Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 15, NIC-PAR

PAT [ 698 1 P A I
Paisley, far come in its room, and the thread manufacture has
—v ■■ ■' considerably increased. There is, however, reason to
conclude, that, though it is 4aily advancing, it has not
yet recovered its former greatness. Besides these prin¬
cipal manufactures, there are some others carried on
there of too much importance to be overlooked : for in¬
stance, considerable tan works, four in number, two soap
and candle works, a manufacture of ribbons, and an¬
other of inkle or tape. In 1780 the annual value of all
the manufactures in Paisley of every sort amounted to
660,385!. 16s.
In the various weaving branches there were employ¬
ed at Whitsunday 1791, in the suburbs of Paisley, 1108
looms, which, added to 2494 employed in the town,
gives 3602 in all. But it is to be observed, that the
extent to which the weaving branches are carried on by
the manufacturers in Paisley, is not to be judged of from
the number of looms in the town and suburbs. Be¬
sides about 150 in the country part of the parish,
there are great numbers employed by them in the vil¬
lages of Neilstoun, Barhead, Beith, Dairy, Kilwinning,
&c. &c. In 1744, when all the business was confined
to the town and suburbs, there were 867 looms at work.
—The thread-making in Abbey parish employs 9 mills,
which, added to 128 employed in Paisley,^ makes 137
in all. The number in 1744 was 93* ^,e fP*nn'n&
of cotton was introduced into Abbey parish in 1783*
The principal seat of that manufactory is at Johnstoun,
a neat and regularly built village about three miles west
from Paisley, upon the estate of Mr Houston of John¬
stoun. The feuing of that village was begun in 1782 j
and it contained, at Whitsunday 1792, 293 families, or
1434 souls. There are five companies established in it
for cotton spinning. Two of these carry on their prin¬
cipal operations by water machinery. In the two mills
employed in them, there are going at present 11,672
spindles •, but, when the whole machinery in both shall
be completed, there will be 22,572. The number of
persons, young and old, at present employed in both
mills is 660. There is also in the neighbourhood of
Paisley a calico printing work. Copperas has been long
manufactured at Lord Glasgow’s coal works j and for
several years past the manufacture of alum has been con¬
ducted on a very extensive scale at the same place.
The bleaching business in the Abbey parish is carried
on to a very considerable extent. There are 10 fields
for whitening muslins and lawns, and about as many for
thread, almost wholly employed by the manufacturers
in Paisley. About 300 persons are at work in this
branch of business, of whom about 240 are women, who
are hired for the season. A soap and candle manufac¬
ture pays about 2000I. of duty per annum to govern¬
ment, and has in some years paid upwards of 3000I.
A black and hard soap manufacture, 4500I. per annum.
The starch manufacture is but lately established. The
distillery business is to be mentioned under this head :
it has for some time past been carried on to a great ex¬
tent, and the spirit manufactured in great perfection.
A considerable quantity of it is exported, but too much
of it is consumed at home (c).
The river on which Paisley stands runs from south to Paidcy
north ; and falls into the Clyde, after it has joined the H
conflux of the rivers Grife and Black Cart at Inchinnan , Palx'
bridge, about three miles below the town. At spring 'r‘"
tides, vessels of 40 tons burden come up to the quay.
The communication by water is of great importance to
the inhabitants : for in this way they are frequently sup¬
plied with fish of different kinds, and can send their
goods and manufactures to Port Glasgow' and Greenock,
and to Glasgow likewise ; and now, by means of the
great canal, they have also a communication with the
frith of Forth.
The air here is moist •, a necessary consequence of the
prevailing south-west winds, which, coming loaded with
vapour from the Atlantic, produce frequent and heavy
rains. The effects of this moist atmosphere appear in
rheumatisms, quinseys, pneumatic ailments, and all the
tribe of inflammatory disorders. Upon the whole, how¬
ever, neither the town nor country adjacent can be said
to be unhealthy. Contagions, indeed, at times visit this
as other places, which run their usual course as epide¬
mics ; but none are reme mbered of any uncommon vio¬
lence except a pleurisy in summer 1771, and which,
contrary to the received opinion, was truly epidemic.
There are no disorders that can be said to be endemic,
unless scrofula is to be excepted, which is still hut too
common. This has been ascribed to the water used by
the inhabitants of Paisley : It more probably proceeded
from, and certainly was greatly aggravated by, poor liv¬
ing, and by the damp shops which were necessary for
the linen manufacture 5 for since silk weaving became
the general employment, and increase of trade has in¬
troduced better living, this disorder is less frequent.
From the same causes probably it is that swelled and
sore legs, once extremely common here, are now hut
rarely met with. Dysentery raged with great violence
in 1765 *, since that time it has been scarcely complain¬
ed of. Nervous fevers at times appear; but they are
neither very general nor uncommonly fatal. It is to be
apprehended, that the confinement and sedentary posture
of the weaver, and the laborious life of the bleacher,
are frequent causes of consumptive complaints. Inter-
mittents, which, from the damp air, and adjoining moss,
might be expected to be common, are not so much as
known. W. Long. 4. 20. N. Lat. 55. 52.
PAITA, a sea port of America, in Peru, and in the
audience of Quito. The town consists of about 200
houses but one story high j and the walls are made of
split cane and mud, and the roofs only a covering of
leaves. The only defence of Paita is a fort without ei¬
ther ditch or outwork ; but it is surrounded by a brick
wall of little or no strength, on which are mounted
eight pieces of cannon. It w as frequently plundered by
the bucaniers ; and Commodore Anson got possession of
its fort in 1741, and took and burnt the town because
the governor refused to ransom it. W. Long. 81. 19.
S. Lat. 6. 12.
PAIX, or Port Paix, a town on the north coast of
the island of Hispaniola, which has a pretty good har¬
bour. W. Long. 72. 55. N. Lat. 19. 58.
b 7 PALACE,
Pula
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Palsei
Im,
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(c) Of the capital, and number of persons employed in the manufactures, and of the revenue paid to govern¬
ment from them, it is obvious, that the amount, from numcrov.s circumstances, must be extremely variable.