and vaults, and them to amend, repair, translate, and do all things necessary and convenient, as well for the finding of new springs, as for the conveyance of any water or springs now found, or hereafter to be found, to the city and suburbs aforesaid, without interruption, let, or impediment, of the owners of the ground, their lessees, assigns, or ministers, or any other person."

All ground, however, needed for the use of these conduits, or aqueducts, was, by the same act, to be appraised by three or four indifferent persons, appointed by the Lord Chancellor, and to be paid for within one month after possession was taken. A special reservation, moreover, was made of the spring at the foot of Hampstead Hill, which was used by the inhabitants of the town of Hampstead.

Slow was the progress of this Hampstead work, for in 1590 it was still unfinished. It was, however, finallyaccomplished a succession of reservoirs at different levels was ;

constructed, each communicating with the other, and through two mains of seven inch bore, the neighborhood of St. Giles was supplied.

Originally these works belonged to the city of London, but in 1692 they were transferred to a company incorporated by the name of the Hampstead Water Co., which now furnish a daily average of 150 gallons of water each to about 2500 houses on the Hampstead Road, Kentish-town and Camden-town all suburbs of the city.

52 PRELIMINARY ESSAY. Lambe's Conduit, was constructed at his own cost, by a gentleman of the name of Lambe, who belonged to the chapel royal of Henry VIIL, and who thus conferred great advantage on the populous neighborhood of Snow Hill. Numerous other conduits were established, from different spring heads, and at different times. These conduits were for the most part small, circular buildings, with a spacious basin within, into which flowed the water through leaden pipes, from the source, and thence was carried by watermen, who made it a business, or by the servants of the neighboring houses the ;