about the practicability of his plan, and requesting the confirmatory opinion of another engineer. When, however, this gentleman was taken to the place where it was proposed to construct the aqueduct, he shook his head, and said that he had often heard of castles in the air, but had never before been shown where any of them were to be erected. This aqueduct is about 600 feet long, and the central one of its three arches spans the river at a height of nearly 40 feet above the water. But the Manchester Ship Canal requires a clear headway of 75 feet, and Mr. Williams is going to replace the fixed stone structure by a swinging aqueduct, or trough of iron, which can be turned round, so as to give a clear passage for ships in his canal. This trough, or great iron box, will have gates at each end, and gates will be provided in the aqueduct at each side, so that no water will be lost when the water bridge is turned aside. But more than this; hydraulic lifts have been designed, so that, in a few minutes, vessels can be lowered from the Bridgewater Canal into the Manchester Canal, or raised from the latter into the former while still floating in water. The supply of water for the canal will be ample, as it has the rivers Irwell, Mersey and Bollin, with their tributary streams, to draw from. It should be mentioned that the terminal locks at Eastham will be of somewhat larger dimensions than those already referred to, and will be three in number. The largest, which is on the south or landward side,