achinery of the jack for opening them. They were more
easily opened, but very subject to be deranged, however strongly
made. They returned, therefore, to the original wooden screw, which is
excessively slow and laborious. I calculate that five minutes are lost
at every basin by this screw, which, on the whole number of basins, is
one eighth of the time necessary to navigate the canal: and of course,
if a method of lifting the gate at one stroke could be found, it would
reduce the passage from eight to seven days, and the freight equally.
I suggested to Monsieur Pin and others a quadrantal gate, turning on a
pivot, and lifted by a lever like a pump-handle, aided by a windlass and
cord, if necessary. He will try it, and inform me of the success. The
price of transportation from Cette to Bordeaux, through the canal and
Garonne is ------ the quintal: round by the straits of Gibraltar is
------. Two hundred and forty barks, the largest of twenty-two hundred
quintals (or say, in general, of one hundred tons), suffice to perform
the business of this canal, which is stationary, having neither
increased nor diminished for many years. When pressed, they can pass and
repass between Toulouse and Beziers in fourteen days; but sixteen is the
common period. The canal is navigated ten and a half months of the year:
the other month and a half being necessary to lay it dry, cleanse it,
and repair the works. This is done in July and August, when there would
perhaps be a want of water.

May 21. _Baziege. Toulouse_. The country continues hilly, but very rich.
It is in mulberries, willows, some vines, corn, maize, pasture, beans,
flax. A great number of chateaux and good houses in the neighborhood
of the canal. The people partly in farm-houses, partly in villages.
I suspect that the farm-houses are occupied by the farmers, while the
laborers (who are mostly by the day) reside in the villages. Neither
strawberries nor pease yet at Baziege or Toulouse. Near the latter are
some fields of yellow clover.

At Toulouse the canal ends. It has four communications with the
Mediterranean. 1. Through the ponds of Thau, Frontignan, Palavas,
Maguelone, and Manjo, the _canal de la Radela Aigues-mortes, le canal
des Salines de Pecair,_ and the arm of the Rhone called _Bras de Fer_,
which ends at Fourgues, opposite to Arles, and thence down the Rhone. 2.
At Cette, by a canal of a few hundred _toises_, leading out of the Etang
de Thau into the sea. The vesse