Page images
PDF
EPUB

YORK, (PA.) SEPTEMBER 8.

Committee for the Children's Asylum.

We saw, last week, a squash measuring two feet five Thomas P. Cope, No. 36 North Fourth street. inches, and weighing twenty-seven pounds, which was | John Hemphill, No. 114 South Third street. produced on the farm of Mr. George Small, near this | John Keefe, No. 9 Federal street, near Front. borough. Jesse R. Burden, No. 231 South Third Street.

EARLY FROST.-Friday morning last there was considerable frost in the meadows and low grounds in this vicinity.

HYDROGEN PLATINA LAMP. The Hydrogen Platina Lamp, now manufactured in this city, is a very ingenious contrivance for obtaining The follight; and, in addition, is a pretty ornament. lowing description may convey some idea of the instru

ment:

Physician of the Children's Asylum.
Matthew Anderson, N. W. corner of Christian and 2d st.
Committee on the Small-Pox Hospital.
James S. Spencer, John Kessler, Jun. & Thomas Earp.
Physician of the Small-Pox Hospital.
William D. Brinckle, No. 5 Palmyra Square.
The Visiters are,
For the City.

Edward Parker, No. 14 North Eighth street.
Jacob Fitler, North Fourth street, first above Tammany.
For the District of Southwark.

James Keefe, No. 7 Federal street, near Front-office
Commissioners' Hall, (S.)

street.

For the Northern Liberties.

For Kensington District.
Peter Day, Marlborough above Queen street.
For the unincorporated part of the NorthernLiberties.
Joseph Peirson, near Rose-hill, on New Front st. road.
For Penn Township.

A glass vase six or seven inches high, and three or four inches diameter, painted and ornamented at pleasure, is covered with a brass lid; in the middle of this lid is a valve worked by a spring lever, and covered with a cap or nose, having a very fine puncture. A glass Samuel Kuen, No. 401 North Third street, above Coate's tube, about an inch in diameter, and long enough to reach nearly to the bottom of the vase, is affixed to the centre of the underside of the lid. In this tube a lump of zinc is suspended by a wire from the top. The vase is partly filled with sulphuric acid, diluted with three parts of rain water. When the lid is placed on, and the tube of the zinc of course immersed in the acid, gas is generated in the tube, which, on the opening of the valve, rushes through she small puncture aboye mentioned. This stream of gas is directed against a piece of spunge platina, half the size of a pea, suspended in the center of a brass thimble. The gas ignites the platina to a bright red heat, and thus ignites itself, and continues so long as the supply of gass is kept up, and the valve kept open A piece of common paper will take fire on being applied to the flame, and thus fire or light may be communicated to other matters. Aurora and Penn. Gaz.

COAL TRADE.

Christian B. Merkel, Wood street, near Thirteenth.
Attending Surgeons and Physicians.
William Gibson, No. 254 Walnut street.
William E. Horner, No. 263 Chesnut street.
John Rhea Barton, No. 194 Chesnut street.
Richard Harlan, SW corner of George and Ninth street.
Nathaniel Chapman, No 9 York Row.
Samuel Jackson, SW corner George and Eighth street.
Hugh L. Hodge, No. 180 Walnut street.
Samuel G. Morton, SW corner of Arch and Eleventh st
Henry Neill, No. 112 Spruce street.
Benjamin Ellis, No. 30 N. Ninth st. S Department.
Out-door Physicians.
City.

Obstetrical

Shipments of Coal from Mount Carbon to Philadel- South Eastern District-Harper Walton, SE corner of

Second and Pine street.

phia:

Tons.

Total,

Week ending 5th inst. 78 boats carrying 2,105 Per last report, 1584 42,494 44,594 Mauch Chunk, Total, 302 boats, carrying 10,484 tons.

do

South Western District-D. C. Skerrett, No. 135 south
Tenth street.

1662

North Western District-Samuel Stones, NW corner of
Market and Sch. Sixth st.

North Eastern District--0. H. Taylor, Race near Tenth

street.

.Southwark.

Western District--D. Francis Condie, No. 138 Catharine street.

POOR ESTABLISHMENT FOR 1829. The Board of Guardians consists of the following members, viz: For the City. Thomas P. Cope, President, No. 36 North Fourth street. Eastern District-Harvey Klapp, No. 302 south Second

John Hemphill, Treasurer, No. 114 South Third street.
Matthew L. Bevan, No. 222 Mulberry street.
Abraham L. Pennock, No. 4 South Twelfth street.

Thomas Rogers, No. 411 Mulberry street.
Thomas Earp, No. 16 Montgomery Square.
For the District of Southwark.

Jesse R. Burden, No. 231 South Third street.
John Keefe, No. 9 Federal street.

For the Northern Liberties.
William Binder, No. 286 North Front street.
John Kessler, Jr. No. 166 Coates street.

Far Kensington District, and the unincorporated part of

[blocks in formation]

THE

REGISTER OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVOTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF EVERY KIND OF USEFUL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE STATE.

EDITED BY SAMUEL HAZARD.

VOL. IV. NO. 12. PHILADELPHIA, SEPTEMBER 19, 1829. NO.90.

FROM MANUSCRIPTS

IN POSSESSION OF THE AMER. PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE SWEDES
ON THE DELAWARE.

your own advantage and common safety that you be with them upon good terms. We have also the gracious intention of sending you from Gottenburg, next spring, if it pleases God, one or two vessels with all sorts of provisions; and to detail to you more fully our views The following documents were obtained by permis- duct yourself in both cases. and intentions, according to which you will have to conWe hope that you will nesion of the Swedish Government, by the Hon. Jona-glect no care for the advantage of our service. Given than Russel, when minister of the United States to the as above. Gabriel Oxenstierna, Gustafson, Jacob de court of Sweden and by him presented to the Ameri- la Gardia, Carl Carlson, Gyldenhielm, Oxel Oxensti. erna, Gabriel Oxenstierna Bengtsson. can Philosophical Society in July 1820. The originals are in the Swedish language—and there is also a French translation of them, which we have translated for our present purpose.

Passport for the vessel which Mr. De Korst and those interested with him, intend sending to New Sweden.

Given at Nykoping, January 24, 1640.

Letter which fixes the salary for Mr. Jost de Bogardt, concerning Fort Christina.

We Christina &c.

Nykoping, January 30, 1640.

Make known--Our dear and faithful Jost de Bogardt having taken upon himself and having promised to assist as much as is in his power, by his di rection and exertions, our subjects at Christina and the We Christina &c. make known that the bearer of this people whom we may send there in future; to employ Captain Jacob Powelson with the vessel under his com- all his care, on the different occasions which present for mand named Fredenburgh, laden with men, cattle and promoting our advantage and that of the crown of Swe. other things necessary for the cultivation of the country, den, as also to instruct us exactly on every occasion in designs departing from Holland to America or the West every thing which it is important we should know; and Indies and there establishing himself in the country cal- to execute faithfully our orders. We secure to him, led New Sweden; we therefore beseech respectively for this service with which he is charged an annual and amicably all monarchs and republics or their officers compensation to commence at present, of 500 florins of and servants to whom the said captain may address him- the Empire or 200 Rix Dollars. These 500 florins or self, and request of them and expressly command our 200 Rix Dollars, shall be every year, fully and without own subjects, to permit freely and without obstacle to failure remitted to his Banker in Holland by our Resipass, the said vessel with all the persons and every oth-dent Spiring, or other charge d'affaires whom we may er thing which may be on board; and according to cir- then have in Holland. If in future, we have new proofs cumstances to permit him to return to his country; we of the attachment of Mr. Jost de Bogardt and of his zeal promise to act in like manner and as is becoming to oth- to promote our welfare and that of our crown, we proers; our subjects must fulfil our express will. Given un- mise by these presents to augment his said annual salary der our Royal seal and countersigned respectively with 100 florins of the Empire and moreover according to cir the proper hand of our Guardians and administrators of cumstances to recompense him in a royal manner.— the Kingdom of Sweden-day and year above written. Such is the design of this letter. Gabriel Oxenstierna, Gustafsson, Jacob de La Gardia, Carl Carlson, Gyldenhielm, Oxel Oxenstierna. Gabriel Oxenstierna Bengtsson.

Besides this pasport, we have also forwarded two others in which we have left a blank for the names of the captains and their vessels.

To the Commandant or Commissary and other Inhab

erent things.

itants of Fort Christina in New Sweden-concerning diff Nykoping, January, 24, 1640.

Christina &c. To our friends and lieges. We make known to you by these presents, that we have granted and permitted to our very dear Gothart de Rehden, Mr. De Horst and Fenland &c. to him and those interested with him, to send to New Sweden two or three vessels, laden with men cattle and other things necessary for the cultivation of the country, to establish themselves on the North side of the South River and to there found a Colony. We announce to you likewise, that we have accorded to them a grant and privilege with several other rights. What we exact from you is, that you place no obstacle to their project, and moreover for VOL. IV.

23

Given day and year as above.

Gabriel Oxenstierna, Gustafson, Jacob de la Gardia Carl Carlson, Gyldenhielm.

Oxel Oxenstierna, Gabriel Oxenstierna, Bengtsson.

Obligation (counterpart) given by the aforesaid Jost
Bogard
Nykoping, January 1640

The very powerful &c princess Christina &c my very gracious Queen and Lady having given me the under

signed a place in her service in the country of New Sweden, I promise and engage by this instrument to be faithful and subject to her majesty as a true and faithful servant and subject ought to be; and not only to aid by my counsels and actions, the persons who are at fort Christina and those also who may hereafter be sent there from the kingdom of Sweden, but to employ my exertions to procure, as occasion presents, whatever will be most advantageous to her Majesty and the crown of Sweden, and moreover not to suffer any opportunity to pass of sending to Sweden all information which may be useful to her majesty and the crown of Sweden; and in this and all other things which her majesty may deign to confide to me and order; to fulfil always exactly her orders as a faithful subject ought to do with all the intelligence and exactnesss, of which I am capable--the

[ocr errors]

whole faithfully&without delay. In faith whereof I have signed this letter with my own hand and have attested it by affixing my common scal. Done year and day as JOST DE BOGARDT

above

observed in that country: in such manner however that those who profess the one or the other religion, live in peace, abstaining from every useless dispute, from all scandal and from all abuse. The patrons of this colony shall be obliged to support at all times, as many minis Grant and privilege given to Mr. Henry Hochhammeters and schoolmasters, as the number of inhabitants shall & Company for the establishment of a new Colony in the country of New Sweden.

NYKOPING Jan'y 24, 1640

seem to require; and to choose moreover for this purpose, persons who have at heart the conversion of the pagan inhabitants to christianity.

8th. It is also granted to the patrons to establish in this colony all sorts of industry and manufacture, to engage in all commerce and trade in the country and out of it, as also to go with their vessels and carry on trade with all the coast of the West Indies and Africa, belonging to potentates with whom we are not at war, as well as in the rivers and bays which belong to them; not oth

have been built in New Sweden-and our desire is for the advantage of their expeditions to lend them all the assistance which depends upon us.

We Christina &c make known by these presents Our dear Mr. Henry Hochhanmer and others interested and in company with him, having humbly represented that by means of the grant and privilege which we granted them, they had the intention of establishing a new colony in the country of new Sweden; after having maturely weighed the circumstances of this affair, not only we approve their design but also we wish to sec-erwise nevertheless than with vessels and yachts which ond it and in order to facilitate its execution we grant them special concessions and the following privileges: 1st. We concede by these presents, and grant to them permission to cause to depart from Holland at their expense, under our royal protection and in our name, two or three vessels with men, cattle and other things necessary, which from the commencement they have designed to transport from thence, for the purpose of landing them below Fort Christina, on the north side of South River and there to take by their agents as well of this side of the river as of the other, as much land as is necessary for their project, to put the lands under actual cultivation in the space of ten years, in such manner however that they shall limit their possessions at least to four or five German miles from Fort Christina. 2d. But if the country which at first they shall have chosen does not suit them, they may without any obstacle choose another; which nevertheless shall only be done with our express consent or that of our Governor in that country, to the end, that no person receive damage by it.

3d. The possession of all that they may thus occupy by virtue of the first or second articles, shall be guaranteed to them by our royal authority and never shall any thing be taken from them by us, either from them or their descendants.

9th. For all the merchandize which they shall cause to be transported from New Sweden into the countries of Europe, the depot shall be Gottenburg. It shall not however be required of the merchants to pass the sound, if they wish to go to some other part of our kingdom.— As to foreign ports which do not depend upon the crown of Sweden, it shall not be permitted to them to enter, except in case of absolute necessity; and in this case, they shall be no less required to repair to Gottenburg afterwards, there to shew the reasons which compelled them to enter a foreign port, to pay duty on the merchandize which they shall have sold elsewhere, and to equip their vessels anew; and we wish that all shall conduct themselves in such a manner that there accrue no damage to the revenue heretofore granted and made to the commercial Company of New England to which they must conform themselves.

10th. We exempt also by these presents the said patrons and the colonies subject to them for ten successive years, from all impost, duty, excise, and every other contribution and charge, whether real or per sonal, of whatever name. They shall only pay as is mentioned in the 4th article, the three florins, on the goods and merchandize which shall be transported into our states; and if these goods and merchandize are again exported, they shall be then free from the duties of the custom-house usual in the kingdom; at the same time they shall enjoy all the privileges which we grant to our other subjects.

4th. All within their district, besides the fruit of the surface, minerals, rivers, springs, as well as the woods and forests, the fish, the chase, even that of the birds, the establishments upon the water, the wind mills and every other advantage and utility which they find established or may be established, shall remain for ever to them and their descendants as allodial and hereditary property, & 11th. "At the end of ten years all that has been de they shall only pay to us and to our successors, as an accreed by the preceding article with respect to the cusknowledgment of our sovereignty per annum three flor- toms of our kingdom shall remain in force, and at the ins of the empire for each family established upon their same time they shall pay in New Sweden 5 per cent. on territory. all goods which shall enter there or carry away & as the expense for the wages of officers necessary in the country, for the support of fortresses and other indispensable fortifications must be derived from the Customs; they cannot refuse to assist for that object by other contribu tions, according to the necessity as the time and circumstances shall require, to the end that we may have greater reason to secure to them and their posterity tranquillity and safety.

5th. We grant in like manner to them the right of exercising in their district high and low justice, of founding there cities and villages and communities, with a certain police, statutes and ordinances, to appoint magistrates and officers, to take the title and arms of their said colony or province; it being understood that they and their descendants shall receive of us and our successors that jurisdiction and those royal rights as an hereditary fief; and that they must conform themselves in this case to all which concerns the ordinary justice of

fiefs.

6th. As in all we reserve for us and our successors to the throne, sovereignty, and what depends upon it: and especially appeals to us and our governors established by us, our will is, that the statutes and ordinances, which they intend to establish, should be communicated to our said governor and presented for his approbation and confirmation, in order to discuss and execute with him all which may most contribute to the advantage and welfare of the whole country.

7th. As regards Religion we are willing to permit that, besides the Augsburg Confession, the exercise of the pretended reformed religion may be established and

12th. We desire beside that they shall take special care that it shall not be permitted to any person of the colony to take either man or woman, domestic or ser vant from the service to which they are bound to their master, nor to take into their service any person who be fore the time fixed by his engagement has of his own authority, left his service without express permission of his former master, and on this point the Governor is specially authorized to support the master in his rights.

13th. We permit & grant by these presents to the under-written masters of vessels to send everywhere in the ocean for fish,their vessels built in New Sweden. It is also permitted to them to conduct and sell the fish which they shall have taken, not only to all quarters of the W. Indies, but also if convenient to them, to all places situa

[blocks in formation]

ted on the streights of Gibraltar and upon the Mediterranean sea; upon condition, however, that the whole be first duly declared and registered by our agents, that the customs be paid, and that there be no fraud, and moreover that they observe exactly all that is directed in article 9 in respect to the depot of Gottenburg.

179

1. Winding on bobbins-in French devider. (a) The raw silk is wound in this manner by means of a machine, called in French devidoir. A drawing of it is given in the manual published under the authority of the House of Representatives, plate III. fig. 1. But this drawing is old, and the machine has been since very much impro

2. Cleaning or purging-in French, purger. By this operation the raw silk is freed from the knots or lumps that still adhere to it, and acquires the necessary degree of evenness. It is performed by means of a machine called, in French, purgeoir. I have not seen a drawing nor a description of it in this country.

14th. In case any of the said patrons or their deved and simplified. scendants, happen hereafter to discover in the country above described, any minerals, precious stones, coral, chrystal, marble, a pearl fishery, occasion for making salt or other like things-those who discover them are at liberty to work them with consent of our governor; and he shall enjoy without any charge during ten years the whole produce of the discovery; after ten years have passed he shall in preference to all others be maintained and protected in said possession, with the obligation to pay to us per year a certain annual sum to be then determined.

15th. We take by these presents the said patrons and their Colony under own special protection, and we are disposed to defend them and protect them, at all times, and as much as in our power, against all attacks as well as to watch over their interests, and to procure by all means their well being as well as that of all our faithful subjects.

16th. On the contrary they will be held, they and their descendants not to be wanting in those things which they owe us and if we shall have war with any king or republic to take as much to heart the interests of our faithful subjects as their own, to lend us their assistance and co-operate as much as time and circumstances will permit, for the preservation of our states, and of their own prosperity. We desire moreover that they and their posterity be always exempt from enrolments and from compulsory military service.

17th. We exempt in like manner the said inhabitants of New Sweden, as well as their posterity, from all confiscation of property; and we desire that fines, whatever may be the offence, do not amount to more than 100 florins of the Empire or 40 Rix Dollars; and we reserve to ourselves every other species of punishment according to the quality of the offence.

18th. And as the said patrons think of transporting into said country in a few years, a more considerable number of men and beasts, and several other things necessary for the cultivation of the earth, the construction of houses and the founding a city, they are perinitted not only for once, but even several times, according to the nature of the articles, to transport them directly from Holland, each time, however with our knowledge and special permission, more particularly, as always the equipments were ordinarily made at Gottenburg. For more ample confirmation of all this, we have caused to be affixed to this letter our private seal, and we have ratified it by our proper signature and that of our respective guardians and administrators of the kingdom of Sweden. Done as above.

[blocks in formation]

AMERICAN SILK.-No. 12. Thrown silk is nothing else than raw silk, which, after sundry preparatory operations, is twisted by means of a machine called the throwsting or twisting mill, in French le moulin a tordre, and is the celebrated machine which was introduced from Italy into France by M. Benay, as mentioned in No. 5, for which he was so splendidly rewarded. It might, therefore, by a more intellig ble expression, be called twisted silk.

The operations preparatory to twisting, or passing through the mill, are the following

3. Doubling, by which two or more threads of raw silk are united together, according to the degree of thickness required. This is done by means of a machine called, in French, doubloir, of which there is a drawing in the manual, plate IV. fig. 1 and 2; but liable to the same objection as that before mentioned.

4. After these operations, the silk is put to the mill to be twisted, which is called throwsting. It comes out of the mill ready for the weaver's loom. Sewing silk, which, it will be recollected, is made out of the silk of imperfect cocoons, receives here its last finish. The other qualities of silk; single, organzine and tram, may either be sold for exportation, under the name of thrown silk, or be immediately employed in manufactures at home. Silk thus prepared, is sometimes said to be organzined, the word organzine being then understood in a general sense, and comprehending tram and singles; as well as organzine proper.

There is a drawing in the manual, plate III. fig 2, which is said to have represented the throwsting mill, and to have been taken from a French Encyclopedia;but it is not certainly the throwsting mill, as at present used; it seems rather to have been taken from another machine, called the tavelle, of which I shall speak prèsently.

Sewing silk and twist are of all silks those which require the most labor. The former must undergo three times and the latter six times the processes of winding, doubling and twisting. It is in this sense that I have said that sewing silk (in which I meant to include twist,) is the perfection of thrown silk.

The reader will here easily perceive the reason of the difference between the Connecticut sewing silk and that made in Europe, and he will be sensible that without the necessary machines, it is impossible to bring it to the requisite degree of perfection.

Of the other silks, tram silk alone requires to undergo these processes three times, organzine twice and singles only once.

Floss silk, which I have explained before to consist of the tow and coarse fibres of the silk extracted from the cocoons, and of the waste and refuse silk collected during the process of reeling, put together in a mass, then carded and spun on the common wheel; of which are made ribands, silk tapes, stockings, gloves, mittens, night caps, vestings, and all kinds of hosiery, may be either sold as raw silk for exportation, or employed in the manufacture of coarse articles of the above description; but if it is meant to give to those articles any degree of fineness, the floss must undergo the same processes as other raw silk; it must be wound, cleaned, doubled and twisted in the tavelle, a machine made on the principle of the throwsting mill, but differently constructed, and of a much smaller size. Many comfortable articles might be manufactured in this country of this silk in its raw state; this branch of domestic industry might very well take the place of the sewing silk manufactures of the Connecticut ladies, and in them an agreeable and profi table employment; and it would prepare the American

(a.) Winding the silk from the cocoons, or reeling, is called in French, filer, to spin. Hence the word filature. These explanations are given to facilitate the rea ding of the French books on this subject.

weavers for making the finer articles, when the manufacture of thrown silk shall have been introduced into this country.

At that period sewing silk will be a regular article of American manufacture; then ribands and fine hosiery of all descriptions will be the first things that will be attempted; after which the finer manufactures of stuffs made of singles, organzine and tram will follow in succession. It will be necessary at that time to acquire the art of dyeing in the delicate colours which silk manufactures require; and it is proper to observe, that the plainer colours are the most difficult to be obtained, as the more the colours are mixed, the less easily are defects in the dyeing to be perceived.

Thus the American nation will, by gradual but sure steps, reach the desirable point to which her whole ambition should be directed, that in which her own native silk, that precious gift which a kind Providence has bestowed upon her of such excellence and with such extreme profusion, will fill the land with riches, and make America what France now is-a country that no reverses can put down, and that even conquest and the devastation of hostile armies, cannot impoverish. Whatever fate fortune may have in reserve for me, it will be to me a proud source of happiness to have, by these communications, in the least contributed to the lasting prosperity of a country which I have been early taught to venerate and cherish as the cradle of liberal principles, the source of all that is dear to mankind.

Froment ruined himself entirely; to what sum his loss extended, I do not know; but it is a notorious fact in consideration of the sacrifices that he made, his family still enjoy a pension from the French Government, which is to be continued until the extinction of the male line. There are similar examples at Lyons, but I do not know the particulars.

The state of Connecticut, by beginuing at the wrong end, and making sewing silk, which cannot find a price in the money market, before she had learned even to prepare the raw material, has been seventy years following the same course, without advancing a single step. She may proceed in the like manner for ages, mis-employing the gifts of Providence, and will meet with no better success. Every attempt to manufacture silk that will not be begun on right principles, will only retard the period when America will be in the full enjoyment of the blessings which nature has prepared for her.

No. XIII.

I have, at last, reached the end of the course which 1 proposed to myself in writing these essays. At first, I had nothing in view but to communicate to the Amer. ican public the interesting discovery, which it was my good fortune to make, and to prove by actual experiments, the great superiority of the American silk, in quality, as well as quantity, over that of Europe; which was afterwards followed by that of the hardly less important fact, that the cocoons produced by worms fed on the leaves of the wild American native mulberry tree, do not yield to others in the beauty of their silk, and only differ from them by the greater quantity of floss that they contain. Urged, however, by the solicitation of some patriotic friends, and particularly of the gentleman to whom I am indebted for aid in the composition of these essays, I was induced to combat the erroneous opinion that appeared generally to prevail, that the manfacturing of sewing silk was a principal, if not the principal object to be pursued in the employment of the American material; an error which, if persevered in, would have led to the ruin of thousands; and I have endeavoured to show, with what success the reader best can tell, that the first thing to be attended to was the preparing

Some of my zealous friends have often told me, "Beware of the Americans! they are a shrewd, intelligent, ingenious and inquisitive people. Don't tell them too much, or they will find out your secrets." Alas! I have no secrets; I am only in possession of an art, which I would freely, if I could, communicate to every man, woman and child, in America. Ask the skillful harmonists, Hupfeld, Segura, and De Konnick-ask the charming vocalist Madame D'Orval, what their secret is? They may execute before you the master pieces of their art; you see the motions of their hands, you hear the sounds of their voices-but without study and practice, it is in vain to attempt to imitate them, though nature had gifted you with the soul of an Orpheus. It is the same with the various arts of preparing and manufactuaing silk-of raw silk for sale, by which, I think I have proved their secret lives in practice. Ingenuity, it is true, first discovered these processes; but it required centuries before they were brought to their present state of perfection. A striking example of this is at hand.

that great profits are to be made, in anticipation of the greater advantages that will accrue to this country, from the complete establishment of silk manufactories, which time and experience cannot fail to produce. 1 In the manual above frequently quoted, (page 141) it could say a great deal more on this subjec of raw silk.— is related as an astonishing fact, that a woman at Novi, I could heap proofs upon proofs to convince the most in Piedmont, reeled one pound of silk in a day. There incredulous of the great profits to be derived from it; is no doubt of the fact; but the manual does not say,that but I must take care, least by saying too much, I should that happened upwards of forty years ago, as appears become tedious. I shall content myself with asserting from the book to which a note refers. Now, in conse- that, while in France, I have seen letters from silk merquence of successive improvements, a woman, as I said chants, in which they say to their correspondents in before, (No. 10.) may reel off three pounds of raw silk Piedmont-"Send us fine (raw) silk; never mind five in one day, that is to say in 12 working hours. Thus the francs (one dollar) per pound, more or less: but send us art has been gradually advancing, since Colbert, who fine silk." I think I am not too sanguine, when I give was himself skilled in manufactures, (b) by the encour-it as my opinion, that the beautiful silk of the United agement which he gave to Benay, who first imported the throwsting mill into France from Italy, laid the foundation of the great riches which his country has derived from the silk trade. Before that time immense fortunes had been sunk in the vain attempt to establish in that kingdom the silk manufactures which Italy then exclusively possessed. At Nimes, the place of my birth, tradition has preserved the memory of millions lost in that manner, by the ancestors of some of the most respecta ble families, who still love to speak of the folly of their forefathers. (c)

(b) The celebrated Minister Colbert, was brought up in the house of the Mascrannis-rich manufacturers of Lyons, and was early imbued with their principles. Dictionnaire des grands hommes, verba Colbert.

(c) M. de Villeroi sunk in this manner 1,800,000 francs, and M. de Marguerite, one million One M.

States, when properly prepared, will be sought for with avidity by the merchants and manufactorers of Europe, and that America will sell, at her own prices, as much of it as she can make.

The reader will perceive that, in these essays, I have not been satisfied with mere assertions, and that I have proved, as I went along, the principal points that I have ventured to make. In order to be the better understood in a matter almost entirely technical, I have drawn, with all the clearness and precision in my power, as it were, the chart of the silk business, from the winding of the silk from the cocoons, to the delivering it over to the weaver's loom. By this means, I have enabled all intelligent men to judge of the numerous schemes that are brought forward from time to time, and to form a correct opinion of the pretended inventions and improve ments with which the newspapers abound. Thus, we hear of machines for winding silk from cocoons without

« PreviousContinue »