1802.] State of Arts, Manners, &c. in Edinburgh, and Leith, 
for the ufe of the bakers and diftillers, 
from Dantzick, Gothenburgh, &c. The 
fame merchants trade likewife to the ports 
at the mouths of the Elbe, the Ems, and 
the Wefer. The exports are cottons, 
glafs, and a few otber forts of goods of 
the manufacture of this country. From 
the port of Leith, as from Hull and New- 
eaftle, there is an exportation of pit-coal 
to the Baltic. Since the Clydeand Forth 
were conneéted by a navigable canal, the 
merchants of Glafgow prefer the naviga- 
tion of that canal and of the Forth to 
the circuitous and hazardous navigation 
by the Hebuda and the Orkneys for ex- 
portation of their fugars, rums, and other 
Welt India goods, as well as of the cot- 
tons, to the markets of Germany and the 
Baltic; a preference which tends greatly 
to enliven and enlarge the trade of Edin- 
burgh and Leith. 
The trade with London and the other 
ports on the eaft coaft of England em- 
ploys much of the mercantile capital of 
thefe places, and affords large profits to 
its merchants. ‘The produéts of the her- 
ring-fifhery and of the other fifheries on 
thefe coafts begin to render the exports 
from Leith to the ports of England much 
more valuable than they have heretofore 
been. Edinburgh ale is exported in con- 
fiderable quantity to London: vaft quan-' 
tities of London porter are confumed in 
Edinburgh. ‘The diftillers of Edinburgh 
and its neighbourhood fent formerly 
a geat deal of whifky to the Englifh mar- 
ket. © Woollen-cloth to a prodigious 
amount, and almoft every article of more 
elegant _ manufacture, except cottons, 
linens, and glafs, are received from Eng- 
land for confumption in Edinburgh and its 
neighboirhood. 
There has been formerly a confiderable 
‘trade between Leith and the ports of Hol- 
land and Flanders. It will be, of courfe, re- 
newed, and will become more flourifhing 
than at any former time, in confequence of 
the peace now concluded with France and 
her Allies. 
The trade from Leith to Portugal and 
to the ports of the Mediterranean is con- 
fiderable. The wine-cellars of the mer- 
chants here are famous for fupplying the 
beft port that is drunk in Britain. Salted- 
fith of different forts are the chief ex- 
ports from Leith to thofe fouthern parts. 
A final] trade is carried on from this 
port to the Weft Indies and North Ame- 
rica. It has been fuccefsful, and will 
probably become more confiderable. 
The great trade of Edinburgh is in 
retail for the confumption of its own in- 
~ 
15 
habitants, and for the ufe of perfons in all 
parts of Scotland to whom its other ad- 
vantages of intercourfe, correfpondence, 
and opulence as a capital, make it conve- 
nient to fupply their wants rather di- 
re€tly from this than from. any other 
market. 
Its ftaple manufactures for wholefale 
are glafs-works, foap-works, a {mall ma- 
nufacture of table-linen, fome catt-iron 
works, tanneries, a button-manufacture, 
fome {mall cotton-works, pit-coal-works 
in the vicinity, fhip-building, houfe- 
building, and of late the herring-fifhery, 
if we may name it a manufacture. 
The fhop-keepers in Edinburgh and 
Leith trade on capitals varying from sool. 
to soool. or Goool. fterling. The mer- 
chants doing bufinefs in wholefale, and 
exporting and importing by fea, employ 
capitals of from 2000]. to 20,0001. or 
30,000]. fterling. Fortunes of from 
scool. to 20,000]. are frequently ac- 
quired in the courle of a fingle life, by 
fhop-keepers trading with prudence and 
fuccefs. Merchants in bufinefs on a 
greater fcale, not feldom realize from 
10,0001. to 50,0001. There are bankers 
who are believed to have acquired by 
trade in this metropolis to the clear 
amounts of 200,000l. or even 300,000). 
The proprietor and publifher of a new{- 
paper retired, mot. many years fince, 
from bufinefs with a fortune of above 
20,000]. earned by himfelf in that em- 
ployment. Some builders have acquired 
handfome fortunes. 
The thip-mafters and failors of Leith 
are in great coniideration. The former 
ufually retire, in old age, with fortunes of 
from 10,0001. to 20,0001. fterling. 
Edinburgh owes much of its wealth 
and importance to the advantages it en- . 
joys as the feat of the courts of juftice 
and the offices of Government. The 
Court of Seffion, compofed of fifteen or- 
dinary judges, is the fupreme court in 
Scotland for the decifion of civil caufes 
between parties who are fubjeéts. The 
Court of Jufticiary is the fupreme court 
for crimiual affairs. The Court of Ex- 
cheyuer tries caufes relating tothe revenue. 
The Sheriff’s Courts, the Juftice of Peace’s 
Courts, and the Town Courts are for the 
fubordinate diftribution of juftice for the 
diltri&t. About feven hundred perfons in 
all may be here employed in tranfa&ting 
juridical bufinefs, as judges, advocates, 
writers to the fignet, agents, procurators, 
notaries, meflengers, apprentices and 
clerks. The trial of caufes goes on with 
lefs difpatch than in the Englifh courts. 
‘ The 
