830 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



■where all the materials are not 

 bought, and where the person build- 

 ing may have other works coiag on, 

 to which and from which the. work- 

 rieu may be called. In one case, 

 the estimate of labour may be erro- 

 neous ; in the other, it may be dif- 

 licult to appreciate the stone or the 

 timber. Even where ail the mate- 

 rials are bought, the price will dif- 

 fer so much, accordin-g to general 

 and local situations, that accuracy 

 laay be equally unattainable. 



The cottaj^e alluded to cost per- 

 haps fifty pounds ; in otJuT situati- 

 ons it might have been built for less 

 at the time ; but the Mages of ma- 

 sons and carpenteis may have in- 

 creased since then. It is of stone, 

 except the chimney, which is brick. 

 The cover is of bbie slates. It is 

 neatly fitted up on the inside, but 

 a fire-place in the larger bed-room 

 v,MS unfortunately forgotten ; and 

 a fire in a bed-room is necessary in 

 times of sickness, and v. hen a wo- 

 man lies in. The rooms may be 

 EKiall, but they may be made largef 

 or less according to circumstances'. 

 Perhaps (he price of fuel has so;nc 

 connexion with the size of rooms 

 in email houses. Care, however, 

 should be taken not to make tha 

 bed-rooms so large, that a man with 

 a. family can crov, d them all into 

 one ; because wlicre this is prai'^ti- 

 cable, they are tcm])tcd to forego 

 the advantages of health and decen- 

 cy, intended to be gained by the 

 use of two ciiambers, and let one of 

 them, either to a constant lodger, 

 or keep If for the occasional tenancy 

 of mendicant stollers, or those of 

 even a worse description. Where 

 cottages are wanted, preparatory to 

 the settlement of a young couple, 

 it is suftirient to bujid a good kitch- 

 fcn, v.'ith a bed-room and pantry oh 



the same floor ; and, should thcj 

 liave a family, add a bed-room at 

 the other end of the kitchen, against 

 the time some of the children should 

 be separated from the others, or 

 from the parents. Where a ground- 

 floor is made perfe(^ly dry, there 

 is a convenience in having the bed- 

 room to open out of the kitchen, 

 because the kitchen-fire is sufficient 

 for the purposes of illness. Food 

 or medicine can be warjned at it, 

 and an attendant can be kept warm, 

 and near the patient. The bed- 

 room, if dry, will be warmer, as 

 less exposed to the M-ind, and less lia- 

 ble to be heated from the roof in 

 summer, or chilled from it in win- 

 ter. Whenever person? are to sleep 

 near a roof, thatch, well ceiled, is 

 the most comfortable, as it preserves 

 the room in an even temperature. 

 Landlords intent on making com- 

 fortable cottages, will tind it best 

 to build or repair, before they en- 

 gage with a tenant ; for men, not 

 used to improvements, cannot com- 

 prehend ciTett beforehand ; and 

 they will apprehend want of accom- 

 modation without reason, or, often- 

 times, if attended to, lose the con- 

 veniencics they would have wished ; 

 or they will not wish for those it is 

 best they should be indulged in. 

 For instatice, windows to open will 

 not ahvays be desired. I think it 

 perl'e(;-tly possible to improve- men 

 in their turn of mind, by giving 

 them proprieties in and about their 

 habitations, they may not have 

 thought of or desired. If, upon 

 occupancy, they find a real want of 

 .afterat-ions or additions, it will then ,| 

 be time enough to make them. We ' 

 must not e.\pe6l to give satisfa6lion 

 at first, in our attempts to serve the 

 poor ; if this object is not under- 

 taivcn on a principle of duty, it will 

 / soon 



