Star.
London, England, 1828-12-24 00:00:00

'TO THE EDrfOR THE .S'T'AR.
S. Clarensont-squue, 24th Dee. WS;
Sta—The Duke of Wellington haying given permis-
sion, and earnestly recommended me to publish the
inclosed for public benefit. I send it for insertion in
your Muni& If yet& give it an early place, Iswillsend
to you, in another communication, a short description
of my plan for constructing sea-walls, piers, and break-
waters.
I am, your most obedient humble servant.
DAVID GORDON.
" a, Claremont-square, lath June, IBM
" MT LORD—There can be no doubt that the ern-
ploymbnt of the labouring poor in Great Britain and
Ireland, and more especially in the latter country, is a
subject which engages much of your Grace's attention.
The encouragement of emigration, and the cultivation
of waste lands. seem to be the two modes which are
generally looked to as most su:table for palliating at
least the distress of the poor. I humbly, but most con-
fidently believe, that there is a third mode superior to
either, which might be immediately availed of, and
which would both add to the riches of the country, and
give employment to hundred of thousands of labourers:
That mode is t t employ the active industrious poor, in
gaining from the sea those immense tracts of inundated
land, which is to •be found in Ireland from Lough
Larne to Cork; and in England, from the Humber to
the Downs—in the British Channel, and on the coast of
Cheshire and Lancashire, &c &c. &c.
• " At' the estuaries of the rivers, especially where
large towns are situated, the land gained wtuld be of
the very richest kind; and as an evidence of the extent,
I may mention, that almost the whole of Lough
Strangford could be, at mill expense, gained ; and the
Maplin.Sand alone, at the month of the Thames, would
!anthill upwards of 45 000 acres of the richealand in
the kingdom. Taking this at 501. per acre (and such
land would 'be w.'rth 1001. per acre), this spot itself
would add 2250.0001. to the capital of the nation, for
a-comparatively small outlay, besides improving the
navigation of tie river, and giving employment for a
considerable period to all the industrious pour in Kent,
&Sex, and Suffolk.
,4 The importance of gaining land at the estuaries of
rivers, especially when large towns are situated there-
on. seems very much to have escaped the attention of
mankind. Upon that subject the following is
submitteJ:
si Ad rivers are constantly carrying a portion of the
most particles of the earth into the ocean. When
tillage is adopted, the quanrnity of these most valuable
particles, which are carried away by every shower, is
.vastly irtetersyd-t-so that if means are not constantly
employed to bring them back, or supply other nourish-
, ing particles, the country around the greatest cities be-
comes a desert. The adoption of common sewers, and
the i 'Creasing cleanliness and comforts in all the do-
mestic arrangements in London and other great 'cities,
now hurries off to the ocean immense quantities of the
most valuable mauure, ninety-nine husidreiftris r f
which might be easily preserved to fertilize the low
lords. by - means. of the. tee walls and embankments
which I rropose at the estuaries of the rivers.
On the subject of *constructing sea walls I feel
-much confidence, because I have for upwards of twenty
sears been making ob,eivations relative thereto, in va-
rious parts of the world, where the sea acts with the
greatest.violence. lam convinced that such stroctures
have hitherto been • made at vastly more expense than
war:necessary; and in a manner which neither •reniers
them so secure nor permanent as.they might easily be

. I ,

"It would require drawings; Mut Ockapy_ ton much
4 pcsuciiiirace's time, for me-to detail fully • feie my
plans; but it your Grace shall entertain the,inbject. and
will order two cart loads of broken stone, such as is now
used.for the public roads, to be placed in any outhouse,
(le empty room, I will, in a few bows. con,truct
model, which, with some explanatiOn, will convince
your Grace, that sea walls. piers, or breaksiaters, may
be constructed at vastly less expense than has hitherto
'sten the ease. and which, without any rep,in mutt,
unless destroyed bx human agency, or a convulsiob of
native, he as durable as the material cf which they are
composed. The sea, however violently impelled, must
be quite innocuous against such structures.
" That I am right, both in theory and practice, I asi
certain I can convince your Grace, or any person, eV.
rcpt an engineer wedded to the Aid system, withoit
knowing why.
My system is not alone applicable to embankments
to gain land from the sea, but would be equally effec.
mural to protect the coasts from encroachment, which
generally might be done at little more expense than the
cog of a park wall.. By means- thereof, the bars 'at "all
the harbours in the kingdom might be removed, and
• made accessible at all times of the tide. and new hat.
btAr it-formed whet: ve- r there is good ancboragi ground.
• • " Beside examining the sea charts of all the barbours
in the kinking°, I have personally inspected man* 'sit
them, to. see how far they could be improved, and'
orirAng ,he latter I may state
44 That in Belfast Bay a large extent of land might
,lse gamed, and the navigation of the river vastly ins.
,roved.

That _by projecting two piers beyond the Pigeon
'Hoiose at Dublin into the deep water of the Bay, ships
might enter at all times of the tide. If from these two
piers two $llll walls were carded north and south to the
shores, ass extent of ground, enriched by the common
,nyer+, would be gained, which would infinitely more
thin repay the expense.
" That Shoreham harbour might be made accessible
at all time. of the tide.

is That Newhaven might be made equally-so.
g‘ That t Hythe an excellent harbour might be
made, and, in consequence of the abundance of suitable,
,styne in the vicinity, at away moderate expense. Con-
necting the harbour with the great military canal, and
also 'with a rail toad or canal to join the Medway,
%vapid be p vast improvement to the south of England;
le That Ftilkstone,. Dover, 'and Ramsgate harbours
'might he made accessible at all times of the tide.
se That Yarmouth might be made a grand and secure
harbour.
arThat Filey Par might be made an extensive and
'valuable shelar fur colliers in easterly gales.
el That Scarborough might be 'made a secure titian
harbour.

" That Leith might be made accessible at all time;
of the tide; and .
14 That the great port of Liverpool might
•also be
made accessible at all times of the tide to the largest
merchant vessels ; and thereby save every year many
lives and a great value in property. • •
" I will be happy to wait upon your Grace at any
time which may be appointed, and when I have no
doubt I could furnish every explanation which might
be desired.
" I have the Mow to be,
" Your. Gram 'a most obedlmt,
" And "respeethil humble servant,
(Signed) " DAVID GORDON."
V To his Grace the Duke of Welikigtoo, be. ate."