Befides these large and extensive breweries, many of the publicans brew for their own consumption. We forbear to mention the many breweries at Newburn, Stella, Blagdon, Swalwell, Shields, &c. as the detail would too much swell our work. Having taken a general view of the manufactures and trade of this town, as far as our limits will admit, we will now close this subject with a few observations on the national importance of exhibiting the process of manufactures. As the manufactures of this country are the principal source of its great wealth and political importance, it cannot but afford matter of reasonable surprize, that so little has hitherto been afcertained and published relative to the origin, progress, and extent of their several branches. We have, in fact, seen no attempt made towards digefting a compleat treatise, or even compiling a stock of materials on this subject. Indeed, science among manufacturers has scarce yet reared her laurel'd head, and those who poffess a practical knowledge of any manufacture, can hardly yet be expected to write as from the foft re. cesses of retirement, or under the shade of academic bowers." Improvement must have forerunners in the march of discovery. As yet few facts are brought into the field of public investigation; but the improvement of a manufacture certainly depends on its publicity. From the first appearance of manufacturing science to the present dawn of discovery, what unavailing toil has mystery produced! what heart-appalling accidents have jealousy and prejudice been the parents of! but, on the other hand, what improvement has liberal communication effected! An earnesiness to communicate 3 X 2 municate ought therefore to stand amongst the moit prominent principles of an enlightened, benevolent understanding! The progress from infancy to maturity in manufactures is too frequently, like the stone of Syfiphus, laboured with an inceffant and almost hopeless continuity of effort. It is much to be regretted, that artists in general are so tenacious of their technical secrets, that notwithstanding the advantages they would mutually derive from reciprocal communication, they referve to themselves, in the closest manner, any discoveries they may have made; and yet, as it may owe its origin to accident or chance, they are perhaps incapable of improving to the extent it would admit of in the hands of men of science. By this conduct they do themselves a ma. terial injury, whilst by it they loudly proclaim their own want of genius, and as openly acknowledge their ignorance of the real principles of science in general; for if we confider the rapid progress that has been made of late years in every department of useful and practical knowledge, we must attribute it entirely to those liberal communications that have been made by men whose attention has been more immediately directed to the promotion and improvement of every thing valuable to the public at large, rather than to their own private emolument. Dr Johnson in the 201st number of his Rambler, has introduced an observation of Mr. Boyle's, quite in point to the present fubject, that "the excellency of manufactures, and the facility of labour, would be much promoted if the various expedients and contrivances which lie concealed in private hands, were by reciprocal communications made generally known; for there are few operations that are not performed by one or another with fome peculiar advantages, which, though singly of little importance, would by conjunction and concurrence open new inlets to knowledge, and give new powers to diligence." fome Having thus given a general detail of the various branches of trade, peculiar to this commercial town, we shall now shortly state its exports and imports. EXPORTS. The first of all others is the article Coal. We have been ample in our defcription of this article; and if we may feem too copious in our detail, the magnitude and importance of the subject are our apology. This valuable species of fuel, like its powerful flame dispelling the smoke, foon drove away the clouds of ignorance and of prejudice against its utility. Of confequence it became an article of commerce at an early period. But it was not until after the grand revolution anno. 1688, and principally after the union between England and Scotland, that the coal-trade from Newcastle acquired a state of permanency and gradual improvement. About the beginning of the eighteenth century, no less than 600 vessels of 80 chaldrons (10 keels) each, were employed in the coal-trade; a number, which was estimated to employ 4,500 feamen. From 1704 to 1710, there were exported every year, on an average, from the port of Newcastle 178,143 chaldrons, which at about from eight to fifteen, make near 334,018 chaldrons, London meafure. tween that period and the year 1776 the exportation of coals increased to 380,000 Newcastle chaldrons. Be But : But fince, of late years, eight new great collieries on the Tyne have been won, the export has been prodigiously encreased; and during the years 1800 and 1801, it experienced an addition of 209,378 chaldrons, or 548,492 tons 5 cwt. By this it appears that one years encrease of the exports was no less than 101,980 Newcastle chaldrons, and in the whole was 1,105,084 London chaldrons, which, at an average price of fifty shillings a chaldron, would produce 2,762,4091. 75. 8d. Next to coals, glass of all kinds is exported to all nations of the world; lead also in great quantities, as we have already mentioned; tallow, of which there is shipped 40,000 cwt. annually; butter, 30,000 firkins at about two pounds per firkin; falmon, in favourable seasons, many hundreds of kitts; bacons and hams, many thousands annually; copperas, grindstones, flagstones, cinders or coke, cast and wrought iron, to almost all nations, in vast quantities, beer, ale, porter, &c. &c. IMPORTS. Wine from France, but mostly from Portugal. Rafins, almonds, currants, &c. Malaga. Timber, staves in great numbers from America. Raff from Norway, Wyburg. Iron from Sweden, Russia. Corn, lately from most nations in the north, princi pally Dantzic, Konninsburgh, &c. Hemp, flax, from Ruffia, Riga, Revel. Brandy and fruits from France. Smalts from Hamburg. Pitch, tar, from Sweden, Russia. The The shipping employed in all these various branches of commerce is great. In the year 1772, according to Dr. Hutton's account, the number of ships entered in the port of Tyne was as follows : Ships 810-77,880 coastwife. Do. 140-18,650 foreing parts. But since that period foreign, as well as home trade, has so prodigiously encreased, that in the year 1800, no fewer than 7,969 ships were cleared from the Custom-house. The duties to government arising from coals alone at five shillings per chaldron, has been already mentioned as calculated by Mr. Macnab. Excise duties from glass £.150,000 With other articles of less moment. The revenues of the town are at an average 25,000l. per annum. GATESHEAD. ! } |