
1799. ] 
as well as buildings. Manchefter is con- 
neéted with moft parts of the kingdom 
by means of canals: at the commence- 
ment of the prefent war, it feems to have 
had more inhabitants than Liverpool. In 
1791, it was calculated to contain about 
66,000 people; of whom 20,000 were 
employed in preparing warp and weft cot- 
ton: this calculation includes the parifh 
of Salford, which ftands on the'wett fide of 
the river, and is connected with Manchef- 
ter by good bridges. However, the po- 
pulation is now greatly decrealed, by the 
failure of trade, and the very great num- 
ber of men, who enlifted into the army.— 
The manufacturers earn very high wages ; 
but are feldom provident enough to lay up 
a fuffivient ftock for oldage. ‘There is often 
one great inconveniency attending the large 
manufacturing towns, whofe population 
has increafed rapidly: the quantity ot bu- 
rying grounds foon becomes too {mall for 
the mortality of the place, and renders it 
neceflary to open the earth before it ought 
to be dug up. This has been the cafe at 
Mancheiter ; a grave is made pretty deep, 
and one corpfe is laid above another till 
it is fufficiently full, and then covered up. 
But even that method being found not to 
make room enough in the ehurch yard, 
another parcel of ground, a little diftance 
from the town, was procured for the pur- 
pofe of interring the dead: the manner of 
depofiting the bodies in this receptacle is, 
however, ftill more hocking. A large 
{quare hole is dug, and one coffin laid 
upon and befide another, till it is full, 
and then covered with fand: afew boards 
are faftened over this hole during the night 
and part of the day, till the time of the 
funerals, when they are again removed ; 
but I have been told, fuch is the careleff- 
nefs of the fextons, that the pigs have 
fometimes uncovered the coffins. The 
land in this neighbourhood is rather hea- 
vy and ftrong, and lets for about 4l. per 
ftatute acre.—Upon the whole, this town, 
in my opinion, affords as defirable a ref- 
dence as any large manufacturing town 
I have feen ; and the employ it affords, is 
in general lucrative; but the bufinefs, as 
in other manufactures, is fubject to great 
fluétuation. 
December 6. Manchefter to Bury in 
Lancafhire, 9 miles.—This diftri& is 
fomething like the laft I pafled: It is le- 
vel ; the fields {mall, and moftly ia grafs ; 
and the country extremely populous in cot- 
ton manufacturers. Bury is a {mall, but 
neat and pleafant manufacturing town, 
containing about 2000 fouls. They ma- 
nufacture fome cloth, but chiefly cotton, 
Houfman’ s Tour continued. 
373 
in all its branches. —The population in 
this neighbourhocd is very much upoa 
the increafe.x—Farms are {mall; from 
tal. to 30]. a year, and rent of land, 15s. 
to 4]. ros. per acre, the average about 
30S. 
December 3. Went from Burv to Pref- 
ton in Lancathire, 27 miles.— The road, 
for the moft part, very bad: the furface 
generally level, but not without fome ex- 
ceptions; the foil inferior to the other 
parts of Lancafhire Ihave feen ; the coun- 
try rather naked, and few trees appear. 
I patied feveral tracts of poor common, 
and obferved fome diftricts apparently in- 
clofed not long ago.—This road crofles 
the new cana] different times ; the people 
teem to make a very flow progre{s in cut- 
ting it ; which, report fays, is occafioned 
by a want of money. In this day’s jour- 
ney, [ pafled through Bolton and Chorley, 
beth of which are pleafant towns, and 
carry on the cotton manufactory to a 
great extent: indeed the country all along 
{warms with houfes and people.—Prefton 
ftands pleafantly, is exceedingly well built, 
moft of the houles medern; many ef the 
ftreets, and efpecially the market place, 
are wide and clean: in fhort, I have not 
feen many towns in the kingdom fo agree- 
able, taken altogether, as this. It con- 
tains about 7000 inhabitants, two thirds 
of whom are employed in {pinning, wear- 
ing, printing cottons, mutlins, &e. The 
rent of land in this neighbourhood is 
about 21. to al. per ftatute acre; and fize 
of farms, 151. to sol. a year: the land is 
moftly in paiturage, and cows kept thereon. 
December 10. Prefton to Lancafter, 
22 miles.---The country is level in gene- 
ral; pafs fome tracts of common; the 
fields are {mall, and much in grafs. The 
road better than in my laft day’s journey. 
Some parts of this diftrict produces furze 
plentifully, which is fuffered to remain, 
and fhews that manufaéture is more attend- 
ed to than agriculture.—The population 
all along is ftill very great ; but rather 
decreafes toward Lancafter. The new 
canal proceeds very flowly, either for want 
of hands or money.---Lancafter, or a part 
of it, ftands ona floping ground by the 
river Loyne: it is well built, and gene- 
rally clean; but moft of the ftreets are 
narrow, and want regularity. The church 
and caftle, or goal, ftand together, on a 
hill at the weft end of the town; the latter 
has lately undergone a thorough repair. 
From this place, an extenfive profpect is 
had, particularly to the northward, over 
the Lancafter, Milthrop, and Ulverftone 
fands, Small veflels come up the Loyne 
