feet in it.

Catches or clicks are let into these posts, to hold the gates open when thrown back; these catches project about two inches from the side of the posts, and turn on a pin within the post, the inner end of the catch being made heavier than the outer, and always throws that end up, and by that means it takes hold of the bottom of the lower bar of the gate, by a notch cut in it for that purpose: by making the catches in this way, they are out of the reach of injury. In the common way they are put on the top of the posts, from which they project six or seven inches; in consequence of which they are frequently torn off by wheels of carriages and waggons.

LAMPS.

All toll-gates should be well lighted; and for this purpose nothing is better than a lamp made similar to the best coach lamp, with powerful reflectors, and large air holes. The gates at Coventry, and most of those in North Wales, are lighted by lamps of this description, which are found to be economical, and to answer every purpose. These lamps are about nine inches high, and six inches wide in the clear; they cost about 11. 7s. each.

MILESTONES.

Milestones are convenient and agreeable to travellers, and also useful in enabling coachmen to keep their time with accuracy. They are also serviceable in assisting road surveyors in laying out and measuring work. They should be made of very hard stone of a light colour; and they should be much larger than they usually are, in order that they may be readily seen, and have space enough for having on them large figures; for unless the figures are large it is difficult to read them, when going very fast. A drawing of a proper-shaped milestone, as used on the Holyhead Road in North Wales, is given in Plate V. Fig. 4.

CHAP. VIII.

MANAGEMENT OF ROAD WORKS.

WHEN a new road is to be made, as soon as the precise line of it is finally determined upon, the following circumstances should be particularly attended to.

I. Drawings to show, 1st, the natural surface of the ground; 2nd, the longitudinal inclinations of the proposed road; 3d, the slopes of the cuttings and embankments; 4th, the form of the bed of the road, and footpath; and 5th, the courses of materials to be laid on, and the thickness of each course.

Drawings should also be made, describing the plans of the bridges, culverts, cross drains, inlets, outlets, depôts, and fences which are required to be made.

II. A specification should be prepared, to explain in detail the precise method of executing every part of the work.

III. After the specification has been settled, an estimate should be made of the expense to be incurred.

The following is the estimate for making part of the Holyhead Road, near Coventry:

The stones used for this road were brought eight miles

from the quarries at Hartshill near Nuneaton.

IV. The next step to be taken, is to make a contract for executing the work.

Contract work is commonly supposed to be preferable to other work, for no other reason than because it is the cheapest, but experience shows that, when it is properly regulated, it is by far the best mode of securing sound and durable work. This, however, will not be the case if the contracts and specifications are prepared by unskilful and inexperienced persons, if inspection is omitted, and if the contractors are driven by excess of competition to make bad bargains.

But if the plans, specifications, and estimates for making a road are properly prepared, then the most safe and satisfactory way of having the work properly executed will be by letting it to

a contractor.

As there is no difficulty in making an accurate estimate of the sum which a new road ought to cost, if a contractor of established reputation for skill and integrity, and possessing sufficient capital, is willing to undertake the work for the estimated sum, it will always be decidedly better to make an agreement with him than to advertise for tenders.

If a contractor cannot be got, possessing the qualifications which he ought to have to justify a private arrangement, then an advertisement