of the Cotton Trade. 135 
NOTE. 
SINCE the foregoing paper was sent to the press, the 
following information has come to my hand.  See.a letter in 
the Repertory of Arts for December 1817, entitled “ The 
origin of Cotton Spinning,” from Mr. Charles W yatt to his 
brother ; it comes in a very creditable shape, and is borne 
out, in many respects, by facts and circumstances which 
have partly come under my own knowledge. The following 
is an extract. 
“ The brief history of the invention, which my superior 
“years, and the circumstance of my being in possession 
“of his papers and memorandums on the subject, gives me 
“an advantage over you, as faras I am able to trace it, is 
“this ; In the year 1730, or thereabouts, living then at a 
“ village near Litchfield, our respected father first conceived 
“the project, and prepared to carry it into effect; and in 
“the year 1733, by a model of about two feet square, in 
“a small building near Sutton Coldfield, without a single 
“witness to the performance, was spun the first thread of 
“cotton ever produced without the intervention of the hu- 
“man fingers, he, the inventor, to use his own words, 
“ being all the time in a pleasing but trembling surprise.” 
“The wool had been carded in the common way, and was 
“passed between two pair of cylinders, from whence the 
“bobbin drew it, by means of the twist. 
“ This successful experiment induced him to seek for a 
“pecuniary connection equal to the views that the project 
“excited ; and one appeared to present itself with a Mr. 
“Lewis Paul, which terminated unhappily for the projec- 
‘tor; for Paul, a foreigner, poor and enterprizing, made 
“ offers and bargains which he never fulfilled, and contrived 
“in the year 1738 to have a patent taken out in his own name 
“for some additional apparatus, a copy of which I send 
“you; and in 1741 or 42, a mill, turned by two asses 
“ walking round an axis, was erected in Birmingham, and 
“ten girls were employed in attending the work. Two 
