The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-27 00:00:00

" The Co •nmislion of 1840 had already rejected
the. plan of er‘'ting a harbour at the Brake. The
Commission of IS.-.4-4 comes to the same conclusion,
foumded on the gron-nd that a port in such a situa-
h •
already
' vic,teto vessels having
do a could only be of se." narrow part of the Bri-
escaped all the dangers of ~.. ',sving the Thames to
tisir. Channel, or to vessels n. t? these Commis-
Grounding southward.
begin their voyage by a course
io . n
thisaar-
re-
Grounding themselves on these mot.. yes !
th
it' nof h
sioners reject the very expensive propou, ,
hour at the Brake, and they are strangthenea I
solution that the Downs in their present state posiess
an excellent bay. This bay may be said to be contiguous
to Rams gate harbour, which can already contain 400
vessels at the same time ; a port about being rendered
capable of holding 600, if not more. Continuing to ad-
vance from the north towards the south, the Commis-
sioners arrive at the most important situation—at that
which they prefer. It is the situation of Dover, g point
at once the nearest and the most threatening for Fr2nce.
"In my works on the naval and military forces of
Great Britain,* I have pointed out the great importance
of Dover for one and the other of these forces, and the
vast works, whether of the port for trade or for the for-
tifications of this town. Since the publication of my
first descriptions, Dover has become of greater import-
ance, BA being the terminus of the railroad which comes
from London to this port, embranching on sundry other
lines. In two hours' time corps of troops, ships' crews,
ships' st ores and munition, and an entire train or artillery,
may be brought down to Dover from London, Deptford,
Woolee.ch, and Portsmouth. Dover has a dry dock
suitedto the repairing of merchant vessels, a great extent
of large g.ivays,l and extensive warehouses. Besides its
outer basin, the floating basin has an area of more
than six aer,,s superficial measure, and works are going
on for doublinj this extent. There is also a third basin
(called the Peno which might be put into a state for
containing a gre.at number of sloops of war and gun-
brigs—a basin wh:eh is now undergoing considerable
improvements.
"At the time the ~celebrated Mr. Pitt was carrying
on a mortal stuggle betsween England and France, he
strongly wished to form a? -I enclosed roadstead in front
of Dover, and he had plans made, with that s
that view ; the
nd
communicated Ordnance D e Department nttn f'tohuen dcol-inh;l in9
si in n
am now noticing. whose archives,
label' labours I
"Two kinds of objection have* bean started against
resuming the consideration of thes e plat:s. It was con-
tended that the bed of the roadstea.l has A constant ten-
dency to rise, owing to the deposit of a.Aluvicins. 2. That
the anchorage ground was bad. In order to test, this latter
objection Captain Washington superinitended experi-
ments, which have been deemed conclusive, by anchor-
ing in the roadstead a steamer of 500 tons and 120 horsa
power. After having cast anchor in the most imp,lrtant
parts of the roadstead, the whole force of the engines
was made to act on a sufficient length of cable run out.,
without this powerful action havingin any way loosened
the anchor from its hold. No action of the wind on a
vessel without sails could equal a similar impulsion.
This experiment must appear conclusive as to the ex-
cellence of the anchorage in Dover•roads.
"In order to ascertain what is to be apprehended
from the deposits by the waters in front of the present
port of Dover, samples of the water have been taken at
the times of the highest tides, selecting calm weather:--
First Samples of Water, taken July 2, 1844.

Depth of the Foreign sub-
stances
water at the deposited,
point where per cubic
taken. foot.

Feet.

Grains.

I.—At low water at the sur-
face of the 5ea...... ..
2.—At half tide—
At the surface ... ...
At 9 feet below ... ...
3.—At high water—
At the surface ... ..,
At 9 feet below ... ~
At 18 feet below... ..,
4.—At half ebb tide—
At the surface ... ...
At 9 feet below ... .••

42 i 10.21

51 13.20 -..
42 6.00 4`

60 '3.43
51 47./R1
42 11.33

31 •43.3$
42 x,6.92

Foreign bodies in suspension pei
of sea water in front of Dov(
quantity

• cubic foot}..
w, average
.........

N%

" Mr. Philips, the President of the Society ollPAlo-
gical Economy, who was intrusted with making th'ese
analyses, contrasts them with the results of those found
from the Thames, when there were no rain alluvions, and
the waters were limpid.
Quantities of Foreign Bodies in Suspension in the calm
and limpid Water of the Thames.
At Brentford
At Hammersmith 1.83
At Chelsea
Average quantity 2.58
Second Samples of Water outside Dover, on the 17th of
July, 1844.

Total depth
below the
point from
which the
water was
taken.

Foreign
bodies sus-
pended in a
cubic foot
of water.

Time and situation of the water
being taken.

Grains.
10.26

Low water at the surface ......
Half flood tide—

At 9 feet below the surface ...
High water—

51.29

At the surface
At 9 feet below the surface
At 18 feet below the surface
At half ebb tide—
At the surface

60 1 24.10
51 I 22.28
42 I 53.76

51 1 30.95

Examination of the Bodies in Suspension.
Proportions.
52

Sand
Lime with a small quantity of argile and
oxyde of iron
Vegetable substances

" The Commission was not satisfied with these ex-
periments ; it asks for fresh ones, for the purpose of
ascertaining the quantities of substances kept in sus-
pension 'by the running of the tide on the Dover coast,
and liable to be deposited. The Commission asks that
these experiments may be continued for a whole year
under the directions of the Board of Admiralty.. Here
are the conclusions of the Commissioners in favour of
Dover, adopted unanimously, excepting .one dissentient
vote—that of Sir W. Symonds.
" ' Dover at four miles and a half from the Goodwin
Sands, advantageously situated for affording protection
to the navigation of the Straits, is the natural station
for ships of war ; there can be no doubt of its im-
portance in a military point of view. Further, the
construction of a harbour of refuge at this spot is indis-
pensable, in order to give to Dover that efficaciousness as
a naval station necessary to the safety of that part of
the coast, and to protect commerce.'
" Following the English coast from Dover to the'
westward the first projecting land or cape which pre-
sents itself, at a distance of twenty-eight miles, is a
remarkable situation, which attracted the attention of
the Commissioners.

-
" The cape of Dungeness is protected by a fort erected
near the extremity, behind the lighthouse, and by four
batteries at the sides, two to the east and two to the
west. This cape presents a singular conformation of
shingles spread over a space of several miles, stretching
out into the British Channel, and terminated by deep
water, close to both its extremities. This bank, in front
of Dungeness, has considerably advanced into the sea
since the lighthouse was constructed in 1792. At that
period, at low water, the sea was at no more than 100
yards from the tower, whereas it now is at 190 yards,
which is an increased length of 90 yards in half a cen-
tury. The Commissioners recommend that regular
surveys be made in order to ascertain the annual pro-
gression of the bed in front of Dungeness light-
house. The two bays to the east and west of this cape
afford an excellent anchorage. More than 300 sail
of shipping have ridden at anchor at the same time
in the eastern bay, and more than 100 in the western
bay, as the winds caused the one or the other to be
selected for a place of refuge. The only inconvenience
attendant on such a good anchorage is not to have at
hand, as at Dover, Seaford, and Portsmouth, the advan-
tage of an inner port. This inconvenience, added to the
very short distance from Dover, is the reason which has
led the Commissioners not to recommend the construc-
tion of any considerable works at Dungeness. When
nature, rightly say the Commissioners, affords such a
convenient shelter, it will always be a matter for serious
consideration to be satisfied with that which is found to
be well, in order to reserve the means of bestowing on
other places of admitted importance as to situation the
artificial assistance which may give them the capacity of
a safe and sheltered anchorage. These reasons have led
the Commissioners to lay aside any idea of erecting a
breakwater for protecting the anchorage to the east of
Dungeness.
"Starting from the cape of this name, proceeding to
the westward, the coast again recedes, and forms some-
thing of a bow, at the centre of which is the celebrated
situation of Hastings ; at the extremity of the bow or
semicircle is Beachy Head. To the east of this cape is
the Bay of Eastbourne ; to the west are in succession
Seaford and Newhaven. The Bay of Eastbourne is pro-
tected by a series of Martello towers, constructed at the
time of the preparations of England against our expedi-
tion from Boulogne ; they are close to the highest water
line, in order to be the more effectual against a landing,
very feasible in that direction, as was proved not far
from thence by William the Conquerer. In front of
Eastbourne the bed of the sea is very irregular ; sound-
ings were taken with very particular care ; the conse-
quence of which has been to induce the Commissioners to
abandon the idea of erecting a breakwater, which would
cover too confined a space in proportion to the necessary
outlay.
"They turned their attention wholly to the other side
of the cape, on Seaford ; here there is a magnificent
anchorage, which fortunately is at an equal distance
from Dover and Portsmouth. Such is the intermediary
situation at which the Commissioners have not shrunk
from recommending to the Government the erection of
great works. It recommends in a direction from N.N.E.
to S.S.E., a breakwater or jetty, of one nautical mile
in length, and having a rectilinear return at each ex-
tremity, be constructed. This jetty to be constructed
towards the middle in 41 feet water, and something less
at the extremities. Behind this long jetty there would
be more than sufficient water for first class vessels ; and
nearer land there would be an extensive space for mer-
chant vessels of all tonnage. This formidable situation
would threaten, at the same time, all the French ports
comprised between Havre and Boulogne.

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• Travels in Great Britain, Part 1., " Military Strength,"
2 vols. 4to. Part 11., " rival Strength," 2 vol 3. Ito., with
an atlas to each part.