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following remarks may ferve as an answer to his critique.

In lately illuftrating a fubject of confiderable national importance, it chanced that I had occalion to take notice of a fact, which I quoted on the authority of Bishop Gibfon, the learned tranflator of Camden's Britannia. The fact I quoted fairly; but, besaufe in a fort effay, where many circumstances of great moment were neceffarily omitted for want of room, I did not tranfcribe a long paffage in which that learned prelate, who was no less distinguished for his knowledge than his candour, thought it proper to mention one author who in oppofition to his own opinion, and that of feveral others, had maintained a dif. ferent hypothefis, I am accufed as being guilty of a moft unpardonable fault. This diffentient opinion, I did then, as I do now, confider as abfurd in a high degree, as the bishop whom I quere had done before me; I therefore difregarded it, and thought I had done as much as common fenfe required, when I referred to the place where it might be found, by a fair and diftinét quotation.

This omiffion is imputed to me as a very unpardonable crime, and after much parade about it, I request the reader will attend to the important conclufion drawn by the critic on this head. Inftead of following the learned Bishop, who fays, that the Romans when in Britain established at Winchester a woollen-manufacture for the Emperor's own ufe," he contends I fhould have faid, "there was at Winchester a work-houfe for the female flaves of the Emperor, and that they were employed in weaving wollen cloth from worsted, or linen cloth from hemp and flax," fuch is, the great emendation he propofes. Parturiunt montes !!

This emendation is indeed of fuch a trifling nature, that did not common fenfe oppofe it, I might adopt it in a perfect confiftency with the thefis I defend. No authority whatever

is produced for inferting here the words worsted, linen, fux, and hemp, and I can fee no reafon why the critic might not as well have included cotton and filkas the others. Scrupulous perfons, however,might have alledged,had Į ventured to go as far as this anonymous critic, that before I had inferted thefe words, it would have been incumbent on me to bring fome fort of proof, or at least probable reafon for believing, that the culture of flax and hemp were practifed in Britain at the period here alluded to, fo as to furnish the mate terials for these manufactures; a task which I willingly refign to this learned critic, as alfo to fhow that the practice of combing wool, and ma nufacturing woollen ftuffs of worsteds was known at this early period, and practifed in Britain. As this has been generally understood to be a much later invention than that of making cloth, till I had done this, which I own I thould not be easily ins duced to attempt, I fhould think there would have been indeed fome reafon for adopting the language used by this gentleman in the begining of his effay, It is curious to fee what ftrange "materials are fometimes used in the "rearing of a fyftem." Let me add it is not lefs curious, though at least equally common, that a man should be fharp fighted in difcovering fanci ed errors in others, and blind to those much greater of his own. It is indeed very common for a certain class of critics" to ftrain at a gnat and fwallow a camel."

But whether the learned tranflator of Camden, or this anonymous critic be right, is of little confequence ta me; and though the fact that gave rise. to thiswrangling were entirely let afide, it would very little affect the thefis I defend. It happens to be only a collateral illustration picked up in a courfe of general reading, and haitily thrown among other facts picked up in the fame way, on the fpur of the occafion, all tending to illuftrate a fubject of great importance to this country.

and

and might be easily fpared: I have, "over walls too, if not very high. however, the fatisfaction to find that "The late Lord Pigot procured a many perfons whose judgment I ref-"fcore of them in this country; an pect, have deemed the arguments" experienced perfon was engaged more conclufive, than, confidering "to drive them into Staffordshire, the circumftances of the cafe, could" and receive a fum of money to acwell have been expected. Had any thing been offered that feriously affected the truth of my diftinction, I fhould have been among the firft who would have abandoned the hypothefis: but this is not yet done.

It was an old fashion, and perhaps a good one, that before a person would venture to criticize the writings of another, he fhould firft take care to read them. But this critic, in the language of Moliere, may fay, " nous avons change tout cela," for it would feem he had never read the publica. tion in queftion. He certainly does me an honour to which I should be proud to lay claim, could it be done with justice, when he attributes to me the writing of the Report to the Highland fociety itself, with fome other parts of the performance to which any one who had read the work, would fee I had evidently no claim. Though he can get nothing fpecific to urge again!t thefe,yet he fhews his difpofition to find fault, and by ill-natured infinuations endeavours to discountenance an undertaking, which he is even compel led to own deferves the public approbation. That I may do no injuftice to this writer, I shall beg leave to tranfcribe the paffage entire:

"The moft fingular difficulty, fays "he, feems to be that of ascertaining "what Shetland fheep are? He " fays, there are two forts; per"haps there may be twenty; but the only one he has to enquire after "is the native or kindly theep. Sure "ly they are no phenomenon in MidLothian; the Duke of Buccleugh had them long; they are the moft #ungovernable of our country ani#mals; they are fo fmall, and fo nimble, that they will force their way through every hedge, and

"count; in a few hours he returned "back with them, returned the mo "ney, and faid, I would as foon un "dertake to drive a flock of hares "into Staffordshire. I believe that "they must be confined, as hereto"fore, to islands; the fea is the on"ly fit fence to keep them in."

Now, it happens that the only pe culiarity for which this breed of sheep were recommended to the notice of the public, was the fingular fineness of their wool; concerning which we do not here meet with one fingle word. So that the reasoning is very much the fame with that of John' Bull, when he wished to depreciate the Scots,

"How can the rogues pretend to fenfe,
Their pound is only twenty-pence ?”'

He affirms that the ingenious writer of the Report," fays there are two forts; [i. e. of Shetland fheep,] perhaps there may be twenty." For any thing that occurs iu the report, there may be two hundred; " but the only one he is to enquire after is the the native or kindly theep." Had this critic read the work he pretends to analize, he would have found that it was there faid, that the gentleman who drew up that paper, had been informed, that though there were many fheep in thefe islands that earried coarfe wool, thofe only which carried fine wool were denominated kindly theep, which kindly fheep were divided into two claffes,&c. concerning which the fociety wished to obtain a more perfe& knowledge; and for this purpofe certain premiums were propofed for elucidating ufeful faces.

But, fays this gentleman, "They are furely no phenomenon in Mid-Lo thian." What is no phenomenon? Is it the Shetland breed of theep in gene.,

ral

ral, or is it the kindly breed of Shetland fheep, or what peculiar breed is it to which he here alludes ? for the fentence is fo conftructed, that the indefinite pronoun they may refer to any of thefe. The quality of the wool only, which was what claimed their notice, is here totally overlooked, which is the circumftance that alone could determine it.

But it seems thefe Shetland fheep, whatever clafs they belonged to, "were fmall," and who ever afferted any thing to the contrary? "ard nimble" very poffibly they may be fo," and will overleap fences if not very high." Race horfes are nimble too, and will overleap gates that would prove per fect fences to the weighty dray horfe. But what connection has all this with the wool? or indeed, of what import. ance is it, had the general qualities of the animal been enquired for, unlefs the circumstances in which they are to be placed be likewife taken into the account? Had thefe particuJars been intended to convey information feriously, they should have been fuffered to pass unnoticed; but as they are plainly intended to depreciate a fet of animals with which the writer is evidently little acquainted, it may be proper to make a few cur, fory remarks upon this defcription.

All animals, when left in a state of nature, are wild; but many of them admit of being domefticated. The cows in Drumlaniig park were not only wild, but ferocious animals alfo. Will any one however alledge, that because of this, it would be folly for any perfon to attempt to domefticate a cow with a view to derive benefit from her milk?

A dray horse is a useful animal when kept in his own fphere, and the fame may be faid of a running horfe, with a fimilar limitation; but what would we fay of the man who fhould produce a dray horfe to contend in the race, or who fhould infift on having his waggon drawn by light barbs;

we would fay that nature intended thefe animals for very different uses, and that the man who attempted thus to employ them was out of his fenfes. The man who takes fuch a predilection for any one breed of animals as to infift that it will answer all purposes better than any other, would be guilty of an equal abfurdity.

There is perhaps a greater diverfity in the breeds of sheep than of either the horse or cattle, and each valuable breed poffeffes peculiar qualities, which, if properly adapted to the nature of the pafture and circumftances of the farmer, may prove highly advantageous to him, though, by purfu ing an oppofite conduct, he might have been ruined. Some breeds of theep are heavy fluggish animals, which, like the fnail, may be confined to a particular fpot, in a great measure by their native fluggishness alone. If food be there provided for them in abundance, they will never feek to ftray, but will thrive and fatten at their eafe. But put thefe fluggish and indolent animals upon a bare pafture, where they would be obliged to range to a great diftance in queft of food, what would become of them? They would pine away in mifery, and quickly die, to the unfpeakable lofs of the owner.

Bountiful nature, however, has provided for him a help in this cafe fuited to his needs, by having formed other breeds of fheep, more active, more nimble, and more difpofed to travel. Thefe, inftead of being hurt by an extenfive range in queft of food, are benefited by the health it procures to them and climb the fteepeft mountains, and crop every blade of the fcanty nourishment that thefe afford, and thus convert it to the profit of the owner. Here then thefe active animals are in their native element, and here they are abundantly useful. Try, however, to confine them in fmall inclofures; they cannot there reft. They long for that freedom they enjoyed in the wide-extended heath

-nor

-nor can they, when thus confined, be kept with equal profit as the animals of a more fluggish caft: Each of thefe breeds have their peculiar excellencies, and are adapted to particular purposes, and the man who thwarts nature, and wishes to make them change places, may be confidered as a fool, and be obliged forely to repent it. The running horfe will never draw the waggon kindly-far lefs will the dray horfe fucceed in the courfe.

But the climax of this beautiful compofition is the clenching anecdote of the man who undertook to drive fome of these fheep to Lord Pigot, who faid, he would as foon undertake to drive a "flock of hares into Staffordshire." This is an argument, if argument it may be called, exactly fimilar in import to that of a man who fhould have brought hal-a-dozen of fine colts from the foreft, which had never been in hand, and agreed with a coachman unacquainted with the art of breaking horfes, to yoke them in a carriage and drive them to London. In this laft cafe it would be well if the rafh coachman lived, to tell that he had got a set of the most hellish brutes that ever lived, and that he might as foon undertake to drive the devil himfelf as them. Such is the logic that embellishes this profound perform

ance.

I prefume the reader will thank me for declining to take any notice of his other remarks. Indeed I fhould not have taken up your time, or that of your readers with any remarks at all upon this production, had it not been with a view to ftate to your readers, and the public in general, a fact refpecting the wool of Shetland Sheep, that I did not know at the time the pamphlet which gave rife to thefe remarks was written.

The fineness and peculiar foftnefs of Shetland wool has been long known to a few individuals who had accefs to fee and handle it, though it has

been little adverted to by the public at large till the prefent time; but the remarkable purity and unequalled brilliancy of its native white was not, I believe, known even to any one. This, difcovery has been brought to light by means of Mr Coulter, an ingenious hofier in Edinburgh, who has brought this branch of manufacture to a degree of perfection it never had attained in this country, and has invented fome improvements known no where else, which it is to be hoped, will redound to his emolument. A little of thie wool was lately put into his hands to be dreffed and manufactured by him. A fmall piece of ftocking was made of part of it, which was carried thro' every step in the procefs of this manufacture along with fome ftockings made of the best English combed wool. But when it came to be compared with them, when entirely finished, the difference in the colour was moft aftonishing. The piece made of Shetland wool was of a pure clear white; more resembling bleached cotton than woollen goods, while the other appeared of a yellowish hue. The difference was as the fineft writing paper, when compared with the browneft fort that is ever applied to that ufe.

It is needlefs to dwell upon the advantages that would refult to many manufactures on account of this unblem:fhed white-for thefe are obvious. In respect to dying light and delicate colours, this would be peculiarly beneficial. Every one knows the difference in the brilliancy of colour of dyed linen, if it has been bleached, when compared with the fane linen dyed by the fame process in its unbleached flate. In the fame manner, fcarlet and other delicate colours, when dyed on this kind of wool, will acquire a luftre and brilliancy it can in no other way be made to attain. It was, no doubt, to this peculiarity that Ubaldini alludes in the paffage quoted from him in the pam

phlet

phlet p. 49, where he fays, "But it is not fo generally known that it contains a great proportion of that delicate fort (of woollen) of which is dyed fearlet, and crimson, and other delicate colours, made into ftockings, vefts, gloves, fit ornaments, &c."

It is not a little ftrange that this fingularly valuable peculiarity of this kind of wool fhould have been fo long loft in this nation, after its value had been afcertained. It would be an unaccountable degree of negligence in us, now that it is difcovered a-new, to neglect the improvement of this wool, or fuffer it to be entirely loft, which was upon the very verge of happening. That the qualities of this wool may be feen on a fair comparifon with others, without a poffibility of allowing any one to be mifled by mifieprefentation of facts of any fort, I take this opportunity of announcing to the public, that there is now preparing a fmall quantity of worsted yarn to be made of Shetland wool, fome yarn is alfo to be made of the beft combed English wool that can be had here, which coft three fhillings per pound, and fome more will be made of the beft Spanish wool. These are to be all fpun by the fame hand,

and will be worked into small fample pieces of ftocking, part of each fam ple being made of English wool, part of Shetland, and part of Spanish wool. Thefe will all be worked by the same hand, and muft all alike go through every step of the fame process in cleanfing and preparing for the mar ket, fo that the qualities of each fort of wool will be brought at once forward upon a fair comparative trial. Thefe pieces will probably be finished before the publication of this Magazine, and will be feen for fome time in the fhop of Mr Coulter, hofier in Edinburgh, where, among others, the Critic, whofe remarks gave rife to these obfervations, is invited to examine them, and to publish to the world all the blemishes and defects he can poffibly pick up. It is not the object of the gentlemen who bring forward this bu finefs, to impofe upon any one.-If they be deceived themselves, they will be much obliged to any one who can fet them right. Truth is the object of their enquiries, and the advancement of the manufactures and general prof perity of this country will be their highest ambition. Cotfield, near Edin. 22d Oct. 1790.

J. ANDERSON.

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