BELFAST. 203 



cloth to London -, formerly fome to America. 

 The balance much in favour of the place. 

 Derry, Newry, and Belfaft. the linen export 

 towns j two thirds from Belfaft, a little from 

 Derry, the reft from Newry. There are three 

 fugar houfes here. The number of fhips be- 

 longing to Belfaft about 50 fail from 20 to 300 

 tons. A vefTel of 200 tons, half loaded, may 

 come to the Quay, there being 9 and a half to 

 10 feet water; larger veffels lay 2 miles and a 

 half down. The trade of Belfaft was at its 

 height in 177O; 177 1, 1772, and 1773, were 

 the worft years ; 1774, and 1775 it has been 

 mending; but 1774, and 1775 not equal to 

 1770, and 1771, by one third. Jl is curious 

 to fee from hence how the trade of this place 

 has vibrated with the linen manufacture, that 

 being juft the account I have received of the 

 progefs of that fabrick. Calculated that the 

 trade of Belfaft in general encreafed one third 

 in fifteen years, ending in 1^70, or 1771. 

 The number of people fuppofed to amount to 

 from 1 2 to t 5,000. Belfaft being the place from 

 whence the emigrations were the greateft, I 

 made many enquiries concerning them, and 

 found that they have for many years had a re- 

 gular emigration of about 2000 annually, but 

 in 1772 the decline of the linen manufacture 

 encreafed the number-, and the fame caufe 

 continuing in 1773 they were at the higheft, 

 when 4000 went. In 1774 there were but 

 few; and in 1775 there were none, nor any 

 fince. Some that went had property, and fo 

 had fome of thofe that always went. In ge- 

 neral 



