348 Hiflorical Resiacksralative to8 
quantity of 90,000 tons of charcoal would be requifite for a 
year’s fupply at that period = 10,732,000 cubical feet *, 
Let the wafte of the refining furnace in thofe days be 
reckoned equal to 50 per cent. 112,500 tons of pig iron muft 
have then been ufed to fabricate 75,000 tons of bars, and a 
reverfion of 67,500 tons caft into cannon, mortars, wares, 
&c. or exported in a raw ftate as pig iron or fhip ballaft. 
However much the above quantities may be exaggerated, 
as I am inclined to think they are, yet they feem to prove that, 
at the commencement of the laft century, the iron ‘bufinefs 
had obtained an eminent rank among the manufactures of 
the country. The progrefs of agriculture and the increafe 
of population under the reign of the peaceable James had at 
length taught the hufbandman and the proprietor the value 
of cultivated fields. The great confumption of wood for the 
navyand ironworks had greatly exhaufted the principal forefts 
of fupply : tracts of country became cleared, and in propor- 
tion as the fpirit of cultivation increafed, the annual quan- 
tity of fuel for the manufacturing of iron diminifhed, 
Pit-coal had been long known before this period, and 
wrought at Newcaftle prior to the year 1272. Annually 
valt quantities of it were exported to Holland, and the Low 
+ The aggregate quantity of timber neceffary for the manufaéture of 
jron alone amouats to 28,062,000 cubical feet. Let an acre of ground be 
fuppofed to afford 2000 cubical feet of timber, then it will be found that 
14,031 acres of land were annually fwept to fupply the iron manvufac- 
turers. Admitting that wood fully replaces its cubical contents in 18 
years, then 252,558 acres of land would have been required to furnifh 
the necefiary confumption of timber, without in the end diminifhing 
the fupply. Befides iron works, fmiths’ and nailors’ fires, manufactories 
of every fort were carried on by means of wood; even at a time when pit 
coal was exporting to other countries) The data on which I have made 
this calculation are moderate. I have fuppofed the cube of charcoal pro- 
duced from the fame cube of timber; which is not ftriétly the cafe, as 
fome woods fhrink confiderably. I have likewife reckoned an acre to 
produce z0c0 cubical feet, which I fuppofe wood in a natural flate feldom 
Coes, taking it upon an average of the whole country. 
_ Countries, 
