The Following Notices Of The Rideau Canal, In which is made clear, the exalted worth of the Superintendant of that stupendous work, Colonel By, Of The Royal Engineers… by RIDEAU CANAL

Kingston: Printed At The Patriot Office, January, 1832. First Edition. Rare. A defence of Colonel John By against his detractors, particularly those who were critical of his expenditures, by ‘A Friend to Justice and Merit’. The original estimate for the canal had been £169,000 in 1825 but by 1832 By had increased that figure to £474,000 when his recommendation for larger locks was accepted and some defence works were added. The final cost was actually about £800,000. Of special note here is the folding lithographed plate showing a side sectional view of the truss bridge over the Chaudière Falls of the Ottawa River, designed and executed by Colonel By. The truss bridge was the last link in a chain of bridges built across the Ottawa River in order to provide access to the forge and sawmill at Hull on the Quebec side of the river before construction on the Rideau Canal began. It was completed in 1828 and served its purpose, eventually collapsing in 1836. This is one of the earliest lithographed views to be printed in Upper Canada. Based on a sketch by John Burrows, a civil engineer who was clerk of works on the canal, the print was lithographed by Samuel Oliver Tazewell, Upper Canada`s first lithographer, who was to move to York in 1832. This is probably the earlier of two versions of the lithograph, the other with title and `Burrows Del.` line (see Allodi). Casey I 1363. Fleming 612. TPL 1739. Allodi, Printmaking in Canada, 39. 8vo. pp. 22, [blank leaf]. with half-title. folding lithographed plate. new half calf (short marginal tear in plate repaired, dampstain to lower portion of leaves, hint of foxing)