382 A, D. 1763. 



opened a new field to his imitative powers ; and he foon rendered their 

 beautiful forms familiar in this country, inftead of being confined to 

 the knowlege of the few who could have accefs to fee the originals. He, 

 moreover, dilcovered the art of painting on vafes, &c. without any 

 glois, in the manner of the antient Etrufcans, which, according to Mr. 

 D'Hancarville, (in his DilTertation on Sir William Hamilton's mufeum) 

 has been loft ever fince the age of Pliny : and his productions in this 

 clafs have even a fuperiority over the Etrufcan vafes, as they add to the 

 beauty of defign, the advantages of light and fliade in all the variety of 

 colours. His porcelain mortars, harder and more impenetrable than 

 marble or metal, and his pyrometers for determining the degree of heat 

 in very ftrong fires *, deferve the gratitude of all who are interefted in 

 medicinal and chemical operations. Nor mufl his improved ink-pots, 

 though trifling in point of price, be forgotten, as they are valuable to 

 all who wilh to preferve the points of their pens from being fpoiled, 

 and their fingers from being daubed with ink f . 



For the fake of connection, I fliall here give a brief account of the 

 improved fl;ate of the earthen ware manufacture, chiefly extracted from 

 Mr. Wedgwood's own evidence, given before the committee of the 

 houfe of commons in May 1785. 



From fifteen to twenty thoufand perfons are employed in the potteries: 

 and much greater numbers are employed in digging coals for them, and 

 in various diftant parts of the kingdom, and even in Ireland, in raifing 

 and preparing the clay and flint, whereof fifty or lixty thoufand tuns 

 are annually conveyed to Stafford-fhire by coafting and inland naviga- 

 tion, which gives employment not only to coafting vefTels and canal 

 barges, but alfo to the vefTels belonging to the Newfoundland fifhery 

 during the months that they ufed to be laid up idle. Vaft numbers 

 are alfo employed in carrying the goods, when manufadured, to every 

 part of Great Britain for home confumption, and for exportation. 



Though many of the ftates of Europe have prohibited the admiffion 

 of Britifli earthen ware, and others have loaded it with intolerable 

 duties, yet five fixths of the quantity made are exported ; and fcarcely 

 a veflel fails from any port of Great Britain without carrying lefs or 

 more of this cheap and univerfally-ufeful article, the great bulk of 

 which, in comparifon with its price, renders it a mofl important ob- 

 ject in refpedt to freightage, as every ttm in weight of the raw material 

 becomes three or four tuns in meafurement, when fhipped in its finifh- 

 ed ftate. To this account of the great increafe of the manufacture Mr. 



* The pyrometer has a diftingulHied place in f A* fuller and better account of Mr. Wedg- 

 all the laboratories of chemiftry and experimental wood's inventions may be found in a catalogue 

 philofophy on the continent. [See 'Travels in which is delivered to the public at the warehoufe. 

 England and Scotland by Mr. Faujas Saint-Fond, 

 V. \, p. 96, En^Jifh tranjlation.'] 



