5H 



A. D. 1800. 



tion ad, brought it within the reach of the poorer clafTes of the people 

 in every part of the kingdom ; and the increafe of price being gradual, 

 and any other articles, which could be ufed inftead of it, being equally 

 increafed in price, or unattainable *, the people of all ranks found them- 

 felves obliged to continue the uie of tea, to which they were now ac- 

 cuftomed, notwithftanding the advanced price of it, and alfo of fugar, 

 the duties upon which are in fad; additional duties upon the confump- 

 tion of tea. The truth of what is now faid will appear by the following 



Account of the teas for home conmmption, and the total quantities of tea sold by the 

 East-India company in the under-mentioned years, together with the amount of the sales 

 and the duties paid to government ■\. 



In the years For home In tlie years ending 1" September, 



ending coniumption, 



5"" July. pounds. 



1795 18,498,569 



1796 18,618,024 



1797 ...... 18,716,546 



1798 18,599,377 



1799 ...... ig,6m,77^ 



ISOO 20,780,724 



During feveral years bypaft the king had kept a flock of fheep of the 

 .true Merino breed ; and it was found that the quality of the wool was 

 nothing degenerated in confequence of the climate or pallure of this 

 eountry. The crofs of a Merino ram was alfo found to increafe the 

 quantity, and improve the quality, of the native {hort-wooled flieep, ef- 

 pecially the South-down, Hereford, and Devon-fliire, breeds. Thefe 

 encouraging circumftances induced his Majefty to procure a further 

 fupply of Spanifli &eep from a flock of an eftablifhed reputation for 

 excellence of wool. Five rams and thirty-five ewes of the breed called 

 Negretti, which for purity of blood and finenefs of wool are as highly 

 efl;eemed as any in bpain, were accordingly obtained from the marchionefs 

 del Campo de Alange in the year 1792, which, with their defcendents, 

 have been kept with great care and attention at Oatlands. 



Though the wool of all theie flieep, the Merino as well as the Neg- 

 retti, wasacknowleged to be equal to any imported Spanifl:i wool, yet, the 

 manufadurers, apprehending that it mufl; degenerate in this country, 

 were unwilling to offer any price for it. Therefor, that the objed, 

 •which was to afcertain whether fuperfine cloth could be made ot wool 



* Some people, without thinking, fay. Why 

 not u'e malt liquor or milk, as our anceUors did 

 when tea wa^^ uukiiown : — The obvious ai'faer :s, 

 TliS country being vaftly more populous now than 

 it was then, a greater fupply ot pioviiioiis of every 

 kind is necefl'aiy : and it may be dcmunltrated, 

 •hat tlie additional barley rcquilite for a fuliicient 



quantity of mali liquor, and tiie additional pailuie hay tor them and the 1 

 for cows to yield a Tufficient quantity of milk, and \ TKis is a coiitin 



for the working cattle required to cultivate the pp. 336, 338. 4 



additianal ground, can fcarceiy be found anywhere 



without diminilTiing the quantity of bread corn. 

 Indeed, the quantity of milk neteflary tor Lon- 

 don, in cafe of fubttitutiiig it for only a fmall part 

 of the tea now nicd, cannot pofTibly be obtained 

 within the dillai.ct from) which it can be carried 

 to ttie coiifumers, all the fields within that diitance 

 being already cmployiQ in tteding cows, or lairmg 

 oilesof tiie metropolis, 

 uation of the accounts in 



