The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-04-07
AC 0SS ENGLAND BY BOAT.
a Water Trip TO the Uninitiatcd Seems
ImpOs>ib.c,


You can row a boat clean through Eng.
land from side to side # you think it
would amuse you. l know, because /
have done H. IL is possible to start from
the sea, either east or west. and float
across to the opposite coast without doing
an inch of the journey on foot.
The shortest way is 10 start In the River
Severn. where the water is salt. at Sharp
ness. and get into the Thames and Severn
Canal through the FIRST lock. That lock
IS only a foretaste, for there are about
300 TO 20 through before you get 10 Ted
ding,on. which is the last In TACT, the
whole journey IS a series OF little spurts.
from lock TO lock- and most of the time
is used up in waiting for the gates TO
open.
The Inhabitants are proud OF the locks.
and add insult TO injury by making you
pay for them. A pass through the cana
costs ] pound, and YOU can save a second
] pound by hauling your boat over rollers
instead OF going through the locks. But
that wouldn't be voyaging by boat-one
ought TO pole or paddle the whole way,
and the passage through all the canal
locks costs another / pound. The best
thing 90 go through in is a canoe. and
Chapman. the great canOeist. did the jour
ney in three days. But there is no need
TO rush az il. II is a good and cheap way
OF spending a holiday. You can camp out
or sleep az inns ashore. and il can be done
comfortably in ten days.
The canal and upper part Of the Thames
are badly chOked with weeds-so badly
that a heavy boat cannot pass through.
There was a time when We had no weeds,
but one day an enterprising person VINO
had been TO the United States happened
g. fn nf
American river To this bit Of wood were
attached some seeds Of the American
riyer-weed. and this tiny morsel OF tim
Der has cost the country millions or
pounds I'm dredging tho weeds clear. and
will cost millions more About 5000
pounds year Is the cost now. several
canals have been choked mp and deserted
through this cause. for there is nothing
10 check the growth of the weed here. IL
Is another case Of the Australian rabbits.
Ducks and other water fowl have carried
the seeds from river 20 river. cNnglnS 10
their feet. and so the waterways OF the
kingdom have been blocked mp.
ANYBODY who wishes 10 undertake
VOYAGE OF peril can take passage on a
barge and brave the deep with an the
confidence he has got. There IS certain
amount Of shipwreck and loss OF Hle
through catastrophe In the locks ana IL
Is as we'll not 10 get a canoe squeezed pc
tween two loaded lighters. as she Is Ia
bic 10 be crushed TN like an egg Even
barges are sometimes sunk. and a lock
Is an awkkard place 20 get out or eS-
pecially II there Is nobody ABOUT Inc
canal goes as straight as may ne 10
Tochiado. The Thames flows or craw.s.
ALONGSIDE for some way. but Lechlaue
is tho first place where "a boat can be
0orfad. and the last lock of the canal is
here There are wers To shoot, AT some
little risk. every here and there. unless
one takes the locks beside them lnsteau'
II is a species OF Nile travel and IN WIN
ter YOU might imagine 81 as sort OF
Yukon rapid-shooting. An Imagination Is
a help.
once the Thames Is reached II IS an
plain sailing or. rather, wedding TOT ,iie
weeds are so thick IL Is only tust possible
IN nush tho boat along here and there
with the oars. After one or TWO locks
have been passed Il gets better. ana the
rest Of the way-through Henley, Maiden
head and Windsor-is fair going ana
pretty well known. This Is the part
where inn accommodation Is not so op-
tainable. for in decent weather every
room IS taken in the lower reaches.
The cheerful explorer can paddle ami.
ably through the best known reaches on
the river and when he gets TO LONDON ne
will have the tides 10 count for and the
Thames sea: for "A very respectaple sea
can arise on the Thames at London II a
strong wind is blowing ganst the tide
But London isn't the end. and the worst
part Of the whole Journey Is between
Battersea and the More Lightship. when
you can fairly claim to have padaled
through England from one end TO the
other. The tides and winds are powerful
about the Thames estuary. and canoelst
has 10 keep a very careful eye on tle
steamers which rush up and down Tor
they send mp "A backwash in the mario"
water way that will swamp bigger craft
than a canoe. However. the voyager can
creep along close inshore. by the edge or
the rather dismal mudbanks that line the
river. Padding with the tide is like pad
ding down q mlll-race. Padding against
the tide Is like padding up one. There
are places everywhere where one can stay
the night but q camping outnt Il the
best way In summer. and cheaper than
any kind OF travel under the sun.
The voyager would have to take care
no didn't take n wrong turning among the
canals and rivers. or he might
lose himeslf altogether. ana as
cover after a fortnights weary
paddling that he was In No''huin-
herland. or some such place. II - pVss'-
HE 10 go right up TO Manchester by water
from London or from Bristol. and back
bv way Of the east coast canals. II mas
been done once or twice. too. But the
tourney through the black country canals
ls ANYTHING but a voyage OF pleasure. ana
nobody would care to spend his holdays
that wav. The water is the color OF INK
and the banks for miles are Without any
kind OF vegetation.
There is another way from the W.
coast to London. and that Is ,hrousn
Bristol. joining the Thames AT heaul,s.
But this Is longer. and mas n'orr IN.
in II The hest way is through the Thames
and Severn Canal. and week Will do It
easily.-Answers.