1806.] 



Prefent State of Tournaf, 



523 



as the ordering of books, &c., are con- 

 duced by a committee of the fociery. 



Few of thofe who know that there is no 

 fuch inftitution there, vi,hen they confider 

 the refpeftability of the place, either in a 

 commercial or Iterary view, but muft: feel 

 greatly aftonifiied ; and more particularly 

 will the want appear, when it is alfo known, 

 that in Montrofe, Arbroaih, Dundee, ai d 

 Perth, places much fmaller than Aber- 

 deen, and not poffcffing any college-efta- 

 bhfiiment, there are fubfcription-libraries 

 on the above plan ; nay, that Perth has 

 alfo an antiquarian fociety ! 



Subjoined is a lilV of fome other places 

 in North Britain enjoying the advantages 

 cf fuch eftabliftiments as I would recom- 

 mend to Aberdeen, many of whom, it is 

 obvious, have not near the profptft of 

 fuccefs that that phce could command : — 

 Glalgow, Paifley, Greenock, Kilmarnock, 

 Linlithgow, Haddington, and, on the 

 borders of Northumberland, Dunle, and 

 Kelfo. 



The annual fubfcription to none of the 

 above is more, in fome cafes not lb much, 

 as the Atheraeum at Aberdeen ; and they 

 pofTefs a very excellent and increafing fe- 

 leftion of books. 



lam forry to be informed, thit neither 

 Invernefs, Banff, or Peierhead, pofTefs fuch 

 inftitutions, particularly the firlt, which 

 prefents fuch an abundant number of ob- 

 jeRs to the antiquarian, and is furrounded 

 by, and contains, fo many gentlemen of 

 fuch diftinguifhed liberality and ingenuity. 

 At this place the " Northern Meeting" 

 was elfabiifhed, for the avowed purpofe of 

 promoting intercourfe among diflant fami- 

 lies J but hosv much more might be effeft- 

 ed of general amelioration and comfort, 

 by thecftahlifhment of a literary and anti- 

 quarian fociety, in which fubjefts connecf- 

 ed with general improvement might be 

 difcuffed, and books on chemiflry, agri- 

 culture, and other more immediately ule- 

 ful parts of knowledge, collefled. 



I am, Sir, &c. A Traveller, 

 Yirk-Hotel, Bridge Jlreet, Blackfriars. 



For the Monthly Magazine. 



An ACCOUNT of the present state of 

 tournay. Tranjlattd from caivius. 



THREE coniiderable manufaffories, 

 two of China and one of carpets, are 

 to be noticed at Tournay. One of the 

 China-rpanulaitories is of long date. — 

 There is made at it a great quantity of 

 what \i called blue-and white, with which 

 all Flanderi is (applied. They have at 

 this tnanufa^ory a particular procefs in 



forming cups and other Iikeveflels. They 

 do not turn them on the lathe, or comprefs 

 the clay in a mould ; but they dilute it in 

 water, and when the liquid has acquired 

 a proper confiltency, they pour it into 

 moulds, two or three hundred of which 

 are ranged together. When they have 

 filltd them all, they return to the firlt in 

 the row : the liquid part is drawn off by a 

 gentle inclination : the furplus adheres to 

 the fide of the veffel ; it forms the piece 

 which it is inteiide i to make. It is de- 

 tached by means of a flight ftroke from 

 the mould : It is left to dry, and then 

 baked. 



Citizens Piat and Febvre are the pro- 

 prietors of the carpet-manufaffory. It 

 is intererting on account of the number of 

 perfons whom it employs ; feven hiinlred 

 in the town, and three ihoufand in the fub- 

 urhs, and in this number very young 

 children. The wool is ufed as it is taken 

 from the back of the animal, and, except a 

 great part which is fent into the country 

 to be fpun, undergoes all the ncccifary 

 preparations of combing, fpinnirg, dying, 

 and weaving, in the houfe. 



This maiHifailory is important alio on 

 account of the goods which they fabricate 

 in it. Thefe are mock-velvets or pluflies, 

 with the nap cut, as riniflied velvets, or 

 with the nap not cut, as (horn velvets, 

 and carpets in imitation of thofe of Ssvo- 

 iia. The conductors of the manufactory 

 allow that the carpets of this kind have 

 not the merit of ihofe of Savona, either 

 with refpeft to the diftinil and fixed na- 

 ture of the colours, or the beauty of the 

 patterns. They afleit that their weaving 

 IS of the bed quality, and their carpets 

 not fo liible to rent as thofe of Savona.— 

 They alfo exectite their work with quicker 

 difpatch at Tournay than at Savona. — 

 Mock-velvet carpets are fabricated at 

 Lifle and many towns. Thole of Citizens 

 Piat and Le Febvre furpafs the others in 

 the thicknefs of the nap, the richnefs of 

 the colours, the harmony of the defign, 

 and the good tatle difplayed in the collec- 

 tion of the parts of which it is compofed. 

 A carpet of mr.ckvelvet is not to be 

 compared, in point of duration, with tho 

 carpels of Savona. Thcfc will adorn a 

 rcom for two or three ages of man : a 

 carpet of mock velvet will not la(t above 

 a few years. The price is alio in propor- 

 tion. A carpet of luocic-velvct Iclls for 

 twenty or thirty fols a fquare foot; a 

 fquare foot of a carpet of Savona colt* 

 from eight to ten francs. The manufac- 

 tory of Citizens Piat and Le Ftbvre is ia 

 the height of profperity, and carried on 

 ■J U 2 with 



