"There having been various opinions concerning the management of the water, it may not be improper to state and examine each in the following order. The first opinion arises from the natural wish that the water should be in the lowest ground, and, therefore, it was proposed to float the valley to the north, making one large lake. To this there are many objections: first, it would not be seen from the house; secondly, if seen, it would not be desirable, being to the north; and, lastly, if it were possible (of which I have some doubts), it could only be accomplished by an enormous dam across the valley: this it would be far more difficult to disguise than the present dam, which only requires to be planted to deceive, and conceal the lower ground; for every piece of water that is made by art to imitate nature, must be produced by some degree of deception."
