Document 29, p 2
| facts & Materials, on which he established his plan of Operations | ||||
| A Great Mind is often deceived by its own Virtues. Habituated to give on all Occasions | ||||
| the genuine & honest Productions of its faculties, it often relies too much, & implicitly, on that | ||||
| which appears to be the same of other Persons. | ||||
| The Existence of a Sand below, & a supposed hardness & concretion of 5 feet, or any | ||||
| such measure of the upper parts, seems to have precipitately & fatally determined the | ||||
| Plan of Operations, at first setting off, & appears to be equally the Cause of the present | ||||
| precipitate Opinion, for abandoning the Proposition as Impracticable. | ||||
| Art furnishes the Means, I humbly presume, of going to a sufficient depth with | ||||
| all the foundations & that too, on the spot, notwithstanding the Damage which this | ||||
| Scite* has received | ||||
| To compare the Eligibility of this Situation, with that of any other near to | ||||
| Hexham, & the Direction of the Alemouth Road, is perhaps useless to discuss at present, | ||||
| But in my Opinion if nothing had hitherto been done (as too much has unfortunately | ||||
| been done) I wod have recommended a place of deep Water, & fixed elevated Banks, like | ||||
| to that opposite to the West End of the Dwarf Wall of the Spital Green within Mr. Wastells | ||||
| Inclosures. | ||||
| To enable me to form the Opinions which I have now the Honor to report to you, | ||||
| I have seen, & examined all Mr. Smeaton's Papers, I have heard all the particulars & | ||||
| History of his proceedings, & Motives for the Method of Operations, which he adopted: I | ||||
| have examined every part of the Works, & many Persons concerned, & employed in the | ||||
| detail of its Execution; and it was my Lot to pass here in August 1778 when I viewed | ||||
| the Effects then produced in those very foundations, by Floods previous to that time | ||||
| making for my own Instruction, Minutes of what then I saw. – I mention those things, | ||||
| to enable you to Judge, of that Reliance, you & all other parties, interested in this Business, | ||||
| may be pleased to give to the Opinions & Report which is made | ||||
| by your most obedient | ||||
| And very humble Servant | ||||
| Robert Mylne | ||||
Note: Report from Robert Mylne to Northumberland Magistrates, p 2
Abbreviations are underlined like this Wm. and the expansion may be seen by moving the cursor over it.
| An entry outlined like this has a note which may be seen by hovering over it. |
Transcribed by KS and PF