16 Information concerm?ig Wool. 



ready the disposition, the more abundant the quantity 

 in proportion to the demand, and moderate the prices, 

 — The best cloths, suitable for the commissioned offi- 

 cers, were offered upon terms the least advanced above 

 the European prices, owing to the spreading of the Me- 

 rino sheep. The cloths for the non-commissioned of- 

 ficers and privates, were offered upon terms advanced 

 in the next degree of moderation above the European 

 prices, because the great body of our native or old 

 stock of sheep produce wool, which, after picking out 

 a little coarse and a good deal of fine, will do well for 

 cloths suitable for these two purposes. But it is a 

 substantial fact well worthy of observation and consi- 

 deration, that the inferior qualities of strong heavy 

 goods, though most easy to make, (requiring no nicety 

 of color, dressing, or finishing) were the most advanced 

 above the European goods of the same kinds in the 

 terms on which they were offered. The reason of 

 this clearly appears to be, that a sufficient number of 

 our sheep are not of the breeds which yield great quan- 

 tities of the coarse wool. The descriptions of goods 

 made out of this sort of wool in England are as fol- 

 lows : — 



Kendall woo//(?^2 cloths (usually called kendall cot^ 

 tons) in pieces of twenty yards, 27 and 28 inches wide 

 for nineteen to twenty-four shillings sterling, undyed, 

 used these ten or twelve years for vest backs, — white 

 stoved twilled kerseys for overalls, of the same widths, 

 in 30 yard pieces at 45 shillings and 6 pence to 48 

 shillings and 6 pence sterling per piece. Undyed hock- 

 ing baizes, 5 to 6 quarters wide, at 2s. to 2s. 2d. ster- 

 ling per yard. White stoved swanskins for vests, un- 



