The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

172
THE BRITISH ISLES.
in fertilising tte lowlands along both banks of the Thames, and in converting
unproductive mud-flats into rich pasture-grounds. Experiments made on various
occasions have demonstrated that London gets rid at a considerable expense, and
throws into the sea, an element of agricultural wealth equal in value to the annual
produce of 7,600,000 acres.* Surely the example set by Paris, Danzig, Edinburgh,
Coventry, and many other towns ought not to have been lost upon London ; but
no plan for utilising its sewage has hitherto been carried out efi'ectually.
In the distribution of pure water the authorities of London have been no more
successful than in the removal of the sewage, and in both respects they might
Fig. 90.
—
The Loxdon Seweks.
Scale 1 :
^
250,000.
//waltliamstowi, C
BarkingJ
have advantageously followed the example of Paris. An enormous capital has
been expended in the construction of aqueducts, reservoirs, filtering beds, and other
appliances. The water companies, who draw most of their supplies from the
Thames, have grown rich and powerful, and they have hitherto successfully resisted
the introduction of every improvement. t The first water supply of London on a
large scale was devised by Peter Morrys, a German, who put up a water-wheel
under one of the arches of London Bridge. This wheel was set in motion by the
• J. J. Mechi, Times, September 27th, 1878.
t Their capital amounts to £12,000,000 ; their annual expenditure to £.520,000 ; their income to
i;i,327,300. They supply 121,000,000 gallons daily, heing at the rate of 28 gallons per head of the
population.