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on each side, seven feet broad, for the use
of foot passengers; and, instead of houses
projecting over the river, the sides will be
secured and adorned by an elegant balus-
trade. Like Westminster bridge, it will
be handsomely enlightened with lamps
from sun-setting to sun-rising, and guard-
ed in the night by a number of watch-
men; the expences of both which are
to be defrayed out of the bridge-house
estate.
LONDON BRIDGE WATER WORKS. In the
reign of Queen Elizabeth were erected in
the arches at the south end of this bridge,
mills for grinding corn, in order that the
city might supply the poor with meal, at
a reasonable rate, in a time of scarcity, or
when the price was unjustly raised by ava-
ricious badgers and mealmen. Afterwards,
in the year 1582, Peter Morice, a Dutch-
man, contrived a water engine to supply
the citizens with Thames water: this was,
about fifty years ago, improved by Mr.
Sorocold; and, since that time, by that
great master of hydraulics, Mr. Hadley,
who rendered it far superior to the so
much famed water-engine at Marli in
France; which is so ill contrived in its
cranks, that it is said to cost 25,000l.
sterling per annum to keep it in repair.
This machine was at first made to force
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the water no higher than Gracechurch
street. The first engineer obtained from
the city a lease for 500 years, at the an-
nual rent of 10s. for the use of the
Thames, and one arch, with a place for
fixing his mill upon. The citizens soon
experienced the benefit of this invention,
and granted him a like lease, two years af-
ter, for another arch: by which means he
grew very wealthy; and it continued in
his family, under various improvements,
till the year 1701; when the property was
sold to one Richard Soams, a citizen and
goldsmith. Morice having first, at the
purchaser's request, obtained another lease
of the south arch, for the further im-
provement of the said works, after selling
the whole property thereof for 36,000l.
Mr. Soams, to prevent all disputes with
the citizens, then applied to the city for a
confirmation of his bargain with Mr. Mo-
rice, and obtained a fresh lease from them
for the term unexpired of that gentleman's
lease, at the yearly rent of 20s. and 300l.
fine. After which he divided the whole
property into three hundred shares, at 500l.
each share, and made it a Company.
The wheels placed under the arches are
moved by the common stream of the tide-
water of the river Thames. The axle-
tree of the water wheel is nineteen feet
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