F R A 
Nothing is more eaSy than to deftroy ; nothing is fo diffi¬ 
cult., and, above all, Co tedious, as to reconftruCt. 
An officer arrived at the committee of public welfare : 
he announced that Hie republican armies were in prefence 
of the enemy; but that the French generals durft not march 
their foldiers to battle, becaufe the brandies were poifoiled, 
and that the lick in the hofpitals, having drunk fotne, had 
died. Me requefted the cc in mi'tee to catife them to be 
examined, afked for orders on this Subject, and wifhed to 
fet off again immediately. The mold fkilful chemifts were 
inftantly affembled : they were ordered to analyze the bran¬ 
dies, and to indicate, in the courfe of the day, the poifon 
and the remedy. Thefe fcavans laboured without inter- 
miflion, fruiting only to themfelves for the molt minute 
details. Scarcely was time allowed them to finiffi their 
operations, when they were fummoned to appear before 
the committee. They announced that the brandies Were 
not poifoned, and that water only had been added to them, 
in which was Hate in fufpenfion, fo that it was fufficient to 
filter them, in order to deprive them of their hurtful qua¬ 
lity. The commiffioners were then alked if they were 
perfectly fure of what they had juIT advanced. As a fa- 
tisfactory anfwer to the queftion, one of them took a 
firainer, poured the liquor through it, and drank it with¬ 
out helitation. All the others followed his example. 
“ What 1” faid the committee to him, “ do you dare to 
drink thefe poifoned brandies ?”—“ I durfl do much more,” 
anfwered he, “ when I put my name to the report.” 
Gun-powder was the article for which there was the 
moll urgent occafion. The arms of the foldiers were of 
no nfe without it. The magazines were empty. The ad- 
minilirators of the powder-mills were ad'embled to know 
what they could do. They declared that the annual pro¬ 
duce amounted to three millions of pounds only, that the 
balls of it was faltpetre drawn from India, that extraor¬ 
dinary encouragements might raife them to five millions, 
but that no hopes ought to be entertained of exceeding 
that quantity. When the members of the committee of 
public welfare announced to the adminiftrators that they 
mult manufacture feventeen millions of pounds of powder 
in the fpace of a few months, the latter remained ftnpe- 
fied. “ If yon fucceed in doing this,” faid they, “ you 
mult have a method of making powder of which we are 
ignorant.” This, however, was the only means of faving 
the country. As the cal 1 was urgent and immediate, it 
was im-pofiible to think of procuring faltpetre from India. 
The fgavans offered to extraCt all from the foil o£ the re¬ 
public. A general requilition called to this labour the 
whole mafs of the people. Short and Ample directions, 
Spread with inconceivable activity, made, of a difficult art, 
a common procefs. All the abodes of men and animals 
■were explored. Saltpetre was'fought for even in the ruins 
of Lyons; and foda collected from among the allies of the 
fore (Is of La Vendee. 
The refults of this grand movement would have been 
ufelefs, had not the fciences been feconded by new efforts. 
Native faltpetre is not fit for making powder; it is mixed 
with Salts and earths which render it moill, and diminiffi 
its activity. The procefs employed for purifying it de¬ 
manded confiderable ability. The conftruCtion of powder- 
mills alone would have required feveral months, and be¬ 
fore that period, France might have been Subjugated. 
Chemiftry invented new methods for refining and drying 
faltpetre in a few days. As a Substitute for mills, pul¬ 
verized charcoal, Sulphur, and faltpetre, were mixed, with 
copper-balls, in calks which were turned round by hand. 
By thefe means, gun powder vyas made in twelve hours ; 
and thus was verified that bold affertion of one of the 
French chemifts to the committee of public welfare : 
“ Earth impregnated with faltpetre ffiall be produced,” 
faid he, “ and, in five days after, your cannon (hall be 
loaded.” 
In a country pregnant with fo much profound ability, 
it might naturally be inferred that its foreign commerce 
would have been extenlive and highly productive ; but 
Vol. VII. No. 478. 
-N C E. 901 . 
this never was the cafe. Being almoft continually em¬ 
ployed in warfare, the attention of its government has 
been more anxioully engaged in home defence, and in the 
encouragement of its numerous internal manufactures, 
than in cultivating fetllemeivts and factories abroad. The 
chief imports have always been raw lilk, wool, hemp, 
foda, and potaffi, raw hides, tallow, and timber; and the 
chief exports, manufactured lilks, woollens, and linens of 
various kinds, gloves, (kins, foap, oxen, fheep, mules, 
and above all wines and brandies. By the official accounts 
for 1784, which did not include the provinces of Lorr^in 
and Alface, nor the Welt-Indian trade, the ftatement was 
Total exports, 307,151,700 livres. 
Total imports, 271,365,000 
Balance, - 35,786,700 or /T,565,668 fterling. 
The trade with the Weft Indies gave a large balance 
againlt France, which in 1786 exported to the amount of 
more than 64,000,000 livres, but the imports exceeded 
174,000,000. The average imports of France in 1788 
were about twelve millions and a half fierling, the ex¬ 
ports nearly fifteen millions. This commerce, final 1 as it 
was at the above period, has fince, by the convullive dis¬ 
orders of the ftate occafioned by the revolution, been al- 
mofi annihilated. 
But if the foreign commerce of France has been limited, 
its internal trade and great national induftry lias been al® 
ways productive and exemplary. From the year 1650 to 
1750, France poffeffed the moft flqurifiling manufactures 
in Europe; infonmeh that French writers fpeak of the 
Engliffi manufactures as being of recent fame. At Abbe¬ 
ville was a famous manufacture of broad cloth; and ano¬ 
ther at I.ouviere in Normandy. At the fame place, and 
at Amiens, were manufactures cf fluff's, worfteds, &c. 
and Some of cotton. The manufactures of Orleans were 
dockings, and refined Sugar. At Chateau Roux another 
manufactory of broad cloths; and in the fame neighbour¬ 
hood large iron forges. At Limoges an hundred looms 
were employed in weaving druggets of hemp and wool ; 
and the paper-mills amounted to Seventy. The large 
woollen manufactory at Cahors had declined ; but thole 
of Montauban continued to flourilh. At Montpellier were 
confiderable manufactures of blankets and lilk handker¬ 
chiefs; but thofe of Nifmes were (till more important in 
lilk, cotton, and thread : and at Gange was the chief ma¬ 
nufacture of lilk (lockings in all France. The londrins 
for the Levant were chiefly made at Beg-de-Rieux, and 
at Carcaffonne. At Fan are large manufactures of linen. 
Tour has long been fcelebrated for lilks. Beauvais, one 
of the moft aCtive towns in France, fupplies tapeftries and 
printed callicoes. The fabrication of plate glafs at St. 
Gobin, is well known to be the firlt in Europe. In incit¬ 
ing t he glafs, beech-wood only is employed, which -is In p- 
pofed to be the chief caufe of its fuperiority over that of 
England. At St. Qiiintin are made linen, cambric, and 
gauzes. Cambrics deiive their name from Cambray ; and 
the laces of Valenciennes have been long admired. Lille 
difplays fine cloths and camblets. Rouen is confidered 
as the Manchester of France, being a town eminent in 
the manufactures of velvet, and cotton cloths; and Caen 
boafts of her (ilky produce. Bretagne in general has nu¬ 
merous manufactures of thread and linen. The fine cloths 
made at Louviere are elteemed the firft in the world, and 
at the Same place is a large cotton-mill. Rheims is re¬ 
markable for woollens. The Silk manufactures of Lyons 
were eliimated to employ 60,000 people, the looms being 
computed at 12,000. Iron manufactures flourifiied at 
Nantes, Mont Cenis, St. Philippe-en-foret, and Several 
other places. The French have for Some years part ob¬ 
tained the Secret from Spain of making Caftile foap, and 
have very extenlive manufactories of that article both at 
Marfeilles and Toulon, and have thereby deprived the 
Spaniards of that valuable branch of trade. Nor is this 
the only benefit the French receive by this manufacture; 
for as one of tlje chief ingredients in its composition is 
10 U Levantine 
