i82 A. D. 1732. 



land docs not proceed from a greater, or indeed fo great, a quantity 

 thereof being at this time run beyond fea, but merely from the later 

 caufes, and alfo from the increafe of dairies, and from the confumptiou 

 of more flieep and wool, to feed and clothe their people. 



It was therefor a very wife meafure in England to encourage the 

 linen and hempen manufadures of Ireland, as the only eft'edual way to 

 employ their poor, and prevent the increafe of their wool, as may be 

 feen by the few flieep that are now in the linen counties, compared to 

 former times, more particularly iii the province of Ulfter, wherein the 

 linen manufadlure is univerfally fpread, they not having fheep enow to 

 fupply their markets with food, nor the people with clothing. In mod 

 part alfo of the other three provinces of Ireland, the fheep-walks arc 

 conftantly decrcafmg, and tillage, dairy, and feeding of black cattle and 

 horfes, increafmg along with the linen manufadure, fpreading fail into 

 moft counties. And, though it is not denied, that fmall quantities of 

 wool, and its manufadures, are flill clandeflinely exported, yet it does 

 not go out in fuch quantity as has been imagined from the decreafe of 

 the export of wool and yarn to England. Our brethren of England 

 may therefor fee, (fays this ingenious Irifhman) that, if prudent mea- 

 fures be taken, Ireland in a little time will have no more wool, nor 

 woollen manufadure, than is neceflary for its own confumption. 



Thus, continues he, even the greateft part of the wool of Ireland is 

 now neceffary to employ the clothiers in Dublin, who fupply moft parts 

 of that kingdom with woollen goods. It is alfo certain, that moft of 

 the woollen and bay yarn fpun in the weft of Ireland, as well as a great 

 quantity from Dublin, is exported to England. 



We {hall only add hereunto, that, as the quantity of all kinds ofUnen 

 imported into the port of London alone, in only the year 1731, was 

 very near 14 millions of ells, from Holland, Germany, and the Eaft 

 country, the greateft part of which is again exported to our plantations 

 in America and our fadories in Africa, &c. and as the poor of Scot- 

 land and Ireland generally live nearly as cheap as the poor in thofe 

 foreign countries, it is to be hoped, that all manner of encouragement 

 will be given (as indeed has in a great meafure already been done) for 

 their manufaduring the fame, inftead of foreign nations ; but moft 

 efpecially inftead of the people of Ruflla, Poland, and Pruflia, to whom 

 we pay a great annual balance in money for their linen, naval ftores, 



&c. 



The number of fliips belonging to the port of London, according to 

 Mr. Maitland's account for the year 1732, which, in his Survey of Lon- 

 don, he fays was taken from the general regifter at the cuftom-houfe, 

 was 1417 veflels from 15 to 750 tons, containing 178,557 tons, and 

 navigated by 21,797 men : of which ftiips there were 130 from 300 to 



