The Sun.
London, England, 1805-10-11 00:00:00

CROYDO N CANAL.

A Gentleman who is conversant in Natural His-
tory, having a few days ago viewed the Works that
are going ou upqn this Canal, has favoured us with
the following curious particulars :

The beginning of the digging at, present in hand.is
about one hundred yards below the Deptford and
,Greenwich Road, under which it is intended to pass
by a bridge_ that is not yet. begun, about five fare
longs from Deptford Town's end. This part of the
cutting is in a reddish-yellow clay, and the same
Continues across the road, and up the close for a
small distance towards.Plow-garlick-hill, theaa thin
stratum of thin broken oyster-like shells:are to be
seen 'cropping out in the , new cutting; above this
a thick stratum of clay occur, of nearly the same
kind ; then a thick stratum:of very dark blue clay is
seen, interspersed with a few. small specimens of py, "
ritic wood, and plenty of selenite. Some of the,crys-
tals of these ,are very well formed, and beautifully
embedded in each other, - One .single rhomboidal
crystal, obtained from the cutting in this place,
weighed near a pound. , Upoti this blue and sele,
nitic clay, eight ortea feet thick of a reddish clay
occurs, forming the top of the eminence, Called
Plow-garlic-hill ; from the top of which the ground
deClines towards the South East, and the Canal pure 4
sues its level by a course nearly .therein, across a
large field and through an,old- and wide lane; at the
end, of which there is a small old wooden cottage.
Shortly after passing this cottage the ground begins
to rise up towards Brockley Green, and the first
thing observable in the neivly-cut banks is ,a curious •
gram,' of a yard thick er.more, consisting entirely
of, sMall bivalve shells and long slender screw
shells : these " are 'in very good preservation, but
the grater part of them are broken. Most of the
Nv4iale bivalves have the two shells adhering toge-
ther and closed. Some thin veins of these broken
shells exhibit a beautiful example of the process_ of
nature it) the fonnaticin of limestone ; and
.several
lamps, although no harder than gingerbread, have
the appearance and fruanre of compaCt Shelly lime-
Stone so cxaaly, that, in a cabinet, where it could
be seen, but not touched, it might deceive almoSt
eVety ow: in' thinkingit to be real stone.. Vol! 80 or
100 yards timber, the tanks of the Canal are almost
entirely 6aned of these shells, and through which,
as w as the stratum itself, the water will hereafter
leak in.large quantities, if, this part of the Canal' is
not most carefully lined with puddle. In ascending.
the bill it appears that a stratum of reddish course ,
Sand, of several 'feet thick, 'crops out above ;hese
shells, then a clay pf -considerable thickness is seen;
and then a slight spring of mineral water very high-
ly charged with iron,, as appears by its ochry de-
posit.' This was apprehended to proceed fron> a
layer of hafts kelmantii; but owing to an old pond
throuebb. :which the Canal has been here due-, and
~
which i has so coMpleteiy slipped in; 'the truth 'of
this-Could not be .asce::teined. This old pond had a-
considerable thickecis of peat. formed in its but
tom ; Thud - the same 'Was observed 'in another
old potkl, 'in the Clay, a few,- yards higher up
the itill ; but there -was no appearance of ochry-
water. Above this clay is a stratum of very fine
clay, with the 'appearance and fruaure,
,when dry,
of fullers earth, but abounding with minute, and
sheaving specks of mica. Above this micacious clay,
there, is a thick stratum of yellow loamy clay, Or
, brick"earth, ' ThiS thick ,stratum of -yellow clay-is
succeeded by two layers, one about a yard above
the other, Of large . and- curious bidus heb4antii,: or
clay-ball, very compaet, containing 'but few sep-
tana,. and those 1116 AV-close filled with w ax-colour-
ed. spar; but on the sides of some of these sparring
joints but partly filled ; pointed • and small crystal's
were so, thickly and uniformly set all over the sue-
face, as to give the appearance of a rich piece 'of vel-
vet. About five or six feet of a reddish crumbling
clay succeeds upon these layers of holui- heimanrn,
lied this forms the surface of the land for many miles
southward,- as appears by the cutting of'the Canal
all the way :front Brockley-green to the town .of
Sydenharn ; far, although . this part, from being
now- filled with . water, and in use, the. clay-basis
cannot be seen in the bottomef the Canal, yet the
new made bricks are all the way scattered with their
fragments, and sufficiently prove their regularity and
continuance. :

This Canal is in use for conveying brteks, timber,
and other materials for the works, from within a few,
miles of the town of Croydon`to $ Brockley-green.
On Sydenham Common, near the London Road, is a
new reservoir, whose head has lately been inadeup
so as to contain ten or fifteen acres extent of water,
which is brought by a ditch or carriage out Of the
adjoining valley: that crosses the road to town, 'After
passing Sydettham Common, on the bank of the Ca-
nal, towards Deptford, the same`enters a large wood,
and passes through the same for`near three quarters
of a mile, presenting the most rich and
,delightful
scenery, with fine views, at intervals, of the new and
elegant houses on Forest Hill, that rise. diretily up
from the Canal. Several of the paddocks belenging
to these housekt are extended down to the Canal
and fitncy boat-houses find pleasure .houses have been
built on the banks of the Canal, so as to render a
wall, along it truly-delightful. At the termination
of this wood is a curious lock, that can be used as A
double fall or a single one, according as the supply
of water, or expedition of the trade, -may render it
advisable; it consists of two locks, so joined loge-
titer, that the middle gateS, which are of great
height, -answer tbr both of the locks. After descend-
ing several locks of the common construetion, but
well built and exceedingly water-tight, we arrive at
the present termination of the water, near Brockley-
green then, in descending the hill; several locks
and lengths of the Canal are nearly finished, and
other locks, further on, are in every stage of their
progross, from the laying of the foundations to the
completion of the walls a sight truly gratifying to
any one who is'curious in works of this art, The
Canal is in less forwardness daring the remainder of
the descent of the hill from Brockley ; at the bat-.
tom of this, and forwards, to near the top of Plow.'
aarlick-bill, the Canal is nearly finished. On the"
top of this hill the Canal is to he ent a great depth, a'
pirt•only of which is yet performed. As -soon as
you begin to descend towards the Greenwich Road,
several other locks :are in hand, some ,of whosel.

ii;Urldationi au just laid, and others have their walls
alum:A built the deep cutting and immense banks

of clay winch have ,been wheeled nut on the slope of
this-hill have a very singular appearance.
The Croydon' Canal, which AM have. been desciih-
jug, is intended to enter the Grand Surrey Canal,
about a mile below the'Greenwich Road, from which
place, to Wilkinion's Gun Wharf;' at Ratherhithe,
where it is intended to join the.Riva)Thames,s this
Canal. is . nearly completed,;, ready for. filling,
having tWo very large bridges over it; but the other
way, towards VaMthall Creek,`by CuMberland 'Gar-
dens, where this Canal is intended to comic& again
with the Thames, the works seem at ,a total stand.,
for want, of money„ we believe ; for. about; three
quarters of a mile West of Peckham' 'Gap, where
it is
.to cross the -Gteenwich`Road;: thi4 Canal wai
begun, and seemed very fast proceeding, atiout two
years ago,, but since that. period
.not the least pro-
gress is to.be-dhieernect 'in the digging.
The "completien of. this' Canal would doubtless
prove ,of the um-1(M advantage' tolhis loiv..;aud :net
gloaed environ of the MetropoM; .but it is not so
clear tliat '.ll-te' trade thereon will be sufficient to
make an immediate return to the ,Proprietors of the
Canal, though ultimately this will certainly be the
case, when the., lands between Veckhaty and the
River Thames are improved.andmore built Upon, as
must happen in i few 'years after this Canal is com-
pleted, froM the facility which this will give to trade.