Flax and wool were likewise provided, and some few good spinners
of those articles were engaged as instructors; but by far the
greater number of the poor began with spinning of hemp; and so
great was their awkwardness at first, that they absolutely ruined
almost all the raw materials that were put into their hands.
By an exact calculation of profit and loss, it was found that the
manufactory actually lost more than 3000 florins upon the
articles of hemp and flax, during the first three months; but we
were not discouraged by these unfavourable beginnings; they were
indeed easy to be foreseen, considering the sort of people we had
to deal with, and how necessary it was to pay them at a very high
rate for the little work they were able to perform, in order to
persevere with cheerfulness in acquiring more skill and address
in their labour. If the establishment was supported at some
little expence in the beginning, it afterwards richly repaid
these advances, as will be seen in the sequel of this account.

As the clothing of the army was the market upon which I
principally depended, in disposing of the manufactures which
should be made in the house, the woollen manufactory was an
object most necessary to be attended to, and from which I
expected to derive most advantage to the establishment; but still
it was necessary to begin with the 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