Tower Rock, in the main channel near the Spit Light, having been entirely removed to a depth of twenty-three feet at mean low water, it was proposed to remove Barrel Rock, situated in Broad Sound, which, from its distance from the shore, and the small depth of water, - only four feet upon it, — rendered it, in thick weather, a dangerous obstruction to navigation. By the effective system of drilling and blasting, under water, which has been so successfully employed in this harbor, this rock, which was a bowlder of granite-gneiss, containing about two hundred and fifty tons, similar in character to the Medford granite, was readily split into large fragments, which were then either hoisted up and deposited on shore, or raised by tide-lift and floated out to deep water and dropped. The rock was thus entirely removed to a depth of twenty-two and one-half feet at mean low water, which is below the bottom of the channel in the immediate vicinity.

Removal of Kelley's Rock. - Operations on this rock, situated in the main ship channel, about a half mile east of the Great Brewster Spit Light, (or Bug Light), were commenced in the latter part of September; and up to this date, about one hundred and eighty tons of the rock have

been removed, either 'to the shore or into deep water, and the depth of water over the rock has been increased from seventeen feet to twenty-one feet at mean low water. About two months' work next season will suffice to obtain the desired depth of twenty-three feet at mean low water. The removal of this rock will secure valuable advantages to navigators, as it will avoid the present angle in the sailing line between the Centurion rocks and Kelley's rock, and obtain a new straight line direct from the Boston Light to the Bug Light, which will pass over the present position of Kelley's rock, and thus leave the Centurion rocks farther to the southward.

Sea-Wall at Gallop's Island. - About eight hundred running feet of sea-wall have been built during the past season, making the total length thus far completed eleven hundred and fifty feet. Arrangements have been made for completing the wall for its entire length, seventeen hundred and fifteen feet, during the next season, provided an additional sum is appropriated for it by the present Congress.

Besides pushing the works already mentioned to completion, it is expected that the work of construction of the sea-wall at Point Allerton, - twelve

hundred and fifty feet long, will be commenced next season. The title to the land whereon the sea-wall is to be built having been secured, the only difficulty remaining is a proper location for a wharf.

The work on the sea-wall for the preservation of the North Head of Long Island will be begun as soon as the title for the site of the wall has been secured by the United States. The Court having determined upon the amount to be paid, it is hoped that it only requires the payment of this sum in order to commence operations.

With liberal appropriations all the improvements of the harbor, so far as the United States Government is concerned, may be completed in two years. Those already carried out, in particular the removal of Tower, Corwin, Barrel, and Kelley's Rocks, and the widening of the channel at Lovell's Island, will greatly benefit navigation.

The following information in relation to the doings of the harbor commissioners will be received, I have no doubt, with great satisfaction by those of our fellow-citizens who are specially interested in commercial pursuits.

The State Board of Harbor Commissioners, from the time of its organization, has been furnished

by the city with rooms in the City Hall. This board, although having jurisdiction over the tide waters of all the harbors of the Commonwealth, has found, and will probably always find, its most important field of duty in the harbor of Boston, as appertaining to the commercial metropolis of the State. The acts of the legislature have devolved upon this commission both labor and responsibility in carrying out projects looking to the conservation and improvement of our harbor. Prominent among these is the scheme for the occupation of the South Boston flats, which the State Government has matured after long deliberation. The reclamation of this territory has practically commenced under the supervision of the commission. Nearly one hundred acres have already been disposed of to railroad corporations pledged to carry out the proposed improvement in accordance with law, and to the satisfaction of the harbor commission. The line of the sea-wall

been located, the trench

inclosing these flats has in which its foundation is to be laid has been partly excavated, and the filling of the purchased territory is in process of being carried on within wooden bulkheads, securing the deposits from dispersion. The conversion of these hitherto use

less flats to substantial ground secures a large increase of commercial front to the city, without encroachment upon the channels or anchorage ground of the harbor, and with decided benefits to both since the material required for filling up the occupied portion of the flats is to be dredged from the shoal ground outside the sea-wall, until a depth of twenty-three feet is obtained over the entire area of the upper harbor.

Next in importance is the widening of the draws through the Charles River bridges, required by acts of the last legislature, which defined the limits of this improvement, and left its execution to the supervision of the harbor commission. To the navigation of the river, and the utilization of its commercial front, this improvement promises the highest benefits. The manner of effecting the necessary changes in such a way as O secure these improvements, with the least burden upon the various corporations whose bridges span the waters that surround the city, and with the least interruption to transit, and withal to improve te physicial condition of the river, is a study of great magnitude; and we have reason to believe the harbor commission is fully alive to its responsibilities. Provision has been made for the