clearing away the ground under the sleepers. The mode of raising the earth was by means of a shallow iron box, which was pushed out under the bottom edge of the bell as soon as filled, the box being lifted on to the punts, and the material thrown into a boat and removed. A rope was attached inside the bell to enable the box to be pulled in to the bell again when emptied and lowered to the bottom; and a trigger, or piston, passed through the top of the bell, afforded means of signalling when it was necessary to raise or lower the bell with the rise and fall of the tide. So soon as a length of 18 ft. of ground had been cleared and levelled by means of the bell, piles were driven in their proper positions under the sleepers; they were cut off to the length required, and driven down their full depth, in order to save the expense of cutting off the piles under water. To drive them, a dummy pile, of the requisite length of the same section as the pile to be driven, was used; strong angle irons were placed on each corner, projecting about 3 ft. beyond the lower end, and were secured with iron straps and bolts. The angle irons being loosened, the head of the pile to be driven was inserted between them, the irons, or guides, being screwed up tight, thus securing the head of the pile in its proper position. The pile was then dropped into its place, and driven down to the required depth. When driving piles, two pile-engines were kept in use; the pile being fixed into the dummy one, while the other was being driven down. When down to the required depth, the dummy was lifted off with the steam-crab, which was then available to proceed with the pile on the second engine. As the water deepened it was found necessary to provide some means to guide the point of the pile into its proper place, and this was effected by means of L iron frames placed on the small carriage used for lowering out the ways. These frames were made to run on wheels bolted to the sides of longitudinal beams, cross pieces being fixed 3 ft. apart on the frames, through which a bolt was dropped into a hole in the beam to keep it to its proper gauge. When it was required to drive piles, this carriage, with the frames on, was lowered out to the end of the ways already laid, the diver being stationed below at the same place; a pile being ready to drive was then lowered down to the diver, who, having placed the iron frame to the required distance, guided the pile in between rollers provided for the purpose at the end of the frame, and then dropped it slowly on to the ground; on one blow being given to it, the rollers were removed and the iron frame pushed back clear of the pile, the diver then proceeding to place the next pile in position. On the completion of a length of piles sufficient for 18 ft. in length of ways, the carriage was pulled up out of the water, and a section of the ways and sleepers built together on it ready for lowering into its place, the sling chains being fixed in place and buoyed with a small rope and buoy to enable them to