1802. } 
appearance of the place derives no impor- 
tance from them ; and its general air, 
though it wears evident marks of improve- 
ment, is not likely to attra&t much admi- 
ration. It is paved in the afual manner, 
by Aét of Parliament ; but is not lighted 
at any expence to the inkabitants. | The 
cleanlinefs of the town will not bear to be 
much extolled. : 
The (tate of manners at Gofport, with 
a few other particulars refpe€ting it, thal] 
form the fubjeét of a future communi- 
cation. Your's, &c. 
Lortfea, May 28, 1802. W.N, 
For the Moxthly Magazine. 
account of the great MEKXCANTILE 
FAIR @f LEIPZIG, at EASTER, 1802. 
1. Preparations. 
Y HE grand drama of the Leipzig 
Bafter-fair is certainly during the 
reprefentation itfelf, in various points of 
view, very attractive and entertaining, 
whether one belong to the crowd of buiy 
actors, or beonly an idle looker-on—whe- 
‘ther one have on his nofea pair of {tatiftical, 
or pfychological Ipettacles. On viewing it, 
a Democritus might fhake his fides with 
laughter, and a Heraclitus cry his eyes 
out of his head. But the preparations 
even to thefe Mercurialia are well worthy 
of notice. To enable us to underitand 
them, we mult have the Map of Europe 
before us. Here on the Weftern coaft of 
Scotland, immenfe baies of prinzed and 
other coloured cottons, of the fincit cam- 
brics, and of the moft beautiful muflins, 
were fent laft autumn, and towards the 
end of March, from Glafgow, Paifley, 
Rutherglen, and other manufatturing 
places, by the canal to Leith and other 
ports on the Eaftern coaft, to be thence 
fhipped for Hamburg. Only a {mall part 
however, of thefe goods came into the 
hands of a Merk, and other intermediate 
dealers in that city; the manufacturers 
finding it more advantageous to proceed 
them(elves, or fend their riders and agents 
forward to Leipzig, where Macnab, a 
defcendant from the celebrated family of 
Righland Blackimiths, in Glenorchy, and 
now the principal faétor of all the Scotch 
muflin manufacturers for tran{aéting their 
bufnels at the fairs of Frankfort, Brunf 
wick, and. Leipzig, gained more in one 
hour in his well-ttored magazine, than all 
his anceftors could acquire for centuries 
by their Vulcanic labours. Befides Mac- 
nab, there appeared at the fair the ag.nts, 
or principals, of from tcn to twelve other 
Scotch commercial houles ; among whom, 
Guthries from Glatgow particularly dil- 
Account of Leipzig Eafter Fair. 35 
tinguifhed themfelyes by the extent of 
their dealings. 
At the fame time that North Britain 
thus fends forth the produce of her induf- 
try. the ports of Hull and London fwarm 
with merchant-fhips, totake in cargoes of 
Englith goods conligned to the fame mart. 
The Manchefter manufacturers tran{mit vaft 
quantities of their cotton-fuff, &c. to their 
principal correfpondent, Humphries ;befides 
whom a dozen other merchants, as for in- 
fiance, Tulloch, Turner, &c. accompany, 
themiclves, their goods to the fair. In- 
deed, it is altonifhing what loads of leather, 
cloths of every kind, fteel and iron wares, 
how many thoulands of buttons, buckles, 
needles, fiockings, and a variety of neat 
patent inventions, are for months before 
prepared and colleGted for their Leipzig 
cuftomers, by the fpecalating, enterprif- 
ing merchants of England, From the port 
of London in particular, large quantities 
of the produce of the Eait and Weft-Indies 
are fhioped for Hamburg and Bremen, to 
fupply the wholcfale-dealers of thefe cities, 
who vifit Letpzig'at Eafter. One Ham- 
burg merchant difpatched thither from 
Bremen ten large waggons loaded with 
coffee and lugar. 
Nor were the French wanting in endea- 
vours to prepare lures by which they 
might draw into their nets the Northern 
gold and German filver. Bonaparte had 
notin vain announced to the Lyonefe ma- 
nuiacturers the new commercial treaty 
with Raifia. During the winter they had 
 buhly employed all their remaining capi- 
tals and hands, that they might be able 
to fupply the increafing demands for filks. 
Only a {mall quantity was expofed at the’ 
Frankfort fasr; the richeft packages from 
Lyons being forwarded direétly to Leipzig. 
During the whole of the Eafter-week, the 
high-read through Thuringia was coveied 
with Jong trains of waggons loaded with 
Freach merchandize. In boxes inconfidera- 
ble as to fize, but filled with moft valuable 
contents, feveral merchants from the isterior 
of France, and particularly from the capi- 
tai, brought along with themin their own 
traveliing-carriages, their jewellery, arti- 
cles of drefs, porcelains, perfumeries, 
azi whatever omnipotent fafhion had 
fanétioned by the lateft impreflion of her 
feal. Bauvallon from Valenciennes, Cla- 
rambonlt-Rattion from Alencon, could 
carry their laces and points very conveni= 
ently with them in neat little’ chefts, and 
yet do bafinefs to the amoyne of many 
thoufands. Along wiih the French came 
the manufacturers of watches from Gene- 
va, Locles, Chaud de Fond, and the val- 
E2 lies 
