196 Aiialj/ses of Books. [March, 



great as possible. A division of the labour was first thought of 

 Instead of carding, and spinning, and weaving, in the same 

 house, one family's sole employment becaaie carding, another's 

 spinning, and that of a third weaving. The attention of each 

 being thus occupied by fewer objects, he was able to perform a 

 greater quantity of work than before. Gradual improvements in 

 the mode of carding and spinning occasionally suggested them- 

 selves till at last they arrived at a machine, vvhich, though rude 

 and ill constructed, enabled them to produce more in their 

 respective families. By degrees, the cottages became filled with 

 their little improvements till they were in some measure forced 

 out of their dwelhngs by the multiplication of their implements. 



Thus carding and spinning became two distinct professions. 

 First, a boy or a girl was enabled by means of two pair of stock- 

 cards to do more work than before. A cylinder revolving on its 

 axis was next introduced, and carding was performed by holding 

 four or five pairs of stock-cards against it. This was the rude 

 beginning of the carding machine, and in this state it existed 

 about 60 years ago. This, about 10 years after, was followed by 

 another machine, called the spinning Jenny, invented in 1767 

 by Mr. Hargreaves, of Blackburn, by means of which a young 

 person could work 10 or 20 spindles at once. 



This machine was at first turned by the hand ; but horses- 

 were soon substituted for human labourers ; and when the size 

 of the machines came to be such as to render the application of 

 horses expensive and troublesome, falls of water were sought out 

 and resorted to. 



It was at this time that the admirable inventions of Mr. Ark- 

 ■wright were introduced into the cotton trade. The comforts and 

 independence of the workmen had gradually improved, and with 

 them the nature of their mechanical inventions. They were 

 enabled to employ smiths, carpenters, and millwrights to realize 

 their ideas, and by their superior skill they were enabled to make 

 their machinery much better suited to the objects intended than 

 their own original and imperfect fabrics. The inventions of 

 Arkwright were of a higher kind ; and to realize them, the 

 assistance of a still higher class of mechanics, watch and clock- 

 makers, whitesmiths, and mathematical instrument makers, were 

 called in and employed. Mr. Arkwright's first mill was built at 

 Cromford in 177 J, and for a period of 10 or 15 years after, all 

 the principal works were erected on the falls of considerable 

 rivers, no other power but water having been then found to be 

 practically useful. It was not till about the year 1790 that Mr. 

 Watt's steam-engine began to be understood, and introduced in 

 the neighbourhood of Manchester. In consequence of the 

 mtroduction of this admirable machine, v/ater-falls became of 

 less value, and instead of carrying the people to the power, it 

 was found preferable to place the power among the people 

 wherever it was most wanted. This led those who were intoF- 



