Household furniture is made in quantities, both for home use and export ; and the fabrication of !ravelling carriages occupies a unniber of hands. Perhaps, how ever, while their quality is improving, the demand is decreasing. There arc several manufactories of cart and carriage wheels, of agricultural implements, and machinery for mills.
Of late a considerable trade has been carried on by lapidaries, not so much in the greater operations of marble cutting, which is also practised, as in thc polish ing of the beautiful pebbles so common in Scotland. The avidity with which these arc required, as personal ornaments, by strangers visiting the metropolis, has proved a great encouragement to dealers ; but the Edinburgh lapidaries do not understand the art of work ing in the precious stones, though some are expert in cutting iacettcs on those of inferior hardness.
Seal engraving is well executed ; and engraving in relief, after the stile of the antique cameos, has some times been attempted. There are many copperplate en gravers, who are often employed for the London mar ket. Excellent specimens of their skill may be seen in the Plates of this Work. A few busts are executed in marble ; casts in plaster of Paris are ably clone; and there are artists who work beautifully in enamel.
The fabrication of musical instruments has much in creased within these ten or fifteen years. And during a sudden and ill advised spirit of speculation in trade to Buenos Ayres, in the year 1806, piano fortes were to be a considerable article of export. But there is a strong prejudice in favour of London made instruments, therefore many of home manufacture are merely lent out on hire ; and there is probably no city in Europe where they are so invariably seen an article of domes tic furniture. A single shop has been known to have above 100 out on hire at a time.
There are several iron founderics here, where ex tensive orders are executed; and also brass founderies, where the smaller work required by breweries, distil leries, and steam engines, is finished. Bells of moderate size are likewise founded, but, we believe, that no cast of any magnitude has been recently produced in this city, nor is such almost ever required, unless we ex cept one of nearly a ton weight, which Air Armstrong has founded for St George's Church. Besides the vi cinity of Carron, a foundry celebrated over the world, renders it a powerful and depreciating rival. Though
the art is well understood, and sound and beautiful metal produced, difficulty seems to attend any cast in brass exceeding the weight of 40 pounds.
There is an extensive manufactory of cotton cards near Edinburgh, which we have understood carries on a regular traffic with the city of Morocco. A glass house has lately been established in the city, where ex cellent glass is blown: a seasonable substitute tor what was formerly manufactured at Leith.
A great quantity of paper is made in the hood, and much is also imported from London, fix English writing papers are in general preferred. But the quantity of paper, on the ‘I hole, is not equal to what it was in some of the former years. However, the consumpt in printing law proceedings, and the books published in this capital, must always he con. siderable. Booksclling and printing are among the principal trades carried on in Edinburgh. The ber of booksellers has nearly quadrupled within twenty ; and, in 1806, it was calculated, that.120 print ing presses were at work in the city. It has been said, that 100,000 Bibles are annually thrown off by the king's printer, who enjoys this as an exclusive privilege. 'Yorks of literature and science, which would formerly have been printed and published in London, are now printed and published in Edinburgh. A considerable deal of work is likewise done by the Edinburgh print ers on commission, for London booksellers. Music sellers have increased nearly in the same proportion, hut almost all merely deal in retail, nor does it seem so profitable a traffic as the former. It is rare to find a variety of music with them, except for the piano forte.
Nothing but the ordinary trades, found in towns of lesser population, are carried on here, and none in par ticular to great extent. The traders supply both the city and the country ; and 232 carriers are weekly em ployed in transporting- goods. But a large proportion of these is in transitu to Leith harbour for export. However, the whole quantity conveyed in this way is probably about 300 tons weekly. The principal articles of trade are silver and plated articles, jewellery, and cutlery, almost all brought from England : Leather, cloths, silks, linens, and stockings ; groceries ; books and paper ; wines and spirits : Such articles as are for home consumption in general, and few for export.