Thus have we endeavoured to give as accurate and complete an account of the nature and state of the va rious manufactures of England, as our information and our limits would permit. We are sensible it must ne cessarily be imperfect or erroneous in some particulars ; but we trust in none of considerable importance. As an apology for at least some of the omissions or errors with which we may be chargeable, we must, in justice to ourselves, remind our readers, that several of the most extensive and valuable of the manufactures of this country have been for several years past in such a state of fluctuation, from the extraordinay character and ef fects of the war, out of which we have just rescued ourselves, that it is almost impossible to give such an account of them, as will at once apply to their present state, and serve for a general description. We have therefore preferred, in many instances, describing them as they were in their settled and regular state, to at tempt giving a description of them during the vicis situdes to which they were very lately so frequently and rapidly subject, and from the effects of which they have not yet recovered, so as to regain their wonted regularity and steadiness.
It is scarcely necessary to call upon the reader for his admiration of the wonderful proofs which these ma nufactures afford, of the skill, industry, enterprize, and wealth of the inhabitants of this country. In ancient or in modern times, there is no parallel to what England ex hibits at this moment ; and such is the state of apparent perfection to which most of her manufactures have reached,—so completely subservient to their will have her inhabitants brought the most refractory and stu pendous powers of nature,—such a practical demon stration have they exhibited of the truth of Bacon's maxim, that knowledge is power ; that did we not com pare what our manufactures are now with what they were half a century ago,—did we not perceive, even while we are pronouncing them perfect, new • V impi Ove•• ments taking place, by means of which, either her quality is bettered, or human labour is saved ; and did we not know that our countrymen, in their capital, their industry, their skill and experience, possess almost in exhaustible sources of improvement, we should be in clined to pronounce, that the manufactures of England had reached that point of perfection, beyond which they could not advance.
In the following Table is given the number of families engaged in trade, manufactures, &c. in each county, and the annual amount of income derived from these sources, as returned to the House of Commons.
THE fisheries of England consist of those which are carried on in the rivers, and on the coasts ; and of those which are carried on at a distance from the country. Of the latter description, are the Newfoundland fishery, the Greenland and Davis' Straits fishery, and the South Sea fishery. Of the former description, the most important are the salmon fishery, and the fishery for herrings, mackarel, pilchards, oysters, turbot, &c.
Although salmon are taken for sale in most of the rivers in England, yet there is no river in which they are very abundant, or the source of considerable profit, except the Tweed. In this river, there are 41 fisheries of considerable value, besides smaller ones. The for mer extend upwards about 14 milts from the mouth.
Above this, they are of trilling importance. The rent of the whole is nearly 16,000/. The expense attend ing the servants' wages, nets, boats, &c. amounts to nearly 10,0001. more. The number of boats employed is generally about 80, and of men between 300 and 400. Neal ly the whole of the salmon caught on the Tweed was formerly sent up to the London market pickled ; but within these 20 years it has been sent up packed in ice.
The herring fishery on the coasts of England is not nearly so extensive and valuable as that on the coast of Scotland ; and within these 20 years it has been on the decline. It may be considered as extending from the coast of Scotland to the entrance of the English Chan nel, on the east and south-east side ; but Yarmouth is generally regarded as the centre of it. Herrings are also caught on the west coast of England, but not in such numbers. The commerce in herrings is of very ancient date. Madox, in his History of the Exchequer, relates, that in 1195, the town of Dunwich was obliged to deliver 24,000 herrings to the king ; and, in the reign of Edward III. the herring fair of Yarmouth (which had existed for some time before) was regulated by statute. The Mediterranean market for this fish, however, does not appear to have been opened, or at least to have been of much importance, before the beginning of the 17th century ; and while it continued uninterrupted, the fishery off the coasts of England were extensive and lucrative, notwithstanding the Dutch greatly participated in them. In the year 1760, 205 vessels were employed on the Yarmouth coast, of from 30 to 100 tons ; and it was com puted that about 6000 men, women, boys, and girls, were supported by this fishery. At the same time, be tween 30 and 40 vessels sailed from Folkstone, Hast ings, &c. on the herring fishery. For about 20 years preceding 1760, the annual capture of herrings on the Norfolk coast, was above 47,000 barrels, of which 38,000 were exported. In 1782, it had declined greatly, only 94 vessels being employed on the Norfolk coast. In the year 1812, there were at Yarmouth, not on tonnage bounty, only five ships, of the burden of 267 tons, with 30 men. These caught and cured 560 barrels ; and on shore there were cured 1686. At this period, there were on tonnage bounty three ships, the tonnage of which was 170 tons, and the crew consisted of 37 men and boys. The number of barrels cured by them was 2132. The number of barrels of white herrings landed or cured on shore 4378 ; and 1915 branded for bounty : none were exported. At Whitehaven, the other English station appointed by the act for the encouragement of this fishery, there were, in 1812, 4691 barrels of white herrings landed or cured on shore ; 347 barrels brand ed ; and 3013 exported. The cause of the great decline in this fishery is sufficiently obvious. The demand for cured herrings in the principal market for them, the Ro man Catholic countries in the south of Europe, was in terrupted, and nearly destroyed, in consequence of the war ; while the other market, the West Indies, where they are used as food for the slaves, is supplied more cheaply from Scotland. Besides, from the increase of wealth and luxury, the home consumption, notwithstand ing all the attempts that have been made to extend the use of this fish, has also diminished.