Water, like a mirror, reflecting the light, becomes equally uncertain in its real distance; and, therefore, an apparent union of the two meers in Tatton Park, may be effected by attending to this circumstance. The large piece of water crosses the eye in the view from the house; consequently it looks much less considerable than it really is, and its effect is of little advantage to the scene, being too distant, and too widely separated by the vast tract of low ground betwixt the pool and the lake. I propose that this water should be rendered more interesting, by making it appear as if the arm of a river proceeded from the lake; and its termination will easily be hid in the [distant] valley. From the drawing [fig. 28], I hope it will appear that the ideal connexion of the two waters may be accomplished, although the actual junction is impracticable. The facility of deception arises from the causes already stated, viz., that water is a mirror from which light is strongly reflected, and that of the distance betwixt any light and the eye we form a very inaccurate judgment: it is, therefore, impossible to know, by looking on the surfaces of two distinct waters, whether they are of the same level, unless some ground betwixt them assists the measurement. We have, therefore, only to bring the two meers nearer to each other, and give their forms such curvature as I have described, to produce that effect of apparent unity, which is all that is necessary in this instance.
