413 
ISLE of MAN. 
and beyond this fods of turf, with the grafs-fide outer- 
moft. Turnips appear to be well fuited to the climate, 
and their ufe is becoming annually more general. Crops 
of carrots and of turnip-rooted cabbage have been tried ; 
but from want of management, or fome other caufe, were 
not found profitable. c 
Flax, in fmall quantities, is very general, but not enough 
is grown for the manufactures of the ifland. The pro- 
cefs of boiling the flax, as recommended by the Bath 
Agricultural Society, has been tried here; but the ex¬ 
pence of it was found to exceed the value of the flax. 
The culture of flax, owing to the uncertainty of the wea¬ 
ther, is a very fpeculative branch of hufbandry. Hemp 
is never fown, except in gardens, and not much there. 
Sown grades are fo eflentially ufeful, that almofl every 
farmer lows grafs'or clover with his fpring-crop. The red 
clover is very eligibly either to be eaten by cattle or cut 
for hay. The former practice is moft beneficial to the 
land; and, if the clover be abundant, fo will generally be 
the enfuing crop of corn. Ray-grafs feed is commonly 
fown with the clover, but by this practice the land is 
impoverifhed. 
Markets for provifions are ordered to be held at each of 
the four towns; but only at Douglas are they regular. 
Fairs for the fale of horfes, cattle, and wearing-apparel, 
the manufacture of the ifland, and for the hiring of fer- 
vants, are numerous; and about fix are very well attended. 
There is no market or fair for grain; and thofe likely to 
want any generally make a contract with the farmers as 
foon as the harveft is got in. 
In fo low' a ftate, till lately, were manufactures and me¬ 
chanics, that the inhabitants had not mills enough to 
grind their wheat, being in the practice of exporting 
wheat and importing flour. The firft, upon a large fcale; 
was ereCted by major Taubman ; and, from being in the 
vicinity of his feat, is called the Nunnery-mill. Several 
others have been lince built; but the chief bufinefs is 
fuppofed to be done here. 
How far the introduction of manufactories might be 
expedient and likely to anfwer the purpofe of the manu¬ 
facturer, would be an amufingand ufeful inquiry. Thofe 
eltabliftied for articles confumed by the natives only muft, 
of courfe, be of fmall magnitude, and, if there be not too 
many, will neceffarily fucceed, provided no peculiar ob- 
ftacles arife. Of this clafs are breweries, candle and foap 
manufactories, tan-yards, and fome others, which the free¬ 
dom from excife-laws tends greatly to encourage. Malt¬ 
ing and brewing being uncontrolled, ale and beer may be 
made for confiderably lefs than half the price which they 
coft in England. Thefe lad-mentioned trades, centering 
in the fame perfon, are probably the chief in the ifland : 
and, judging from the quality of the ale, and the number 
of people who daily get intoxicated with it, particularly 
in the fifning-feafon, the bufinefs of a brewer mud be ex¬ 
tremely profitable. The fondnefs of the people to ale 
does not however diminilh their attachment to fpirits. 
Townley imagines that nearly half the inhabitants die of 
the grog-confumption, which complaint, he facetioufly adds, 
is accounted very catching and infectious. Yet diitille- 
ries are abfolutely prohibited, under the penalty of for¬ 
feiting for every offence 200I. befides the implements ufed 
in the procefs. 
Some years ago a cotton-fpinning manufactory was at¬ 
tempted at Balalalla, by Meflrs. De-la-primes. The fpe- 
culation was foon difcovered to be vain, and the mill- 
work was afterwards ufed in the manufacture of twine 
for fifliing-nets; but, owing to the circumftance of the 
fifhermen ufually, in their leifure-time, making their nets 
from the raw material, the fecond prcjeCt was no more 
fuccefsful than the firfl. Flax-mills have been lately in¬ 
troduced. The demand for linen goods, including Fail- 
cloth, is greater than that for cotton, and the expence of 
the machinery much lels ; they are therefore more likely 
to anfwer here. The fpinning is by machinery through¬ 
out; two hundred and forty fpindles, performing the 
work of an equal number of people, being conftantly at 
work, attended by only ten or a dozen children, and one 
overfeer. The weaving is by hand. Here they make 
flieering, towelling, fail-cloth, and fack-cloth. One woolien 
manufactory has been eftablilhed within thefe few years; 
and the home-confumption may reafonably be fuppofed 
fufncient to keep it at work. The proprietor ufes chiefly 
the fleeces of the Manks Iheep, and has, in fome cafes, 
adopted the fyflem of barter, exchanging a certain quan¬ 
tity of cloth for a certain quantity of wool. 
Commerce in this country was fubjeCl to a moft Angu¬ 
lar regulation, which prevailed to the middle or latter end 
of the feventeenth century. The following extraCf is from 
a book publifhed by authority; namely, “ King’s Defcrip- 
tion of the Ifle of Man,” publifhed with his Vale Royal, 
London, 1656, fol. p. 30. This fhort treatife is the work 
of James Chaloner, who, with Robert Dynely and Jofliua 
Witton, were appointed by Thomas lord Fairfax, lord of 
Man, commiflioners to inquire into the revenue, govern¬ 
ment, religion, and learning, of this ifland. “There are 
four merchants which are ever chofen by the country; 
which choice is ufually made at the Tynwald court, and 
fworn by the deemfters to deal truly, and moft for the 
country’s profit: thefe, for the prefent, are Mr. John 
Stanley and Mr. Philip Moor, for the fouth fide; and Mr. 
Thomas Crelling and Mr. David Chriftian, for the north 
fide. Thefe, when any fhip of fait, wines, pitch, iron, or 
other commodities good for the ufe of the country, comes 
into the ifland, the governor, having firft confulted with 
the merchant-ftranger about the rates and prices of the 
commodities, he fends then for thefe four merchants of 
the country, to appear before him and the merchant- 
ftranger, and drives a bargain, if he can, betwixt them : 
if he cannot agree with them, he commands the four mer¬ 
chants to fpend another day with the merchant-ftranger, 
to deal with him if they can. And whatfoever bargain is 
made by the faid four merchants, the country is to ftand 
to it, and take the commodities of the merchant-ftranger, 
and pay for them according to the rates agreed upon: 
which moft commonly is, that the country are to bring 
in their commodities of wool, hides, tallow, and fuch- 
like; and for the fame have their equal commodities of 
fait, wine, iron, pitch, &c. fo brought in and compounded 
for as aforefaid. And, if the commodities brought in by 
the country will not extend to the value of the ftranger’s 
commodities, then the four merchants are to aftefs the 
reft of the commodities upon the country, every one his 
equal proportion ; for which they are to pay ready money, 
as the four merchants had agreed for them. So by this 
means the merchant-ftranger is much encouraged to bring 
in neceflary things for the ifland ; and the people have, 
by the faithfulnefs of the four merchants, the full benefit 
of the commodity brought in ; which otherwife fome pri¬ 
vate man of the country might and would have taken for 
his own profit: and this is an efpecial benefit for the en¬ 
riching of the people, and for the general good.” 
The prefent exports of this ifland are ftrong linens and 
fail-cloth, their annual value being from 5000I. to io,oool. 
herrings, varying in quantity with the fuccefs of the filh- 
ery ; lead, or lead-ore, fowls, butter, a few eggs, and fome 
other trifling" articles. The imports are manufactured 
goods of almoft every defcription, chiefly from Liverpool; 
coal from Liverpool, and from the ports of Cumberland; 
wine from Oporto and Guernfey; brandy and geneva from 
Guernfey; and rum from England: the balance of trade 
being greatly againft the ifland. The deficiency may, 
perhaps, be made up by remittances to ftrangers, who, in 
order to avoid the fight of a bailiff, or the extravagance 
of Englifh living, take up their temporary or permanent 
abode in this country. 
Gold coin is not plentiful, and filver coin is very fcarce. 
The copper coinage is peculiar to the ifland, fourteen 
Manks pence making one Englifh fhilling. In this refpeft 
things are worfe here than in England, as will appear by 
what follows. Greenock guinea-notes are the chief fub- 
ftitute 
