The river being everywhere else a lively stream, rattling and foaming over a shallow bed of rock or gravel, a greater contrast will arise from a smooth expanse of water in the flower-garden: to produce this must be a work of art, and, therefore, instead of leading an open channel from the river to supply it, or making it appear a natural branch of that river, I recommend that the water should pass underground, with regulating sluices or shuttles to keep it always at the same height. Thus the canal will be totally detached from the river, and become a distinct object, forming the leading feature of the scene to which it belongs; a scene purely artificial, where a serpentine canal would be as incongruous as a serpentine garden wall, or a serpentine bridge; and, strange as it may appear, I have seen such absurdities introduced, to avoid nature's supposed abhorrence of a straight line. The banks of this canal, or fish-pond, may be enriched with borders of curious flowers, and a light fence of green laths will serve to train such as require support, while it gives to the whole an air of neatness and careful attention. But, as the ends of this water should also be marked by some building, or covered seat, I have supposed the entrance to the flower-garden to be under a covered passage of hoops, on which may be trained various sorts of creeping plants; and the farther end may be decorated by an architectural building, which I suppose to consist of a covered seat between two aviaries.
