410 Life of Count Rumfvrd. 



informed about himself. The following, to Colonel 

 Baldwin, is in answer to one already given. 



" BROMPTON, -I st Febry. 1800. 



" MY DEAR SIR, I arrived here from the country last 

 evening, and as I hear that there is an American Ship just upon 

 the point of sailing from the Downs for Boston, I shall, if 

 possible, get this letter put on board her. Your letter of No- 

 vember last reached me about ten days ago. But being then 

 at a considerable distance from London, I could do nothing 

 towards executing any of your commissions. I have this day 

 entered on that business by consulting with Mr. Fraser of 

 New Bond St., Mathematical Instrument Maker to his Maj- 

 esty, and a very old acquaintance of mine, respecting the- best 

 means of forwarding your views regarding your son. From 

 Mr. Fraser I learn that the Instrument-making business is 

 divided into two distinct branches in London, namely, working 

 Instrument-Makers and Shopkeepers ; and that though some 

 few of the great Shopkeepers such, for instance, as Ramsden, 

 Dolland, Adams, Fraser & Co. have workshops in their 

 houses, and employ some workmen, yet that by far the greater 

 part of the articles in which they deal are made by manufac- 

 turers who live in their own private houses and keep no open 

 shops. Working Instrument-makers take apprentices who are 

 always bound for seven years, and with them they commonly 

 receive a premium of about 50 or 60 sterling. 



"The great dealers in Mathematical Instruments also take 

 apprentices, but they have seldom opportunities of much prac 

 tice in making instruments. They learn to know the construe 

 tion of them and to -judge of their merit of work, and of the 

 defects and perfection of the instruments in which they deal ; 

 and they likewise learn to take Instruments to pieces, to clean 

 them, and to examine their accuracy. But no Instrument- 

 Maker or dealer in Instruments would, without a very large 

 premium, undertake to instruct a young gentleman in the course 

 of two or three years, and make him perfect in both branches 

 of the trade. 



