The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-26 00:00:00

ANOTHER DISTRICT TO BE

ADDED TO ENGLAND.

A great estuary, called the Wash, separates Norfolk
from Lincoln on the sea-coast. Stimulated by the
quantities of land formerly gained from the sea in the
same neighbourhood, it is now proposed to form a Com-
pany to recover 150,000 acres, partly on the Lincoln
and partly on the Norfolk coast. In this neighbour-
hood the Rivers Ouse, Nene, Welland, and Witham,
discharge their waters into the German Ocean. This
prospectus states—
" The measure now in contemplation was suggested
by the success which has already attended several other
works of a similar nature upon the adjoining coasts, by
which many thousand acres have been rescued from the
overflowing of the sea, and converted into arable and
pasture lands of excellent quality.
" Not to mention the Embankment of the River
Nene below Wisbeach, and the valuable land, now under
enitivation, which a few years ago formed the channel
of the Ouse above Lynn, and other works of a recent
date and upon a more limited scale, it is known that the
rich and extensive alluvial plains of marsh land in Nor-
folk, and those in the adjoining county of Lincoln, were
formerly a part of the same Estuary, and have been re-
claimed by embankments, commencing in the time of
the Romans. These instances are considered as afford-
ing the most satisfactory assurances of the practicability
of the present undertaking, and of the extraordinary
fertility and value of the soil which might be thereby
added to the territory and agricultural resources of the
empire.
" Stimulated by the encouragement derived from
these sources, and deeply impressed by the inestimable
national and private benefits which would accrue from
the accomplishment of this magnificent enterprise, the
promoters have caused Surveys to be made, anil
also Plans and Estimates to be prepared, by Sir John
Rennie and other competent persons, for the purpos
of ascertaining the practicability of the work, the ex-
pense of carrying it into execution, the time required
for its completion, and, especially whether the value of
the land, when recovered, would be sufficient to yield
an adequate return for the capital expended.
" The result of these inquiries has more than rea-
lized the most sanguine anticipations of the promoters.
It appears by the Report of Sir John Rennie, that the
whole quantity of recoverable land consists of 200,000
acres, of which the greater part of 150,000 acres may
be recovered at the cost of 121. per acre ; whilst the
remainder, being at a greater distance from the land,
will require an outlay of from 141. to 151. per acre. It
has also been satisfactorily shown by the reports of land
valuers of great local knowledge and experience, that
the average value of the fee-simple of the land, when
recovered, cannot be estimated at less than 40/. per acre.
" In regard to the time of completion, it is necessary
to state that it is not intended to proceed to an imme-
diate embankment of the land ; the very eminent engi-
neer under whose superintendence the works will be
executed, has clearly demonstrated the inexpedience of
excluding the sea-water before the land has been
warped, or covered with a certain quantity of alluvial
deposit ; for, independently of the benefits to be (lc-
rived from raising the surface to a higher level, it
obvious, that the fertility and consequent value of the
land recovered, must necessarily depend upon the qua: -
tity of alluvial matter with which it is covered.
" To those who are unacquainted with the subject
warping, it may, perhaps, appear to be a long and i:•-
dious process. It is true that, in general, the accumu-
lation of alluvial deposit, where it is left, to the unaid
operations of nature, advances very slowly ; but wh-1
it is assisted by judicious artificial means, it proceee
with a rapidity scarcely to be credited by those uLo
have not had an opportunity of witnessing its pregr-: .
Still it is evident, that the successful result, even of
most approved and scientific methods of warping, n -,t
depend upon the quantity of alluvion which can be mai. •
available for that purpose. Now it is well known t,h. t
the Estuary called the Wash abounds with, or, tec:lrq-
cally speaking, holds in suspension, a very large proper.
tion of rich alluvial matter ; and it has been ascertained
by repeated experiments, that a quantity sufficient . o
cover the whole of the 150,000 acres proposed to
recovered, may be procured within a comparati:P'y
short period of time. It is important to observe t. 13;, ,
out of these 150,000 acres, about 90,000 acres
at the present time, left wholly uncovered by the sea
low water.

" OLD CHANNEL OF THE OUSE.

" Since the opening of the Eau Brink Cut,
took place about 17 years ago, 800 acres of this
have been warped up by natural means to the ente.t
of from 9.5 to 35 feet. The greater part of the 800
fr cline i“:1L1 z
from the time of the opening of the Cut. The whoic
800 acres were in a state fit for embankment, and
have been recovered ten years ago. The land now
for 21. per acre ; and it is worth from 301. to 701. vq-
acre according to its respective stages of improveme,,t.