342 A BRIEF MEMOIR 



hand, had also to be performed by the machine 

 itself. This had been done in a few instances 

 before power had been applied. From the 

 simplest of these methods 1 took the hint; by 

 driving a shaft from the rim, by a strap from a 

 small pulley upon the rim-axis, and a large one 

 upon the little axis, which had a small pinion 

 upon it; so that when the drawing-out wheel 

 and band were disengaged from the front roller, 

 they fell back into the little pinnion whose axis 

 was revolving at a very slow speed, and conse- 

 quently gave a much slower speed to the second 

 stretch or draw, (as it was called) the speed of 

 which was more or less according to the num- 

 bers to be spun. Messrs. A. & G. Murray at 

 that time (Hke myself and partners) were ma- 

 chine makers, and to a small extent were engaged 

 in fine spinning by hand. They fitted upon the 

 principle described a few pairs of hand mules, 

 which they had previously made, wherein they 

 adopted these contrivances for one of their 

 customers in Derbyshire, who had artificial 

 power. Mr. Drinkwater of Manchester, was 

 the most extensive fine spinner at the time of 

 which I speak. He was one of the early water 

 spinners, and in possession of the most perfect 

 system of roving making. His large mill in 

 Piccadilly, was filled with mules of 144 spindles, 

 each of which was worked by men's hands. 



