Rman Medals. — Hat'tnaking, 7J 



Caput JunonU moneta falutaris : injlrumenta monetalia, incus, maUeus^ forceps, cum 

 vulcant pilea in laurea. 



In belk, videlicet, contra Pyrrhum et Tarentinos, quum pecunia dejiituerenter Romani, e»s 



Jcrihunt Junoni ad comparandam eandem, votafecijje, deam vera monuijfe illos ut Jujlicia armit 



uterentur ; ftc enim pecuniam its mn defeSturam. ^wd monitum quumfalutare Romanis fuerit 



cognctnina Moneta Salutaris inde Juno adopta ejl. Laurea ad vifloriam iilatn olim diet monitu 



rclatam refpicere poteji. 



This Memorandum is tranflated from the J. de Phyf. IV. N. S. p- 363. 



VI. 



On the Proceffis for ManufaHuring Hats, the Ufe of Machines, and other Ohjeils. By N. L, 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 



I 



Neujcajllet i^ih Jpril, 1"]!)^, 

 SIR, 



N addition to the information contained in my former letters on the fubjeft of hat-making 

 by engines, I would add the houfe of Meflrs. Wells and Chatterton of Brenchly, in Kent. 

 From thefe inftances, it would appear that the queftion regarding the poflibility of making 

 hats by engines, is clearly decided in the afErmative. The enquiry now apparently is, how 

 far can thofe already in ufe be fimplified ; their principles accurately difplayed to the public; 

 or their numbers encreafed r — For I believe the diretSHons given already are all that arc 

 erefted. 



The knowledge of hat-making necefiarily includes the pra£lice of bowing, bafoning, felting, 

 pulling (thefe two laft are included in the term working ; that is, at the plank); fo that to a 

 hat-maker the remainder of the procefles of felting he would have to inveftigate (whether of 

 animal or vegetable filaments, amongft which might be included even the combing of wool, 

 the drefEng of flax, and the fabrication of foldiers' belts), would be trifling. For a perfon to 

 have Connplete fuccefs in the formation of machines, fuch as thofe in queftion, the fabricator 

 fhould have a comprehenfive and determined mind, to bear with, and to overcome the impe- 

 diments which may be thrown in the way by the journeymen ; and an enlarged view of che- 

 mical, and efpecially of mechanical, operations, a fufficient portion of which, few indeed of 

 the maflers of the prefent day pofl'efs. 



Your account of hat-making in your lafl number, fuggefled by a vifit to the manufa6tory 

 »f my efteemed friend Air. Collinfon, will convince your readers how far from the truth 

 any former accounts are as given to the public in the Encyclopedia, and alfo in the Uni- 

 verfal Magazine for the year 1750, which are all the places, or nearly (b, in which it has 

 appeared. They will not wonder at the few improvements regarding the introdu6lion of 

 machines into a bufmefs which' has, till very lately, been hidden by the laboured olfcurity of 

 prejudiced and felf-interefted manufadurers. Few, indeed, yet think, that the heji way of im- 

 proving a manufaHure is to give it publicity. The progrefs of our cotton and woollen ma- 



VoL.III — May 1799. L nufaftories 



