CHAP. XXVI. 



CHINA GILDING. 283 



factures of that commodity, and from their not 

 being very much concentrated for though they 

 abound most in Staffordshire and Shropshire, there 

 are large establishments at Worcester, Derby, in 

 Yorkshire, and other parts of the kingdom it has 

 been difficult to make such particular inquiries 

 as have been directed to other branches of trade. 

 From the imperfect view we have been enabled to 

 take, and from the opinion we have obtained from 

 some of the larger dealers in china ware, we feel 

 disposed to consider the whole consumption to be 

 about one hundred ounces weekly, or five thousand 

 two hundred ounces annually. 



The china manufacturers use only the fine 

 gold ; some is supplied to them by the refiners of 

 Birmingham and Sheffield, but the larger part 

 probably from those of London. It has been stated 

 that some of the manufactures have bought as much 

 as twelve or fourteen ounces a week, but it could not 

 be clearly shown that such was the regular demand, 

 or taking the number of them into calculation the 

 estimate would be much greater than is here 

 assumed. In this state of great uncertainty, it 

 has appeared more proper to take the opinion 

 of those most conversant in the trade than to 

 adopt any estimate on imperfect materials. We 

 have now arrived at the end of the calculation of 

 that portion of refined gold which is applied to all 

 the purposes of manufacturing, except to that in 



