A. D. 1779. 649 



After the commenceraentof the w^r the Irifh preferved the feed of their 

 own flax, which was found to anfwer fo well as to render them more 

 independent of foreign flax-feed than they had hitherto thought them- 

 felves. Before the war England imported flax-feed from the continent 

 of Europe, chiefly Holland and Ruflia, the average quantity of which 

 in the years 1772, 1773, and 1774, was above 102,000 cwt. value 

 £2^g,S6g : and in the years 1777, 1778, and 1779, the flax-feed import- 

 ed from thofe countries continued the fame, viz - — ^^239, 869 5 3 

 The quantity imported from them to Scotland in the 



fame years averaged _ _ _ - - 186,941 18 6 



being above 4,000 tuns _ _ - - _ ^(^426,811 3 9 

 [Lord Sheffield's Obfervations on American commerce, p. 116, ed. 1784.] 



That branch of architedtural engineering, which is appropriated to 

 the accommodation of fliipping, was carried to great perfecflion in 

 Sweden by Mr. Tunberg, who conflruded a grand bafin at Carlfcroon, 

 containing twenty-four docks for the reception of fliips, in any one of 

 which they may lie either dry or afloat, as the bufinefs of the veflels in 

 each of them may require. 



In the courfe of this year 1,651 Britifli veflels, 2,075 Dutch, and not 

 one French one, pafled the Sound. So completely was the French trade 

 with the Baltic annihilated by the war, at leafl; as to the carriage, which 

 was entirely transferred to the Dutch. 



There were at this time no lefs than 1,104 empty houfes within the 

 city of London, as appeared by the returns of the deputies of the feveral 

 wards ; and their annual rents were eflimated at £'2.6,^']$, which is furely 

 rating them very low, being under ;;^24 a houfe. 



The following is the quantity of coals imported into London fmce 

 the year 1773, when the importation, as already related, was fo uncom- 

 monly great. 



1776. . 700,207 



1 777.. 694,437 



1 778.. 647, 361 



1773 ..624,781 chaldrons 

 1774.-623,727 

 1775.. 672,785 



1779 ••587.895 



The magnitude and importance of the cotton manufadures of Great 

 Britain render every information which marks their progrcfs interefl:- 

 ing. I have therefor extraded, from feveral official papers, laid before 

 the houfe of commons at various times, the following concife account of 

 the importation of the raw material in the under-mentioned years, during 

 which the manufacture, compared with its prefent extenflon, may be 

 faid to have been in its infancy. 



Vol. TTT. ' 4 N . 



