Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/150

 [ 138 ]

Preston, can purchase any article exposed for sale; from nine, every thing is sold indiscriminately till one o'clock, when the market time closes, and be- fore which hour, nothing must be withdrawn from the stalls unsold, except fish, which may be carried away in panniers as soon as the town is supplied. These regulations, so easily adopted at any other place, render Preston market the best in England. The chief manufacture is that of cotton.

Every step that we proceeded from hence to Chorley, reminded us we were approaching the great focal point which gives life and extension to this most important branch of British manufacto- ries, and which has thrown such wealth and po- pulation into this part of England, as to fill it for many miles round Manchester with palaces and population. Chorley itself has some great cotton works, and is rapidly increasing in riches and in- habitants. It is agreeably situated on the declivity of a hill whose foot is washed by the waters of the Yarrow, which wanders through banks extremely picturesque. As we proceeded to the south, we were reminded of our entrance upon the coal country by the frequent loads of this fossil which passed us upon the road. These consisted of va- rious kinds of coal, but the species called the

�� �