BRITAIN. 



article, thtir will rcniniii 6,04j;,455l. for the wages of perfons 

 employed in it, which, allowing; to each 25I. a year at an 

 average, makes the mirobcr employed 241,818. 



The cotton maimf;itturc was formerly iiiconfidcrable, in 

 compatifon wiili its prefent ftnte. Tiie total quantity of 

 cotton wool imported into England, on an average of five 

 yean, ending with 170J, was i,i70,88ilbs. ; and fo late as 

 the year 1781, it amounted to only 5,]0!,9:olb3. But 

 ttiis inanufadurc was fo much txtmdcd, that before the 

 com-nencemtnt of the lad war the confumption of cotton 

 Wool amouiiteJ to upwards of 3o,ooo,ooolbs. per annum. 

 During the years I7v6. I797» 1/9*^1 '"<! '799' '''^ annual 

 import, at an average, was 3o,43.i.,coolbs. ; the value of 

 ivhich, when manufadured, cannot be lefs than 9,500,000!. ; 

 and if we dcduA from this fum 863,636!. for profits of capital, 

 at 10 per cent, and 3,804,250!. for coll of the raw material 

 at is. 6d. per pound, there will remain 4,832,1 14I. for wages, 

 which, divided i.t the rate of 15I. per annum for each peilon, 

 ou account of the number of women and children employed, 

 n<.akes the whole number 322,140 perfons. 



The filk manufacture has of late years experienced little 

 flucliiation ; the average of raw and tlirown filk imported 

 for three years preceding the 5tli of January, 1797, was 

 88j,4jSlbs. ; and the ufual quantity cannot be dated at lefs 

 than 900,ocolbs. the value of which, when manufafturcd, is 

 about 2,700,000!. The cod of the filk, averaging that of 

 tlieiawnndthrownat2 8s. per pound, amounts to 1,260,000!., 

 and the profits of the manufadurer to 245,454!. at the rate 

 ofio per cent, on the cod when manufadured. The num- 

 ber of perfons employed in this manufadure has been dated 

 at 200,000 and upwards ; but there is reafon, fays Mr, 

 GrcUier, to believe that it does not exceed 60,000 of all de- 

 fcriptions. 



The linen manufadure of Great Biitai.i is chiefly confined 

 to Scotland , though fome branches of it are carried on in 

 Manchefter and other parts of England. The total quantity 

 of Britilh Unen exported during the years 1797, 1798, 1799, 

 was 56,481,000 yards; and if the quantity retained for 

 home confumption is not greater than the export, the value 

 of the whole mud be at lead i,6oo,oool. ; and that this does 

 not exceed the truth is probable, if the yearly value of the 

 whole manufadure in Great Britain, with the thread and 

 other branches of the flax trade, is ftateJ at 2,000,000!., and 

 the number of perfons employed at 6o,oco. 



The hemp manufadure at prefent exceeds 1,500,000!., 

 but it is lefs in time of peace ; and the number of perfons 

 employed is probably not lefs than 35,000. 



The paper manufadure has of late greatly advanced. 

 About ICO years ago, the paper made in this country was 

 almoil wholly the coarfe wrapping paper, and for a long 

 time the fuperior kinds were for the mod part imported ; 

 but the export is now confiderable. The annual value of 

 the manufadure, at the preftnt high prices of the article, 

 cannot be lefs than 903,000!. ; and the number of p?< fnna 

 employed is 30,000. 



The glafs manufadure has of late very much improved 

 and increafed ; fo that it may now amount to 1,500,000!. 

 and the perfons employed in it are aliout ; 6,000. 



The potteries and manufadures of earthen ware and por- 

 celain have rapidly advanced during the prefent century, in 

 confequence of the improvement they have received, and tlie 

 introd'.idion of many new and beautiful wares both for our 

 own ufe an i foreign markets. We are particularly indebted 

 to Mr. Wedgwood, " for converting clay into gold." The 

 annu d value will probably not be over-rated at 2,000,000!., 

 and the number of perfons employed at 45,000. 



The iron manufadure is fupplied partly by the produce of 

 our o-.vh mines, and partly by thofe of other countries. 



With refped to the fird it is faid, the tola! produce of pig- 

 iron in Britain does not at prefent exceed 100,000 tons ; and 

 reckoning on an average, that 33cwt. of crudeiion produce* 

 one ton of bars, and that the manufadure of malleable iron 

 amounts to 3';)Ooo tons per annum, this branch will require 

 57,7 'JO tons of crude iron ; and the value in bars at 20I. 

 a ton is 700,000!. ; the remainnig 42,250 tons, cad into 

 cannon, cylinders, macliineiy, &c. at 14I. a ton, is worth 

 591,500!. The fupply of foreign bar-iron is chiefly obtained 

 from Ruffia and Sweden ; and the quantity imported, on an 

 average of 12 years, has been 44>I35 tons, worth, at 22I. 

 per ton, 970,970!., which, together with tlie former fums, 

 amounts to 2,262,470!. Some years ago, the value of the 

 iron manufadure was edimated at 8,700,000!. ; but if this 

 fum fliould appear too high, we may include tin and lead, 

 and the value of the whole will probably amount to 

 10,000,000!., and the number of perfons employed to 

 200,000. 



The copper and brafs manufadures are now eftabliflied in 

 this country. Till about the years 1720 or 1730, mod of 

 the copper and brafs utenfils ufed for cubnary and other 

 purpofes in this country were imported from Hamburg and 

 Holland, being procured from the manufadories of Ger- 

 many : and even fo late as the years 1745 and 1750, copper 

 tea-kettles, faucepans, and pots of all fizes, were imported 

 in large quantities. But by the perfevering indudry, capi- 

 tals, and enterprifing fpirit of our miners and manufadurers, 

 thefe imports liave become totally unneceffary ; fo that the 

 articles are now all made liere, and far better than any otlier 

 country can produce. The difcovery of new copper-minea 

 in Derbyfhire and Wales, about the year 1773, contributed 

 to the extenfion of the manufadure in this country ; and it 

 appears to be dill increafing, notwithdanding the late great 

 advance in the price of copper. The value of wrought 

 copper and brafs, exported during the year 1799, was 

 1,222,187!.; and there is reafon to believe, that the whole 

 value of thefe manufadures at prefent is at lead. 3,500,000!., 

 and the number of perfons employed 6o,oool. 



The deel, plating, and hard-ware manufadures, including 

 the toy-trade, have been of late much extended, and may 

 probably amount in value to 4,000,000!., and the perfons 

 employed to at lead 70,000. 



It is acknowledged, that many of thefe edimates mud be 

 en"entia!!y defedive, from the want of public documents re- 

 fpeding many important brandies of trade. However, they 

 ftrve to fhew, in a general view, the relative extent of our 

 principal manufadures, as in the following fummary : 



Annual Value. Peilbns employed. 



Woollen - - £'. 15,500,000 425,043 



Leather • - io,50o,oco 241,818 



Cotton - - 9,500,000 322,140 



Silli ... 2,700,000 60,000 



Linen and flax - 2,000,000 60,000 



Hemp - . 1,500,000 35,000 



Paper • - 900,000 30,000 



Glafs - - • 1,500,000 36,000 



Potteries . •- 2,000,000 45,000 



Iron, tin, and lead 10,000,000 200,000 



Copper and brafs - 3,500,000 60,000 



Steel, plating, &c. - 4,000,000 70,000 



;f. 63,600,000 1,585,000 



To the above enumerated manufadures of greater import- 

 ance, we might have added thofe of hats, horn, draw, &c. 

 which taken together are of very confiderable amount, and 

 employ a great number of hands, There are alfo fome, 

 which, though not gene-ally included among the manu. 



Tadures, 



