1799:] 
natural unwillingnefs of unthinking per- 
fons to give an account of their families 
and lodgers, from the peculiar unwilling- 
“nefs manifelted, when every one, who was 
able, was expected to be called into actual 
fervice for the repulfion of invaders, it may 
be concluded, ‘that the population of this 
town and neighbourhood was not eftimated 
to the utmoft; efpecially as fince that time 
many houfes have been built round the 
town, particularly upon Bolton Moor, as 
it has been called: an account of the fafe 
of which, and of its confequences, will 
perliaps be raore interefting than may pre- 
vioufly be imagined. ’ 
- — Juft before the breaking out of hoftili- 
ties with the French nation, there had been 
obtained an aét of Parliament for its fale, 
to which every.inhabitant or perfon inte- 
refted had before figned affent. Afteran 
equivalent had been given to five lords of 
_ the manor for their feveral claims, the reft 
was divided mto lots, each- of which lots 
was put up to auction; when the whole 
was fo well fold, that, though it be only 
about 250 acres, it was fold for 26321. 
per annum, befides rol. depofit money, 
which was to be paid down immediately 
for every ftatute acre. This fum, after 
paying for the neceflary roads, has been 
appropriated to the improvement of the 
town, and is to come in aid of the poor- 
rates in Great Bolton. Already are the 
principal ftreets in Great Rolton flagged 
oneach fide, as they and all the others are’ 
lighted in the winter. ‘The chief ftreets 
“unite in the market-place. “Iwo, which 
form a line from the church onthe eaft to 
the weft end of the town, may be a mile; 
and the other ftreet, which joins them at 
right-angles from the fouth, about -half a 
mile in length. The width of the ftreets. 
in the centre of the town, which become 
rather narrower as they recede, is about 
20 yards, and many projections are now 
taken down, fo that the narroweft parts 
are not lefs than 12 yards acro{s. Though 
the purchafers at firft efteemed their lots 
to be bad fpeculations, yet, as more than 
200 houfes have been built upon tne moor, 
the greater part of the remainder of which- 
is inclofed and cultivated, they have thus 
taken the beft method in their power to 
make their fpeeulations anfwer. The 
~ war perhaps was the main caufe why they 
did not fucceed ; yet poffibly the {pirit of 
- induttry may ftill enable the owners toturn 
their apparent and preient loifes into real 
and eventful profit, 
Whether it is owing to the flourifhing 
_ fate of the manufacturing*trace at Bolton, 
Or to a lefs abundance of water than in 
’ 4 
Atcount of Bolton in the Moors. 
near the fources of {treams, where the wa- 
4 
777 
fome other places, not fo many, or at leaf 
not fo large, {pinning-faétories have been 
built at or near this place, as in the neigh- 
bourhood of Manchefter and ‘Stockport. 
There are, liowever, enough of thefe, 
which, whatever-profit they may bring to | 
their owners, or with whatever employ- 
ment they may furnifh the working people, 
are generally, even with the belt poffible 
reculations, found to be very iniurious to 
the health and morals of the community. 
In this neighbourhood are many exten- 
five grounds devoted to the purpole of 
bleaching. Not only is it natural to fup- 
pofe, that this trade would be carried on 
to the greateft advantage where the moft 
and fineft{ goods are’ manufagtured, but 
ter is the purett. 
The improvements in chemiftry have 
made almoft @ total alteration in the art of 
whitening. Formerly pieces required 
many months for their bleaching: they 
may now be completed inafew days. No 
changes of. weather now retard the work, 
which may be executed almoit entirely 
within doors. e 
By the aid of ingenious machinery, the 
goods are got up with the greateft nicety 
and cleannefs, as in a laundry upona large 
fcale. Bleached, calendered and elazed, 
they are thus prepared for the market, and 
are fent to Manchefter for fale, to the « 
warehoufes of their owners, in the carts 80] 
belonging to the bleachers. 
Though in the neighbourhood of Bol- 
ton there may not have been found many * 
telics of antiquity, yet the canal between 

‘this town and Manchefter will perhaps 
eventually fecure it more renown. It is 
cut from Bolton to within a mile from the 
market-place at Manchefter, and on the. 
higheft level has a branch. extending to 
Bury. As it is almoft uniformly parallel 
to the Irwell and its tributary reams, 
which run through valleys abounding with 
picturefque beauties; fo the towing-path 
forms a kind of terrace walk, whence the 
delightful fcenery of nature is viewed to 
very confiderable advantage. On this ca- 
nal there are 12 locks, and 3 aqueduét 
bridges ; one more than 10, another 16, i 
a third 20 yards above the bed of the 
river. Paflengers avoid fix of the locks, - 
which are at the fame place, by afcending 
or defcending the hill toembark on board 
another boat. Carriage-boats pafs through ; 
all the Tocks. Since the canal on the i 
higher levels is cut alone the fide of a hill, 
there feems reafcn to apprehend, left the 
banks, which in fome places overhang the 
river upwards of 19 or 12 yards, may give 
ways. 

