on the line, would render a railroad useless, as to speed and carriage of heavy loads, with very considerable extra cutting on the line.
The second line is from London to Brighton and Shoreham, projected by Messrs. Rennie, civil engineers, to commence at Kensington Common, and run from thence to Tooting and Mitcham Commons, to Carshalton; thence between Merstham and Reigate, by Horley, and Crawley, and Hand Cross, to Brighton; and from Brighton to Shoreham. The summit of this line is about 500 feet above the tide at London Bridge. Distance on the line about fifty miles to Brighton, and six to Shoreham, making together fifty-six miles. The first ten miles is an excellent progressive level, and firm ground; but the rise and fall of that line of country from Carshalton to Brighton appear to be impracticable for the construction of a railroad, for travelling or the carrying of goods, or any other useful purpose, which I understand Messrs. Rennie purpose to obviate, by constructing four tunnels under the four high summits, on their projected line, to save distance, and the passing over hills from 700 to 800 feet high; by their section, the length of tunnels together will be about ten miles on the line to be cut throughout, an under strata of chalk, freestone, loam, clay, sandstone, and gravel, in some places, 200 to 300 feet below the surface of the country, besides considerable extra cutting on the line, and the enormous expense of the tunnels. The tunneling would, no doubt, tap the Great Surrey and Sussex springs, which rise above the level of the projected tunnels, which springs form the heads of the rivers Mole, Wey, Arran, Adur, Medway, and Derwent. All these rivers take their course near, or immediately in the line of the projected railway; and it is more than probable that by tapping these
