CHAP. XXVI. 



JEWELLERS. 291 



Among eighteen of the largest manufacturers 

 of jewellery in London, the fact was ascertained, 

 as nearly as such kind of facts can be, that their 

 weekly consumption of standard gold amounted 

 in the whole to one thousand ounces, whilst the 

 fine gold they used did not amount to more than 

 three hundred ounces. This information is cer- 

 tainly very imperfect, when the master manu- 

 facturers in that trade, including those on a mo- 

 derate scale, are more than ten times as numerous, 

 and whilst the smaller manufacturers who work 

 in obscure garrets, or in other lodgings, and use 

 perhaps not more than two or three ounces of 

 gold monthly, are known to be many hundreds. 

 Among this latter numerous description of work- 

 men, some, to whom a short credit is an object, 

 repair to the refiners for their small portions of 

 metal ; whilst those who have a little money be- 

 forehand will prefer buying a light guinea, a na- 

 poleon, a moidore, or some other foreign piece of 

 money, the weight of which may be best adapted 

 to their finances and the articles on which they 

 are employed. 



In calculations of this kind an inquirer should 

 be constantly apprehensive of exaggerated state- 

 ments and reports ; and that feeling has induced 

 us rather to trust to our own collection of facts, 

 imperfect as it may be, than to any opinions or 

 calculations of individuals. The method here 

 adopted has been attempted to be explained, as 



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