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Canal, and now are endeavoring to get Smeaton to come and rectify their Errors. With regard to your Question, whether it is best to make the Schuylkill a part of the Navigation to the back Country, or whether the difficulty of that River, subject to all the Inconveniences of Floods, Ice, &c., will not be greater than the Expense of Digging, Locks, &c., I can only say that here they look on the constant Practicability of a Navigation, allowing Boats to pass and repass at all Times and Seasons, without Hindrance, to be a point of the greatest Importance, and, therefore, they seldom or ever use a River where it can be avoided. Locks in Rivers are subject to many more Accidents than those in still water Canals; and the Carrying away a few Locks by Freshets of Ice, not only creates a great Expense, but interrupts Business for a long time till repairs are made, which may soon be destroyed again, and thus the Carrying on a Course of Business by such a Navigation be discouraged, as subject to frequent interruptions. The Toll, too, must be higher to pay for such Repairs. Rivers are ungovernable things,