ironmongers in large towns
then supplied their neighbours in smaller places with the different
articles, and numbers of people used to attend different markets,
where they kept a stock of goods.

This mode of conducting business being both troublesome and expensive,
the ironmongers, instead of coming twice a year as some of them did,
deputed some person to receive goods on their account, allowing a
commission for so doing. This opened the eyes of those who received
the goods, and induced them to collect patterns and travel on their
own account; which being found advantageous, it has been practised
ever since.

Twenty years back the trades carried on in this town were, with few
exceptions, light articles, that depended upon fancy, but since that
time, there have been numerous works established for manufacturing
useful and substantial articles, both for the foreign market and home
consumption; and the orders are so extensive that several people keep
carts, for the purpose of delivering their own manufacture to the
merchant.

_Principal Manufactories._

Within this town are manufactured every metallic article, both for use
and ornament, that can be necessary in a house; the variety of japan
goods, both useful and ornamental, is prodigious; the brass founders
produce an infinite variety of articles; and the platers also; the
manufacturers of buttons, guns, swords, locks of every kind, jewellery
and toys, employ the greatest part of the population. To these may be
added a great variety of articles, exclusively for the foreign trade.
Lately a manufactory of watches has been established, upon a very
extensive scale, in gold, silver, metal, and covered cases.

_Birmingham Canals._

In the year 1767 an act of parliament was obtained to cut a canal
from this town to the collieries, which was completed in 1769, at the
expence of L70000, being 500 shares at L140. each, which in 1782 was
sold for L370. in 1792, L1170 was the price of them, and when the
first meeting was held respecting the grand junction canal, in the
church, at Stony Stratford, one was there sold for L1375. Since that
time, the proprietors have been authorised by parliament to divide
each share into two parts, which is in fact doubling the number of
shares, in order that they may be rendered more saleable, and for one
of these divided shares, L900 was offered and refused in the summer of
1818. There is now a regular communication by water between this
tow