NEW ZEALAND FLAX. 369 



I will on this part of the subject add what will, as proof, be 

 interesting. On my visit to the north, in July 1862, I had the 

 honour of having an invitation to call, and had the expressed 

 opinion of one of the most enterprising, extensive, and wealthy 

 merchants in Lancashire, Sir William Brown, Bart., 

 Liverpool, in favour of my views and exertions, to introduce 

 into the industry of that district, other material than cotton ; 

 and his name in my opinion is sufficient to give weight and 

 importance to such an object. Having sent on to the offices 

 of Messrs. Brown, Shipley & Co,, a book with my specimens, 

 containing rheea, hemp, Flax, pine-apple, New Zealand Flax, 

 plantain and other fibres, the first six of which I had made by 

 machinery and liquid, as fine and soft as cotton, and adapted 

 as to length, sufficiently short in- staple for cotton-spinners' 

 purposes, and in the book, yarns and cloth, spun on silk, 

 worsted and Flax machinery, and having also the first sample 

 of rheea spun on cotton machinery by the Messrs. J. Crossley 

 and Son, Halifax, I told Sir William I was invited by the 

 Messrs. Birley, Brothers, cotton-spinners, to Preston, (for 

 whom I was agent for many years in Belfast) to try my 

 material at their cotton factory, confident of being successful. 

 His reply was that he had heard that the cotton spinners in 

 the United States of America were quite successful in spinning 

 the wild Flax of the prairies on their cotton machinery, and 

 added, if I succeeded in having my rheea fibre spun on cotton 

 machinery, I should lay a foundation (by the introduction of 

 such material) which must revolutionize the entire trade of 

 Lancashire. He also said I might make use of his name by 

 such expressed opinion, if it would aid my object of getting 

 directors to join a company to work my patented inventions, 

 as owing to his advanced age, and having retired from 

 business, he could not do more than answer letters, which 

 he would gladly do in my favour, and wished me every 



success. 



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