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CHAPTER II.

WE will now leave the Indian history and come at once to that of our own country. It might have been supposed that England was among the first to avail herself of the advantages to be derived from the trade of cotton. It would be perfectly reasonable in an Englishman to think so, when he beholds the high position which his country holds in this department of trade. He would, however, be mistaken were he to take this ground: the truth is, England was the latest of all countries to receive the cotton manufacture. It appears to have been known in the other quarters of the globe earlier than in Europe; and also to have spread throughout all other parts of Europe before it was introduced into England. The period of its introduction into England was about the

year 1585. It was imported into this country by the Flemish artisans and workmen ; who, being Protestants, fled in crowds from Antwerp on the capture and destruction of that great trading city by the Duke of Parma.

It is very probable that the trade had been some time growing up, before it was noticed in print. The first account we have of it is found in a little work by Lewis Roberts, called the "Treasure of Traffic," published in 1641: it is as follows:-"The town of Manchester must be also herein remembered, and worthily, for their encouragement commended, who buy the yarn of the Irish in great quantity, and weaving it return the same into Ireland to sell. Neither doth their industry rest here, for they buy cotton and wool in London, that comes first from Cyprus and Smyrna, and at home work the same, and perfect the same into fustians and dimities, and other stuffs, and then return it to London, where the same is vented and sold, and not sent into foreign parts."

By this it appears that Manchester was the first place in which the cotton trade was carried on; and

this is further corroborated by Dr. Aikin in his history of Manchester. He says, "As far as Manchester is concerned, the cottons thereof carry away the credit from all nations." Thus we see, that although England commenced the last in this department of trade, she stands at the present moment the first in eminence of all the countries of the globe.

The cause of this superiority is perfectly natural, and easily to be understood. In the first place England is peculiarly and favorably situated, possessing a temperate climate, and a hardy race of men. Her situation also between the north and south of Europe, combined with the command of the sea, securing her from the annoyance of her neighbours, gives her great and manifest advantages. The political and moral advantages of England are not less remarkable than her physical superiority. The trader employs his capital and industry in the full confidence of protection from wise and just laws, and the reward of his labour is certain. These circumstances considered, it certainly is not surprising that England has risen to such a high superiority. Besides these advantages which I have

mentioned, there are others which must not be overlooked; I mean those natural and powerful agents, iron, coal, and water. All our machinery and manufactures owe their existence to these three great agents; and Mr. Baines, remarking on these materials, most justly observes that in point of true value they are incomparably more fertile sources of wealth than mines of silver and gold.

Until the year 1760 the English mode of fabricating yarn was not very different from that practised in India; nor were the implements which were used in the English trade much superior to those of the former.

The cotton spinning trade was carried on at the time of which we have spoken, by means of the one-thread spinning wheel, which, though perhaps somewhat superior to the teak-wood wheel of the Indian, was, as may easily be imagined, an extremely slow method of spinning, as it admitted only one thread being spun at a time, by one pair of hands. This slow and tedious process must have been quite sufficient to keep the trade within very confined limits.

In a country like England, with a full population, and where, from a variety of circumstances, the sharpening of men's wits is rapidly and continually proceeding, and where an individual improver or inventor may secure to himself a long monopoly for his production, it is not likely that the spinning wheel could have maintained for itself a very long standing. Nor did it long maintain itself. Calico being once produced and circulated among the people, its value and utility were not long in being properly appreciated; a general demand grew up as the natural consequence. It was, however, soon found that the cotton-workers could scarcely keep pace with the demand; and to make the matter worse, a great deal of time was lost in consequence of the weavers being obliged to wait for the yarn from the spinners. Mr. Guest, in his history of the Cotton Manufacture, says, that it was no uncommon thing for a weaver to walk three or four miles in a morning, and call on five or six spinners before he could collect sufficient weft to serve him for the remainder of the day; and when he wished to weave a piece in shorter time than usual, the presentation of a new