TRADE. 
>n marine Insects, _worms, and small fishes; 
t is tenacious of life, and can exist many 
tours out of water; the skin is remarkably 
ougli, and the animal may be excoriated 
ritli almost the same facility as an eel. See 
’late Mat. Hist. fig. 403. 
I 2. Trachinus osbeckii, osbeckian weever. 
Native of the Atlantic seas, and found about 
the isle of Ascension, See. Colour white, 
spotted with black ; both jaws of equal length. 
End furnished with several rows of long and 
pointed teeth, three of which, both above 
and below, are larger than the rest : some 
pharp teeth are also situated in the throat : 
bach gill-cover is terminated by two spines of 
unequal length ; tail even. Described by 
Osbeck in his Voyage to China. There are 
no other species. 
TRADE, the practice of exchanging 
»oods, wares, money, bills and other articles 
>f value, with the view of advantage or profit, 
t is generally distinguished into foreign trade, 
>r the export and import of commodities 
o and from other countries, and the internal 
>r home trade, or that which is carried on 
vitlihi the country, which two branches, 
lowever, are rather distinct in appearance 
pan reality ; for a very considerable portion 
>f the internal trade, arising from manufac- 
xircs carried on to supply foreign markets, 
sould not subsist without foreign commerce, 
vliile a large part of the returns for manu- 
actures sent abroad, being articles for con- 
umption or raw materials which are con- 
certed to use in the different manufactures, 
lepends upon our internal trade, so that the 
mo supports the other, and by their mutual 
sonnection and dependance, the foreign and 
he domestic trade of Great Britain have risen 
Igether to their present unparalleled 
leight. 
r l'he extent and value of the principal 
>r inches of foreign trade have been stated un- 
ler the article Commerce, and the following 
lew of the present state of the principal ma- 
iiifactures will shew the vast importance of 
ur internal or home trade ; a general proof 
f the advancement of which, may be found 
a the great increase in the number of coun- 
ty banks, now spread all over the kingdom, 
driving their profits chiefly from this part of 
ts trade. 
Manufactures may be defined the arts by 
riiich natural productions are brought into 
he state or form in which they are consum- 
d or used. The principal manufactures are 
hose which fabricate the various articles of 
lothing ; as the woollen-manufacture, the 
father-manufacture in part, the cotton-ma- 
(ufacture, the linen-manufacture, and the silk- 
manufacture ; others supply articles of house- 
old furniture, as the manufactures of glass, 
orcelain, earthenware, and r of most of the 
letuls in part; the iron-manufacture fur- 
ishes implements of agriculture, and wea- 
ons of war; and the paper-manufacture 
applies a material for communicating ideas 
nd perpetuating knowledge. 
j The enhanced value of raw materials by 
lanufacture has been illustrated by the fol- 
jwing remarks : “ One hundred pounds laid 
at in wool, and that wool manufactured into 
oods for the Turkey market, and raw silk 
rought home in return, and manufactured 
ere, will increase that one hundred to five 
ousand pounds ; which quantity of silk-ma- 
ifactures being sent to New Spain, would 
[Vol. IL 
return ten thousand pounds; which vast Im- 
provement of the first hundred pounds, be- 
comes, in a few years, dispersed amongst all 
orders and degrees, from the prince to the 
peasant. Thus, again, a parcel of iron-stone, 
which when taken from its natural bed, was 
not worth five shillings, when made into iron 
and steel, and thence into various manufac- 
tures for foreign markets, may probably 
bring home to the value of ten thousand 
pounds ; for steel may be made near three 
hundred times dearer than standard gold, 
weight for weight. Twenty acres of fine 
flax, when manufactured into the dearest and 
most proper goods for foreign markets, may, 
in return, bring what may be worth ten thou- 
sand pounds ; for an ounce of the finest Flan- 1 
ders thread has been sold in London for 
four pounds, and such an ounce made in 
Flanders into the finest lace, may be here 
sold for forty pounds ; which is above ten 
times the price of standard gold, weight for 
weight.” 
Manufactures had begun to flourish in 
different parts of Europe, long before they 
were attempted in Britain ; the few articles 
of this description which were in request, 
being obtained in exchange for wool, hides, 
tin, and such other produce as the country in 
a very uncultivated state could supply. In 
1337, it was enacted, that no more wool 
should be exported ; that no one should wear 
any but English cloth ; that no cloths made 
beyond seas should be imported ; that fo- 
reign clothworkers might come into the 
king’s dominions, and should have such fran- 
chises as might suffice them. Before this 
time, the English were little more than shep- 
herds and wool-sellers. 
The progress of improvement since the es- 
tablishment of manufactures in this country, 
has in most instances been remarkably great, 
particularly of late years, in consequence of 
an increased knowledge of the properties of 
various materials, vast improvements in all 
kinds of machinery, and the great capitals in- 
vested in most of the different branches. The 
value of British manufactures exported to all 
countries, on an average of Six years, ending 
with 1774, was 10,342,019/.; the American 
war suspended for a time an important mar- 
ket for several of our manufactures, in con- 
sequence of which the total amount exported 
had fallen in 1781 to 7,633,332/. and on an 
average of six years, ending with 1783, was 
8,6l6,660/. During the peace which follow- 
ed, the export trade rapidly revived, and, in 
the year preceding the war with France, had 
attained to a magnitude beyond all former, 
example ; it was checked a little by the mer, ; 
cantile embarrassments in 1793', Taut a few 
years after, the urise£cled state of several of 
the principal European powers threw many 
additional branches of foreign trade into the 
hands of our merchants, and carried the ex- 
port of our manufactures to its present im- 
portant extent. 
Official value of British produce and ma- 
nufactures exported from Great Britain, for 
eighteen years, ending 5th January, 1806: 
In 1788 
£ 12,724,719 
1789 
13,779,506 
1790 
14,921,084 
1791 
16,810,018 
1792 
18,336,851 
1793 
13,892,263 
5K 
80 $ 
In 179^ 
o£. 16,725,402 
1795 
13,338,213 
1 796 
19,102,220 
1797 
16,903,103 
1798 
19,672,503 
1799 
24,084,213 
1800 
24,304,283 
1801 
25,699.809 
1 802 
26,993,129 
1803 
22,252,027 
1804 
23,935,793 
1805 
25,003,30S 
The real value of British produce and ma- 
nufactures exported, 
however, considerably 
exceeds the above official statement, and as 
far as it can be ascertained, under the ad va- 
lorem duties, or computed at the average 
current prices of the goods, it amounted in 
the year 1804 to 40,349,642/. and in 1805 to 
41,068,942/. The commodities included 
under the term British produce, such as 
alum, bark, coals, caltie, fish, hops, roetalsj 
salt, and a few other articles, being united in 
these accounts with manufactured goods, the 
actual value of the latter cannot be derived 
from them ; but in a comparative view they 
furnish a sufficiently accurate idea of the 
proportions exported at different periods. 
r J he annual produce of the different ma- 
nufactures of this country, and the employ- 
ment created by them, lias in several in- 
stances been greatly over-rated ; for if the 
number of persons which the various branches 
have at different times been represented t® 
employ, were added together, they would 
make the population of the country far ex- 
ceed its known amount, without any allow- 
ance whatever for other occupations. 
The woollen-manufacture, which is the 
most antient and important, has increased 
j during the last twenty years, and appears t® 
j be still increasing, notwithstanding the high 
| price of the material, and the precarious state 
J of the foreign markets. On a late examin- 
I ation of the principal woollen-manufacturers, 
by a committee of the house of commons, 
Mr. W. Hustler estimated the quantity of 
wool grown in this country at 600,000 packs, 
of 240 pounds each, whicli at 11/. per pack 
makes the value of the whole 6,600,000/. He 
justly observed that it is difficult to ascertain 
how much the wool is increased in value by 
being manufactured ; some sorts are increased 
rather more than double, some nine times or 
even more ; but if the average is takan at 
only three times, which will be under the 
truth, the total value of the wool manufac- 
tured in the country will amount to 19,8 00,000/. 
It must be remarked, that this i calculation 
is founded on a supposition that, in 1791, 
the number of sheep in the kingdom was 
28,800,000, which, as far as any idea can be 
formed from the proportion of the consump- 
tion of the metropolis to that of the whole 
island, and the stock requisite for the supply, 
greatly exceeded the truth at that time ; and 
it is the general opinion, particularly of per- 
sons in the wool-trade, that of late the number 
of sheep kept has been considerably reduced. 
The calculation is likewise made at an unu- 
.sually high price of wool ; for though during 
the year 18G0, the average price was about 
•eleven guineas, the average of the three or 
-four preceding years was certainly not more 
than from ten pounds to ten guineas; upon 
the whole, the estimate, therefore, will be 
