Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/148

126 at the foot of that celebrated Mountain Ben Nevis, which rises 4,370 feet above the level of the sea. From hence its course is nearly in a straight direction, north-eastwardly, through Lochs Lochy, Ness, Doughfour, to Clacknacarry Basin in Loch Beauly, where it enters the Murray Firth, on the west side of the town of Inverness. Its total length is sixty miles and a half, and the following are the particulars of the lengths of the several cuts and locks, extracted from a document ordered by the Honourable the House of Commons, on the 1st of June, 1821.

Of this, twenty-three miles and eight chains are artificially formed,and the remaining thirty-seven miles, three furlongs and two chains, are natural locks or lakes, which have been made navigable.

There are twenty-eight locks upon this navigation, viz:— from Loch Eil to Loch Lochy, twelve locks; and two more to the summit level at Loch Oich; from hence are seven locks to Fort Augustus, at the west end of Loch Ness; and seven from the end of the last-mentioned loch to the sea, at Loch Beauly, above low water of which, the summit level is only 91 feet.

The first act relating to this grand national undertaking occurs in the 43rd George III. and is entitled,  'An Act for granting to his Majesty the Sum of £20,000, towards defraying the Expense of