The flints are first ground in mills, and the clay prepared by breaking, washing, and fifting, and then they are mixed in the requifite proportions. The flints are bought first by the people about the country; and by them burnt and ground, and sold to the manufacturers by the peck. It is then laid in large quantities, on kilns, to evaporate the moisture; but this is a nice work, as it must not be too dry: Next it is beat with large wooden hammers, and then is in order for throwing, and is moulded into the forms in which it is to remain: This is the most difficult work in the whole manufacture. A boy turns a perpendicular wheel, which, by means of thongs, turns a small horizontal one, just before the thrower, with fuch velocity, that it twirls round the lump of clay he lays on it, into any form he directs it with his fingers. The earnings of the people are various, Grinders, 7 s. per week. Washers and breakers, 8 s. Throwers, 9 s. to 12 s. Engine lath men, 10s. to 12s.* Handlers, who fix hands, and other kinds of finishers, for adding fprigs, horns, &c. 9s. to 12s. Gilders, Men, 12 s. Women, 7 s. 6 d. *Mr. Wedgwood was the first person who introduced this machine into a porcelaine manufacture. Model Modellers, apprentices, one of 100 l. a year. Preffers, 8 s. to 9 s. Painters, 10 s. to 12 s. Moulders in plaifter of Paris, 8 s. In general the men earn from 7 s. to 125. Women 5s. to 8 s. Boys, chiefly apprentices, but 2 s. a week, the first year, and a rise of 3 d. per annum afterwards. Before they are apprentices 2 s. 9 d. per week, as they then learn nothing. But few girls. We principally owe the poffeffion of this moft flourishing manufacture to the inventive genius of Mr. Wedgwood; who not only originally introduced the prefent cream coloured ware, but has fince been the inventor of every improvement; the other manufacturers being little better than mere imitators; which is not a fortunate circumftance, as it is unlucky to have the fate of fo important a manufacture depend upon the thread of one man's life: However, he has lately entered into partnership with a man of sense and spirit, who will have taste enough to continue in the inventing plan, and not fuffer, in cafe of accidents, the manufacture to decline. I took the opportunity of being at Burjlem, to view the amazing works carrying on at Harecaftle. The navigation I mentioned in describing that of the Duke of Bridgewater, promoted by Lord Gower, and carried on by subscription, to join the ports ports of Hull and Liverpool, is carried across the kingdom, without any very material interruption, except at Harecaftle; but there it follows a valley, which, contrary to most, terminates against hills, without any winding around them; fo that the navigation must either be here stopped, and a land carriage, like the American ones, at the falls in their rivers, be the confequence, or the range of hills, which faced them, pierced through: The attempt was an immense one; but it is made, and will undoubtedly fucceed. The tunnel in the Duke of Bridgwater's navigation, is of a small breadth, as it is the termination of the canal, and boats made on purpose for entering it; but Harecastle being almoft in the center of a navigation of an hundred miles, a fubterrane must of neceffity be fpacious enough to admit all the traffic of the canal, paffing and repaffing, or it would be ufelefs. The canal is therefore carried under-ground in its common breadth and depth; it is twelve feet wide, and nine high; and will extend under an high range of country above a mile and half. The firft eftimate, or rather fuppofition of the expence, was 10,000 /. but it is now faid that that fum will prove very infufficient; the immensity of the undertaking not having (relative to the estimate) been duly confidered. It is certainly an amazing work: About four hundred yards of it are finished. The method method of conducting, is finking shafts like thofe of coal pits, in a line over the course of the canal, engines are then erected, and the earth, rock, coal, and all the substances that rise, drawn up by a horfe, which is kept regularly employed in drawing up the ftuff, as fast as the workmen dig it below, in hollowing out the cavern: It is walled, paved, and arched, as they finish. Other machines, worked by wind and water, are erected alfo to draw up the water: The whole work is carried on regularly, and all obftructions removed as faft as they are difcovered. In a word, the fuccefs is not doubted; but as to the extent of the expence, it cannot admit of calculation, as it is impoffible to conjecture the nature of the ftrata they will have to cut through, the hardness of the rock, or the quantities of water with which they will be troubled. I was told that the navigation will be in fome places near two hundred feet below the furface. By fuch noble undertakings is the prefent age peculiarly distinguished. When agriculture, manufactures, and commerce flourish, a nation grows rich and great, and riches cannot abound, without exciting that general industry, and fpirit for improvement, which at laft leads to performing works, which, in poorer times, would be thought wonders. VOL. III. S At At Newcastle is a confiderable manufac ture of fhoes and above an hundred 10 d. to 2 s. a day. hats; the firft employs hands, who earn from Of the latter there are three or four hundred; the men earn from 7s. to 10s. a week. Women, 3 s. to 6 s. Children, I s. PROVISIONS, &c. Bread-maslin, 1 d. Cheese, 3 d. Butter, 8 d. Mutton, 3 d. Beef, 3d. Veal, 3 d. Milk, d. per pint. Potatoes, 4d. per peck. Poors house-rent, 40s. to 37. 10S. firing, 20 s. to 25 s. From Newcastle fouthwards the country improves greatly in beauty: The foil to wards Stone is generally a fandy loam. About that place it is alfo fandy, on a bed of marle; lets from Newcastle to Stone, and alfo around that place, from 12 s. to 205. per acre. Farms are various, rifing from 30% to 500l. a year. Their courfes are chiefly, 1. Fallow 2. Wheat 5. Clover two or three years 6. Oats 7. Beans. A vile, as well as ftrange course. Another |