STATISTICAL SURVEY 



gave themfelves up entirely to that trade. Thofe, hovf- 

 ever, who were mere muflin weavers, fufFered very 

 feverely in the late ftagnation of that trade ; for never 

 having learned to weave linen, when that circumftance 



1 



occurred they were thrown entirely out of employ- 

 ment, whilft thofe, who were regularly bred to the 

 linen manufacture, returned to their former occupation, 

 which, even in the worfl times, afforded them a main- 

 tenance.** Befides muflins of every degree of fmenefs 

 and every requifite breadth, many other branches of 

 the cotton trade are carried on ; calicoes and wrapper- 

 ings, thickfets, corduroys, and velveteens, are made in 

 various parts : the weavers attend at the ware-houfes, 

 where the necefTary quantity of warp and weft are 

 ferved out to them, which they carry home, and return 

 manufactured. Some houfes carry on this bufinefs to 

 a very great extent, and a good deal is done by. perfons 

 of fmaller capitals, who employ only a few looms ; 

 and whilft this trade was very flourifliing, many fingle 

 looms were at work upon their own account : rooft of 

 thefe laft, however, and many of* the fecond clafs were 

 unable to Hand the (hock of the laft bad years. The 

 earnings of a good weaver of muflin, with conftant 

 employment, that is, when not kept waiting for his 

 yarn, either to put in or to carry on his web, is from 

 eighteen {hillings to a guinea per week, more than 

 double the wages of a linen weaver : fome time ago 

 it was more ; and when to this is added the price of 

 \vinding the yarn, it muft be allowed, that the intro- 

 duction 



