"Denter-Stones in the Pavement thereof. And that all Buildings that shall hereafter immediately border upon each side of the said Wharfs, shall front and be placed in the Line that shall be set out for the Bounds of the Wharfs from the Channel. And that the said Buildings shall be of the Second Rate of Buildings, mentioned in the Act for Rebuilding of the City. And that no Lighter, Boat, or Vessel, shall lie before any of the said Wharfs or Keys, longer than shall be necessary for the Lading or Unlading of Goods, without the Consent or Permission of the Wharfingers or Proprietors thereof. And that it shall and may be lawful for any Person or Persons to land any Goods and Merchandizes at any of the said Wharfs or Keys, within this new Channel or River. For Wharfage or Cranage whereof, every Proprietor, Wharffinger, or other Person concerned, shall demand and receive such Rates (and no other) for the same, as shall from time to time be set and appointed by his Majesty, with the Advice of his Privy Council. And that certain reasonable Rates for Tolls, and other Profits arising by the Navigation of the said Channel, shall be set and appointed by the Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen, (with approbation of two of the Barons of the Exchequer.) And the same Tolls and Profits, vested in the Maior, Communalty, and Citizens of the City of London, for preservation of the said Navigation-Sluices, and other accidental Charges thereof."

"And for the carrying on of this Work, it was enacted and declared, That the sinking and making the said Channel of Bridewel Dock and Fleet Ditch, from the Thames to Holbourn Bridge, and the Sluices for the better Navigation thereof, and the Raising and Sinking other Wharfs or Keys, on each side of the said Bridewel Dock and Fleet Ditch, (whereby to bring the same to a Level) shall be born and first defrayed, by the Maior, and Communalty, and Citizens of London, out of the Fourth Part of the Imposition to be raised on Coals, by Vertue of this Act. And in the next Place, after the Charge before mentioned shall be born out of the said Fourth Part, Satisfaction shall be made out of the said Fourth Part, to the Proprietors whose Ground shall be laid open, or from whom any Ground hath been, or shall be taken, for the said Publick Use."

By Virtue of this Act of Parliament, the Work of making this Channel Navigable, began in the Year 1668. and was finished in November, 1673. It contains in length, from South at the Thames, to North at Holbourn Bridge, Two Thousand and One Hundred Feet. It is in breadth Forty Feet; so that two Lighters may meet, and pass each other in any part of it. It is Wharfed on both sides with Stone and Brick, laid with Tarras. It hath a strong Campshot all along on both sides, over the Brick Wharfing, with Land Ties in several Places. It hath Rails of Oak, Breast high, above the Campshot, to prevent Dangers that might happen in the Night Season. It hath five Foot Water at the Head thereof, at Holbourn Bridge; and that at a Five a Clock Tide, (which is the slackest of all high Tides;) but at Spring, and other Nepe Tides, it hath much more Water. The Wharfs on each side of this Channel, are Thirty Foot broad, with fair Buildings.

The whole Charge of Sinking, Clearing, and Levelling; Wharfing, Planking, and Piling; Paving, Posting, and Railing; amounted in all to Twenty seven Thousand, Seven Hundred, and Seventy seven Pounds; besides what was paid to the several Proprietors whose Grounds were taken, or may be, for the Inlargement of the Wharfs and Keys, in either side of the Channel.

Over this Canal there are four Bridges, all of solid Portland Stone; two of them, viz. Fleet and Holbourn Bridges, were of Stone before the Fire of London; but now much inlarged and beautified with Iron Grates, and carved Works in Stone. The other two, viz. one against Bridewel, and the other against Fleet lane, were, before the Fire, only of Timber. (For the Channel in these Places was then very narrow) but now they are two fair Bridges, standing upon two Stone Arches, over the River; having Steps to ascend and descend on either side; and a half Pace over the Arches, all of Purbeck and Portland Stone. The making of which were very chargeable; and the Charge paid out of the Money raised by the Imposition laid upon Coals, by Vertue of the said Act of Parliament.

The Fleet Prison is seated on the East side of the Canal; being large, and reckoned the best Prison of any in this City, for good Rooms, and other Conveniencies, the benefit of an open Yard and Garden, inclosed with a very high Wall and Fence. The Prison Keeper is called the Warden of the Fleet. It belongs to the Court of the Common Pleas. To this Prison, Persons are committed for contempt of Orders, &c. in the High Court of Chancery; or upon Debt, when they by a Writ of Habeas Corpus remove themselves thither, from another Prison. And as a further Perquisite to the Warden, besides his Fees from the Prisoners for turning the Key, Chamber Rent, &c. which is very considerably profitable, he hath the Rents and Profits of the Shops in Westminster Hall.

To this Prison there have been, some Years since, granted Rules; which are all the North side of Ludgate hill, the West side of the Old Baily, unto Fleet lane, and down the same on the South side; and so the East side of the Row of Houses next the Fleet, taking in all the Courts and Allies within the said Limits.

This Fleet Prison was consumed in the Fire of London; and during the time of the Rebuilding, the Prsioners that were therein at that time, were removed to Ceroon House in South Lambeth, which was made into a Prison; and upon the finishing of this Place, the Prsioners were brought back; and ever since it hath continued as a Prison.

On the East side of the Fleet Ditch, from this Prison, to Holbourn Bridge, are these Places. Fleet lane, which cometh down from the Old Baily, over against the Sessions House, and falleth into the Ditch side, over against the Bridge; a Place of no great Account for Buildings or Inhabitants. In this Lane are several small Courts, as Cheshire Rents, Well Yard, Harrow Court, and Cock Alley, all Places but of mean Account.

On the North side is Seacoal lane. This Lane is very ordinarty, both as to Houses and Inhabitants. Out of this Lane is a passage to Snow hill, another into Green Arbour, and a third into Bishops Court; the two last ascended up by a great many Steps, or a pair of Stairs, made through London Wall; but having their chief Entrance out of the Little Old Baily,