b o o k a prodigious quantity of falfe precious ftones, particularly
amethyftsr topazes, garnets,. alfo chalcedonies, cornelians^,
milky agates, the oculus catti, or cat’s eye, .jalper.s, and particularly
the red fpecies. He added, that Lithuania was extremely
rich: in marine petrefadions, and chiefly in thofe
which are common in the, Baltic : of thefe the madrepores,
are the moft numerous, and amongft others the CoraUinum.
Got.hlandicuni is- not uncommon; which is defcribed in the,
flrft volume aixh&AwenitatesAcademe# t as,extremely rare.
The next morning we vifited the manufactures efta-
bliihed by the king in 17 76 . They were carrying on
in wooden Iheds, built by Auguitus 11!. for ftables,,.
which had been , converted into temporary working looms,,
a n d dwelling houfes for the accommodation of the manufacturers
; the whole eftabliihmentwas expedte.d to be foon
removed to Loflona, a village near Grodno, where convenient
buildings, conllructing at his majeiby’s expence, were nearly.
finiftied -for that purpofe.
The principal , manufadtures-.are cloth, and camlets,.. linen
and cottons, filk fluffs, embroidery, filk ftockings, hats,lace,,
fire arms, needles, cards, bleaching wa.x, a n d , carriages.. The
country furnilhes. fufficient wool, flax, hemp, beavers hair,
and wax for the fupply of the manufactures which employ
thole commodities;, but the filk, cotton, iron, colours, go
and filver for. the embroidery, and fine thread from Brulieis,
for the lace, are imported. _ ■ J
The manufadtures employ 3000. perfops, including
thofe difperfed in the contiguous villages, who fpin lin.en
and worfted thread. There are feventy foreigners, who dire#
the different branches;, the mil are-nati ves belonging,
to the king’s.demofnes.
The
The apprentices are boys and girls, all children of Poliih c^ p'
peafants, who are clothed and fed, and have belides a fmall > ^__1
allowance in money. The diredlors complain that there is
no emulation among them; and that, although they are
better fed and clothed than the other peafants, yet they cannot
excite them to induftry by any other means than force.
Nor is this a matter of wonder ; for as they ftill continue in
a ftate of fervitude, if they acquire any unufual profit, and
carry it to their parents, they are appreheniive left it ihould
be taken away ; it having frequently happened, that any
little pittance, they had gained by their labour, has been
wrefted from them, in order to pay the quit-rents which their -
parents owed to their lords. One of thefe apprentices, more
ihrewd than the reft, faid to the director, who was trying to
ftimulate her induftry, “ What advantage fhall I obtain if I
“ follow your advice ? let me become ever fo ikilful in my
“ trade, I lhall always continue fubjedt to my mafter: the
<( labour will.be mine, and the profits his.” To which ob -
fervation no anfwer could be given. Moft of them appeared
with fuch a fettled melancholy in their countenances, as made
my heart acheto fee them; and itwaseafy to perceive thatthey
worked from compulfion, and not from inclination. A s -
fome remedy to this evil, it has been propofed, after a certain
term of years, to give liberty to thofe who particularly excel,
and diftinguifti themfelves by any extraordinary exertions.
But this humane propofal has been rejected, from a notion
that fuch perfons, when once made fr.ee, would no longer :
continue to work; and that by thefe means the manufadtures ■■
would be deprived of their beft hands. Though this incon- -
venience, however, might occafionally take place, yet the
encouragement of fuch a regulation would beget alacrity and ;
excite induftry, and would therefore create a greater.number ■ J / , J O '
X of