A plea for the bringing in of Irish cattel, and keeping out of fish caught by foreigners together with an humble address to the honourable members of Parliament of the countries of Cornwal and Devon, about the advancement of tin, fishery, and divers manufactures / by John Collins.

Concerning the New Art of Preparing Flax, and Hemp, before mentioned; it hath formerly been imparted to divers Members of Parliament, in the Words following.

(The Proposers name, being Franciscus Strick, a Flemming)

1. HE hath an Art, to Dissolve it, and make it extraordinary Fine, Soft, and of a Silver Colour; so that both the Flax, and Tow, may be Spun to an extraordinary fineness, and even Thread.

2. The Flax dressers, that dresses Flax the ordinary way in all places, can∣not produce more than One Pound, and a Quarter, out of a stone of Flemish Flax, which stone ways Six Pounds. And the Proposer can produce Four Pounds and a half fine, out of the said Six Pounds; that shall Spin as fine a Thread as theirs, and shall bear a price currant with the same.

3. In the dissolving, he takes nothing from the Flax, but the Earthy pon∣derous and unprofitable substance: which they must of necessity take out at last, after the great charges, in the Hackling and Spinning of the said Flax.

4. They must Boyl, or Scoure their Thread, or Twine, after it is Spun, to take out that filthiness, which the Proposer takes out before: And in so doing, they lose out of every Pound of Twine, one quarter of a Pound; which is more worth, than the whole stone of Flax, before it was prepared.

5. The Proposers Twine or Yarn, needs not to be Boyled after it is Spun, or any other thing done to it. Onely given to the Weaver, or Throwster: to be Woven, or Twined, into fine Thread.

6. It will be an evener Thread, and the Weaver needs not to stiffen it,

(with size,) as they do their own Thread, by which means it will be much easi∣er and more speedily Twined, and will be much stronger: thereby the stock will have more speedy returnes. The Proposer's charge being but small, in the preparing of it.

7. The Tow may be spun as well as the Flax; and the reason is, because of its extraordinary fineness, before it is hackled. For in the Hackling, it is onely drawn together, and in the spinning, is easily drawn out again; And it is appraised, or rated, according to the fineness thereof.

8. Of Three Pounds, or less, of this Yarne: there may be pieces of Hol∣land Woven, cantaining 50 Ells flemish, or 30 Ells English measure: Or fine Sewing Thread, from Ten Shillings a Pound weight, to Three or Four Pounds Sterling the Pound weight.

9. What is affirmed concerning Flax, is common to Hemp. It being prepa∣red the same way; And there may be made of it, all sorts of died Thread; fine Tykes for Beds, all sorts of Fringes, may be, and commonly are Woven of the Hempen Yarn: And thereof better Linnen Cloth may be made, than is gene∣rally made of Flax in England: as hitherto practised.

10. Also a way will be found, to draw the Negotiation of the French Sail Cloth, and all kind of Tackle, concerning Ships, in as small or big Cordage, as all other Nations afford, a Third part lighter, stronger, and lesser stowage; to more profit to the English Nation, and Companies of Merchants, as well as particular Trades.

Thus far the Proposer. Others add, that the Hurds, offall refuse, or Tow, of Flax, and Hemp, will serve to make a weaker, or a worser sort of Lin∣nen, or a good Printing and Writing Paper, here in England; some Tryals of all sorts whereof have been lately, (and never before) made, by Mr. Henry Million, Stationer in the Old Bayley; who deserves well of the whole Na∣tion; for his indefatigable pains, in promoting the Paper, Woollen, and Lin∣nen, Manufactures; and well understands the Art of preparing of Hemp, and Flax.

And whereas it is objected, that English Hemp, even that which is dew wet, and not River wet, is not so long; nor will not take Tarr, to make Cables of, as Swedish Hemp doth, and consequently, hath not that strength, or durability.

To this 'tis answered. That it hath been affirmed at the Royal-Society; That the late Earl of Strafford, sent over an Agent, to Riga, to observe on what Ground, Hemp, and Flax Royal, as they call it, grew there: And to bring o∣ver some of the seed, &c. which being planted in Ireland, grew very well. And that the Hemp being fine drest, took Tarr; why may not the like be done in England? and some say it is in York-shire: the reason our Hemp will not take Tarr, is conceived to be, either because it is not fine enough drest, or over hard▪ I have heard of a Rope maker, that having wetted our Hemp in May dew, steeved the same for some time; that it might somewhat swelter, moisten, or impair it self; and then it took Tarr but although our Hemp should not be fit to make great Cordage; as Cables, and Halsers. Yet it is much co∣veted, and used by Forreigners, and our selves, for small rigging: And is af∣firmed to be much lighter, and stronger, than any Forreign Cordage of the same size.

I believe, there only wants some good Experiments to be made, to determine the matter, whether our English Hemp, will take Tarr: and hope some of the Lords of the Committee, of his Majesties Privy Council for Trade, will give order, to some of his Majesties Rope-makers, to try the Experiments, before the Royal-Society.

Enquiry being made at the Royal-Society, what was known, concerning the aforesaid Art of, preparing Flax and Hemp, Answer was given,

1. That this Art of preparing, and dressing of Flax, and Hemp, was long known, and practised, by Mr. Charles Howard, Brother to the Duke of Nor∣folk: who many Years since, had shewed divers Examples of Hemp, and Flax, so prepared; as also to one Mr. Stephens. And that Engines, or Tools might be contrived, so far to facilitate the work, that one man there∣with furnished, should dispatch as much, as divers could do without.

2. That there are divers Marsh, Sandy Clay, and other Grounds, on the Coasts of England, and Wales, belonging to the Crown, that ly wast, or turn to little, or no benefit, that might properly be made use of, for planting of Hemp, and Flax, which admirably prepares for Corne.

3. That Mr. Charles Howard, lately imparted this new art of preparing, and Whitening of Flax, and Hemp, to one Mr. Fermin, who before he knew it, is said to have Spun Thread so fine, out of Flax, that one Pound hath yield∣ed 20 Thousand Ells, but now can produce much more.

4. How much the working of Rough Hemp, into Cables, and wrought Cor∣dage, hath been discouraged; may be taken from an instance at Yarmouth, put in Print, by one Mr. Bowers, a Merchant of that place; who presented his Papers, to divers Members of the House, setting forth.

1. That in Anno 1653. Four Rope-makers of Yarmouth, wrought up 208 Tuns of Hemp, for the then Parliament, besides what they, and Six Master Rope-makers, wrought up for private uses, a good part whereof, was English Hemp.

2. That the whole Town at present, doth not make 7 Tuns of Cordage in a Year. Whereas in those times, there was 4 or 500 stone, at 14 lib. the stone, of English Hemp, (besides Forreign) wrought up weekly into Cordage, and now it falls short of 30 Stone.

Mr. Cooke, in a discourse of the Norway Trade, saith, that we have lost the making of 2800 Tuns of Cables, and Cordage, Yearly, in the County of Norfolk. The cause thereof is:

The Customes of Cordage, and Cable Yarn, being Forreign wrought, and commonly bad, are but 8 Pence the Hundred weight, the same with the Customes of rough, or unwrought Hemp.