Flax and 
nets. 
Meafure of 
grain. 
318 NATURAL HISTORY 
men, they undertook (for which they are greatly to be commended) 
to fet up a woollen-manufaCtory in the town of Penryn, fituated in 
Falmouth Harbour. This attempt hath fucceeded (though now 
fcarce pad; its infancy) according to expectation, and in its different 
branches already employs fix hundred people. “ The goods they 
make for fale, and which by repeated trials they find they can fend 
to foreign markets as good in quality and on equal terms with other 
parts of the kingdom, are thofe which follow b : Coarfe broad- 
cloths, druggets, duffles of all kinds, bays’s, barragans figured and 
plain, watered grograms, corded and figured everlaftings, figured 
and plain duroys, pluflhes, durants, and fhalloons, befides fome 
other particulars not deemed Handing articles. By fuch a variety of 
articles, they are at liberty to fhift their hands in general from one 
kind of looms to another, till the majority of their workmen be- 
come capable of almoft every different kind of weaving : this ena- 
bles them to execute any extraordinary orders much fooner, and 
upon decline of fales abroad for any one fortment, transfer their 
labourers to another branch; by this means they need not difeharge 
any of their fervants, and alfo work up the different forts of wool 
which the country produces, to the great relief of the induftrious 
poor ; whereas moft part of the natural produce of the fheep was 
before, either fent into other counties to be manufactured, or into 
France in exchange for tea and brandy, to the inconceivable advan- 
tage of our rival nation, and of the moft pernicious confequence to 
our own.” It is to be hoped that no perfon, who is able to lend 
the leaf!: fupport to fo ufeful an attempt, will fuffer it to decline 
for want of it. Again : We have the flax and thread for our pil- 
chard-nets moftly from Bridport in Dorfetfhire, nay even the nets 
are orten made there ; but it would be far more to the advantage 
of the Cornifh, if the materials for netting W'ere railed on the fpot, 
and women and children employed in breeding nets, when the 
fifhery is out of feafon, and bad weather fets in. Our common 
meafure of grain is lingular, and not fo fettled and uniform as it 
fhould be, the bulhel varying in different parts of the county from 
fixteen to twenty-rour gallons. 1 he bufhel in the eaftern parts 
contains betwixt eighteen and twenty-four gallons, in the weft is 
reckoned always to contain three Winchefters, or twenty- four gal- 
lons, and lome will unjuftly increale even this by a gallon or more, 
for the fake of railing the price of what they fell at home without 
the additional gallon, or in concert with the bakers, endeavouring 
to raife the market price, and thereby countenancing the making 
bread or Ihort weight, conformable to that exorbitant price. 
h Letter dated Auguft 27, 1757, from Mr. Richard Williams, Surgeon, of Falmouth, to whofe 
alhduity and direction the prefent faccefs ot this undertaking is chiefly to be attributed. 
In 
