he　manufacture　of　hemp　and　flax；　not　only　because　those　articles　are　less　valuable　than　wool；　and　the　loss　arising　from　their　being　spoiled　by　the　awkwardness　of　beginners　is　of　less　consequence；　but　also　for　another　reason；　which　appears　to　me　to　be　of　so　much　more　importance　as　to　require　a　particular　explanation。
  It　was　hinted　above　that　it　was　found　necessary；　in　order　to　encourage　beginners　in　these　industrious　pursuits；　to　pay　them　at　a　very　high　rate　for　the　little　work　they　were　able　to　perform；　but　every　body　knows　that　no　manufacture　can　possibly　subsist　long；　where　exorbitant　prices　are　paid　for　labour；　and　it　is　easy　to　conceive　what　discontent　and　disgust　would　be　occasioned　among　the　workmen　upon　lowering　the　prices　which　had　for　a　length　of　time　been　given　for　labour；　By　employing　the　poor　people　in　question　at　first　in　the　manufactures　of　hemp　and　flax；　manufactures　which　were　not　intended　to　be　carried　on　to　any　extent；　it　was　easy　afterwards；　when　they　had　acquired　a　certain　degree　of　address　in　their　work；　to　take　them　from　these　manufactures；　and　put　them　to　spinning　of　wool；　worsted；　or　cotton；　care　having　been　taken　to　fix　the　price　of　labour　in　these　last…mentioned　manufactures　at　a　reasonable　rate。
  The　dropping　the　manufacture　of　any　particular　article　altogether；　or　pursuing　it　less　extensively；　could　produce　no　bad　effect　upon　the　general　establishment；　but　the　lowering　of　the　price　of　labour；　in　any　instance；　could　not　fail　to　produce　many。
  It　is　necessary；　in　an　undertaking　like　this；　cautiously　to　avoid　every　thing　that　could　produce　discouragement　and　discontent　among　those　upon　whose　industry　alone　success　must　depend。
  It　is　easy　to　conceive　that　so　great　a　number　of　unfortunate　beings；　of　all　ages　and　sexes；　taken　as　it　were　out　of　their　very　element；　and　placed　in　a　situation　so　perfectly　new　to　them；　could　not　fail　to　be　productive　of　very　interesting　situations。　Would　to　God　I　were　able　to　do　justice　to　this　subject！　but　no　language　can　describe　the　affecting　scenes　to　which　I　was　a　witness　upon　this　occasion。
  The　exquisite　delight　which　a　sensible　mind　must　feel；　upon　seeing　many　hundreds　of　wretched　being　awaking　from　a　state　of　misery　and　inactivity；　as　from　a　dream；　and　applying　themselves　with　cheerfulness　to　the　employments　of　useful　industry；upon　seeing　the　first　dawn　of　placid　content　break　upon　a　countenance　covered　with　habitual　gloom；　and　furrowed　and　distorted　by　misery；　this　is　easier　to　be　conceived　than　described。
  During　the　first　three　or　four　days　that　these　poor　people　were　assembled；　it　was　not　possible　entirely　to　prevent　confusion：　there　was　nothing　like　mutinous　resistance　among　them；　but　their　situation　was　so　new　to　them；　and　they　were　so　very　awkward　in　it；　that　it　was　difficult　to　bring　them　into　any　tolerable　order。　At　length；　however；　by　distributing　them　in　the　different　halls；　and　assigning　to　each　his　particular　place；　（the　places　being　all　distinguished　by　numbers；）　they　were　brought　into　such　order　as　to　enable　the　inspectors；　and　instructors；　to　begin　their　operations。
  Those　who　understood　any　kind　of　work；　were　placed　in　the　apartments　where　the　work　they　understood　was　carried　on；　and　the　others；　being　classed　according　to　their　sexes；　and　as　much　as　possible　according　to　their　ages；　were　placed　under　the　immediate　care　of　the　different　instructors。　By　much　the　larger　number　were　put　to　spinning　of　hemp；others；　and　particularly　the　young　children　from　four　to　seven　years　of　age；　were　taught　to　knit；　and　to　sew；　and　the　most　awkward　among　the　men；　and　particularly　the　old；　the　lame；　and　the　infirm；　were　put　to　the　carding　of　wool。　Old　women；　whose　sight　was　too　weak　to　spin；　or　whose　hands　trembled　with　palsy；　were　made　to　spool　yarn　for　the　weavers；　and　young　children；　who　were　too　weak　to　labour；　were　placed　upon　seats　erected　for　that　purpose　round　the　rooms　where　other　children　worked。
  As　it　was　winter；　fires　were　kept　in　every　part　of　the　building；　from　morning　till　night；　and　all　the　rooms　were　lighted　up　till　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　Every　room　and　every　stair…case　was　neatly　swept　and　cleaned　twice　a　day；　one　early　in　the　morning；　before　the　people　were　assembled；　and　once　while　they　were　at　dinner。Care　was　taken；　by　placing　ventilators；　and　occasionally　opening　the　windows；　to　keep　the　air　of　the　rooms　perfectly　sweet；　and　free　from　all　disagreeable　smells；　and　the　rooms　themselves　were　not　only　neatly　white…washed　and　fitted　up；　and　arranged　in　every　respect　with　elegance；　but　care　was　taken　to　clean　the　windows　very　often；to　clean　the　courtyard　every　day；　and　even　to　clear　away　the　rubbish　from　the　street　in　front　of　the　building；　to　a　considerable　distance　on　every　side。
  Those　who　frequented　this　establishment　were　expected　to　arrive　at　the　fixed　hour　in　the　morning；　which　hour　varied　according　to　the　season　of　the　year；　if　they　came　too　late；　they　were　gently　reprimanded；　and　if　they　persisted　in　being　tardy；　without　being　able　to　give　a　sufficient　excuse　for　not　coming　sooner；　they　were　punished　by　being　deprived　of　their　dinner；　which　otherwise　they　received　every　day　gratis。
  At　the　hour　of　dinner；　a　large　bell　was　rung　in　the　court；　when　those　at　work　in　the　different　parts　of　the　building　repaired　to　the　dining…hall；　where　they　found　a　wholesome　and　nourishing　repast；　consisting　of　about　A　POUND　AND　A　QUARTER；　Avoirdupois　weight；　of　a　very　rich　soup　of　peas　and　barley；　mixed　with　cuttings　of　fine　white　bread；　and　a　piece　of　excellent　rye　bread；　weighing　SEVERN　OUNCES；　which　last　they　commonly　put　in　their　pockets；　and　carried　home　for　their　supper。　　Children　were　allowed　the　same　portion　as　grown　persons；　and　a　mother；　who　had　one　or　more　young　children；　was　allowed　a　portion　for　each　of　them。
  Those　who；　from　sickness；　or　other　bodily　infirmities；　were　not　able　to　come　to　the　work…house；as　also　those　who；　on　account　of　young　children　they　had　to　nurse；　or　sick　persons　to　take　care　of；　found　it　more　convenient　to　work　at　their　own　lodgings；　（and　of　these　there　were　many；）　were　not　on　that　account　deprived　of　their　dinners。　　Upon　representing　their　cases　to　the　committee；　tickets　were　granted　them；　upon　which　they　were　authorized　to　receive　from　the　public　kitchen；　daily；　the　number　of　portions　specified　in　the　ticket；　and　these　they　might　send　for　by　a　child；　or　by　any　other　person　they　thought　proper　to　employ；　it　was　necessary；　however　that　the　ticket　should　always　be　produced；　otherwise　the　portions　were　not　delivered。　　This　precaution　was　necessary；　to　prevent　abuses　on　the　part　of　the　poor。
  Many　other　precautions　were　taken　to　prevent　frauds　on　the　part　of　those　employed　in　the　kitchen；　and　in　the　various　other　offices　and　departments　concerned　in　feeding　the　poor。
  The　bread…corn；　peas；　barley；　etc。　　were　purchased　in　the　public　market　in　large　quantities；　and　at　times　when　those　articles　were　to　be　had　at　reasonable　prices；　and　were　laid　up　in　store…rooms　provided　for　that　purpose；　under　the　care　of　the　store…keeper　of　the　Military　Work…house。
  The　baker　received　his　flour　by　weight　from　the　store…keeper；　and　in　return　delivered　a　certain　fixed　quantity　of　bread。　Each　loaf；　when　well　baked；　and　afterwards　dried；　during　four　days；　in　a　bread…room　through　which　the　air　had　a　free　passage；　weighed　two　pounds　ten　ounces　Avoirdupois。　Such　a　loaf　was　divided　into　six　portions；　and　large　baskets　filled　with　these　pieces　being　placed　in　the　passage　leading　to　the　dining…hall；　the　portions　were　delivered　out　to　the　poor　as　they　passed　to　go　into　the　hall；　each　person　who　passed　giving　a　medal　of　tin　to　the　person　who　gave　him　the　bread；　in　return　for　each　portion　received。　These　medals；　which　were　given　out　to　the　poor　each　day　in　the　halls　where　they　worked；　by　the　steward；　or　by　the　inspectors　of　the　hall；　served　to　prevent　frauds　in　the　distribution　of　the　bread；　the　person　who　distributed　it　being　obliged　to　produce　them　as　vouchers　of　the　quantity　given　out　each　day。
  Those　who　had　received　these　portions　of　bread；　held　them　up　in　their　hands　upon　their　coming　into　the　dining…hall；　as　a　sign　that　they　had　a　right　to　seat　themselves　at　the　tables；　and　as　many　portions　of　bread　as　they　produced；　so　many　portions　of　soup　they　were　entitled　to　receive；　and　those　portions　which　they　did　not　eat　they　were　allowed　to　carry　away；　so　that　the　delivery　of　bread　was　a　check　upon　the　delivery　of　soup；　and　VICE　VERSA。
  The　kitchen　was　fitted　up　with　all　possible　attention；　as　well　to　conveniences；　as　to　the　economy　of　fuel。　　This　will　readily　be　believed　by　those　who　are　informed；　that　the　whole　work　of　the　kitchen　is　performed；　with　great　ease；　by　three　cook…maids；　and　that　the　daily　expence　for　fire…wood　amounts　to　no　more　than　twelve　creutzers；　or　FOUR…PENCE　HALFPENNY　sterling；　when　dinner　is　provided　for　1000　people。　　The　number　of　persons　who　are　fed　DAILY　from　this　kitchen　is；　at　a　medium；　in　summer；　about　ONE　THOUSAND；　（rather　more　than　less；）　and　in　winter；　about　1200。　Frequently；　however；　there　have　been　more　than　1500　at　table。　As　a　particular　account　of　this　kitchen；　with　drawings；　together　with　an　account　of　a　number　of　new　and　very　interesting　experiments　relative　to　the　economy　of　fuel；　will　be　annexed