on the Continent. It has been styled "The Crimean Hero Tablecloth," the pattern of which was furnished by a native of the place, Mr James Balfour, designer for Messrs Dewar, Son, and Sons, London and Dunfermline, but expressly for Messrs Hodge and Lowman, Argyll House, Regent Street, London. The designing and executing of the work occupied about eight months, and occasioned an outlay of nearly £600. The cloth, when finished, was exhibited for three days, at the end of September 1857, without any charge, in the large Music Hall, Dunfermline, to upwards of 11,000 persons. It received universal and high admiration for the originality, talent, beauty, and interesting nature of the design and richness of the fabric, so as to be pronounced the greatest achievement of the damask manufacture, in conception and finish, hitherto produced.

The cloth was inspected and greatly admired by the Queen and Prince Albert at Balmoral, as also by the Emperor and Empress of the French at Paris, who gave an audience to the proprietor, introduced to their Majesties by the Earl of Clarendon. Orders were given for the Imperial as well as Royal tables.

The cloth is composed of the finest linen warp and white silk weft, six and a half yards in length, and three in breadth; but when wrought for sale, it will consist of linen only.

The pattern consists of a beautifully elaborate leafy scrollwork for border, in which, at proper intervals, are inserted twenty-four faithful portraits. In one end-border are her Majesty Queen Victoria in the centre, and on either side the Prince Consort and the Duke of Cambridge. In the other end-border are the Emperor Napoleon in the centre, and on either side the Empress Eugenie and Prince Napoleon. In the centre of one of the side-borders is placed the King of Sardinia, and on either side Bosquet, Brown, F. Nightingale, La Marmora, St Arnaud, Cardigan, Raglan, and Bruat. In the other side-border, the Sultan in centre, with Omer Pasha, Williams, Canrobert, Evans, Campbell, Pelissier, Lyons, and Simpson, on either side. Each portrait of the Sovereigns is surmounted with their respective armorial bearings, placed towards the middle of the cloth; and alternately with these are trophies containing the names of the chief battles, with their dates-Alma, 20th September 1854; Balaclava, 25th

October 1854; Inkermann, 5th November 1854; Tchernaya, 16th August 1855; and in the centre of the cloth there are magnificent trophies, illustrative of the fall of Sebastopol, with the motto, Deus proteget justitiam, and the date 8th September 1855;-the ground around all of these being interspersed with the stars of the orders of the different sovereigns. In the corners of border are the standards of the four Powers rising from behind a shield containing their insignia united-the Rose, the Fleur-de-lis, the Crescent, and the Cross.

An idea may be formed of the extent of the design by persons acquainted with the nature of the work, when it is mentioned that there were 50,000 cards, and seven 600-cord Jacquard machines employed in forming the pattern on each loom. These machines required to be kept in operation at the same instant, and the whole was put in motion by a single movement of the foot. The web was 1600 Threes in the reed, equal to 4800 threads upon the yard, and which, again, multiplied by three, the number of yards in the breadth, gives the total number of threads in the breadth to be 14,400.

Besides numerous descriptions and opinions of the press regarding the cloth, there was one account of it in the Court Circular of this country, and all very laudatory. The two following brief notices of it appeared also in Paris :—

"La maison Hodge et Lowman, de Londres, a exécuté pour la Reine Victoria un service de table, dit des héros de Crimée. L'Empereur a daigné commander à cette maison un service pareil."-Le Constitutionel, December 20, 1857.

"Added to the illustrious list of their Majesties the Queen of England and the Emperor of the French, is that of their Imperial Highnesses Prince Jerome and Princess Mathilde, who have inspected the Crimean Hero Table-Cloth in the Palais Royal. They were highly pleased, and an order given. This is another proof of the French people's admiration of original ideas and beauty of design. Hodge and Lowman of London must be pleased at the success they have met with in Paris. We suggest that Mr Lobban, their representative, now residing at the Hotel du Lonore, should make there a free exhibition of it before leaving Paris."-Galignani's Messenger, December 29, 1857.

There is authority for stating that the cloth will be laid upon

the tables of many of all orders of the nobility and gentry of the land*

(Pp. 352-385.) Spinning-Mills, &c.-The Harrybrae, Golfdrum, Millport, and Midmill Spinning-mills, have ceased working, and there is no prospect of their being resumed; Milton Green Mill is in ruins. The Golfdrum Mill was some years

In connection with the account above given of the table-linen manufacture of Dunfermline, the Author may state, as what may be interesting to some, that when, not long since, at Carthagena in Spain for a day, and just about to leave it, he came to a large gateway in a high wall, over which was a Latin inscription, which he copied. Having done so, and conceiving that the gateway led to the harbour, whither he was going, he was proceeding to open and pass through it, when he was stopped by a soldier on guard, upon which he immediately retired. But he had not proceeded many steps till he was hailed by a young officer, to whom he returned and apologised as intelligibly as he could for his mistake; and after the officer went to consult with his superior in the guardhouse, he was politely invited to enter, when the officer and a soldier accompanied him. On entering there was seen a large well-paved court, open above, and with buildings all round, and about a hundred men in chains, some of them lying on the pavement, but who immediately, upon the party entering, rose, and stood in military attitude, paying the customary obeisance to the officer as he passed. As the Author could not speak Spanish, nor the officer English, the latter sent for a man in the establishment who spoke English well, and afterwards accompanied them as their interpreter. In the first apartment which was entered there was seen a loom of a very simple description, and narrow cloth being woven, the working of which the Author intimated that he understood. In another apartment there were about fifty shoemakers, and in a third about as many tailors. Afterwards there was seen another and better loom, with a Jacquard machine, upon which the Author instantly exclaimed, “Jacquard, Jacquard!” which rather surprised the auditors. Soon after he was conducted to the office of the establishment, where a superior military officer had come, but who did not attempt to enter into conversation. There was lying on the desk a small piece of narrow damask, which the Author showed that he was acquainted with, and desired the interpreter to mention that he came from a town in Scotland, Dunfermline, where this was the staple manufacture, upon which the clerk produced a table-cloth, stretching it out at full length, and intimating that it might be purchased. As the carriage of it, however, would have been inconvenient, the small piece on the desk was bought as a memorial of the place, which is still retained. The clerk produced invoices to show that he was doing business with Glasgow and Paisley, after which, the Author took leave of the party, with mutual salutations of satisfaction, and he, much gratified with the politeness shown him as an entire stranger, and which, indeed, was in unison with his whole experience in two months' journeying through portions of France, Spain, and Portugal, during which nothing disagreeable occurred. Some time after his return home, on mentioning this incident to an extensive mill-spinner, he was surprised to be informed that the gentleman sent about £20,000 worth of yarn to that establishment in Carthagena per annum.

ago purchased by Government, and converted, with some enlargement, and at great expense, into excellent military barracks, but which have never been occupied. Mr Marshall's Flaxmill, west from Foundry Street, spins yarn and shoemakers' thread.

Iron Foundries.-Those which are at present in operation are Mr J. Whitelaw's and Messrs Gibson's, on the north side of the town, and one at the Iron Mill near Charleston, leased by Messrs J. & A. Morton.

Mr Whitelaw's, commonly named the Dunfermline Foundry, is the largest. The whole of the columns and girders for the Victoria Tower, Westminster Palace, were cast at this foundry. These castings were of a heavy kind, and required to be of the best finish. There was also cast recently for the Viceroy of Egypt some large (perhaps the largest ever made) pumps for pumping the Nile, to irrigate the valley above and beyond the rise of that famous river. Almost every kind and description of iron work can be executed at this foundry.

There are from sixty to seventy workpeople constantly employed. The wages of the different classes vary.

In 1846-7 the East of Scotland Malleable Iron Company was instituted by Alex. Alison, Esq., (then) of Blair, in Culross parish, and the site selected for the works was a portion of Transy property, at the east end of the town of Dunfermline. A large copartnery was formed, in the prospect of the undertaking promising to be a very remunerative one; but in the course of a few years it proved an entire failure, causing great loss to all, and ruin to some of the smaller shareholders.

The works, with Transy Mansion-house and lands, were purchased in November 1850 by the Weardale Iron Company for L.15,250, and were carried on with spirit and success for some years; but in 1855-6 were finally abandoned. The tall enginestalk was overthrown by an explosion of gunpowder laid in mines at the foundation, causing in its descent a noise like that

of thunder. The materials of the work were sold, with the exception of the portable machinery or working-gear, which was removed to Weardale; and the descent of the largest portions of it, by carts, down the steep streets of Dunfermline to the Charleston railway station, for transportation by sea, occasioned, by the eccentric movements which were made, no little trepidation to onlookers. Transy House and land were bought by the present owner, James Thomas, Esq., residing near Cupar. The site of the works has been levelled, and is now covered with smiling young grass; and only a small portion of the buildings, including the engine-house and a row of workmen's dwellings, remain as a memorial of the work.

On the high ridge of hill behind Transy, on the lands of Touch, belonging to the burgh, there is a powder-magazine, erected a few years ago.

There are three Breweries of beer, ale, and porter, in operation, one in St Margaret Street, and another at the west end of Knabbie Street.

There is one Soap and Candle Work in Abbey Park Place, and a Candlework at the foot of Chalmers' Street.

There are two Manufactories of Tobacco; one in High Street, opposite to Douglas Street, and another at the south-east end of Bruce Street.

There is one Tanning and Currying Work on the north side of the town; and there are three Ropeworks, one at Martyr's Place, another at Woodmill Road, and a third behind the south side of Nethertown Street.

There are five Meal Mills-Touch Mill, Meldrum's Mill, Wood Mill, Mid Mill, and Iron Mill, the first two being also for barley. The Harrybrae, formerly only a flax, is now a flour, barley, and oatmeal mill. The Heugh, or Monastery Street Mill, is only for flour.

There is no woollen Dyework at present, but there are two dyeworks for cotton-one in St Margaret Street, and another at the west end of Knabbie Street.

The Tile and Brick Work, which was at Charleston, having exhausted the material in that neighbourhood, was transferred a few years ago to a low-lying piece of ground north from Broomhall House, but not seen from it, and on the south side of the