for Manchefter and Salford. 1 6 1 



forces of France, Spain and Holland. Con- 

 trary to every reafonable expectation the manu- 

 faflures of Manchefter were not afFefted by the 

 war, to any great and alarming degree ; and 

 they ftill found their way, by various channels, 

 to almoft every marker, where they had been 

 ufually fold. By calling our eyes on the bills 

 of mortality, for thofe years, we find the popula- 

 tion of the towns greatly advancing, and, what 

 is a pleafing circumftance, efpecially confidering 

 the number of men, of which they were drained, 

 for the fupply of his Majefty's fleets and armies, 

 we fee a ftriking fuperiority of the births over 

 the burials. 



On the happy event of the reftoration of peace, 

 the influx of inhabitants was furprizingly great. 

 Multitudes of men, who had ferved abroad, or 

 in our provincial regiments at home, now re- 

 turned into the country; and the fuccefs of the 

 oppofition which was made to the monopoly of 

 the cotton machines, drew, from various quar- 

 ters, large recruits of people. During the three 

 laft years the number of our chriftenings has 

 been much augmented, but though they ftill 

 maintain a majority, yet I am forry to obferve, 

 that the lift of burials, when compared with thofe 

 of the three preceding years, is more than pro- 

 portionably enlarged. A contagious fever has 

 proved very deftrudlive, and its virulence has 

 been, probably, increafed, by the crowded and 

 Vol. III. M uncleanly 



