It is necessary, in an undertaking like this, cautiously to avoid
every thing that could produce discouragement and discontent
among those upon whose industry alone success must depend.
It is easy to conceive that so great a number of unfortunate
beings, of all ages and sexes, taken as it were out of their very
element, and placed in a situation so perfectly new to them,
could not fail to be productive of very interesting situations.
Would to God I were able to do justice to this subject! but no
language can describe the affecting scenes to which I was a
witness upon this occasion.
The exquisite delight which a sensible mind must feel, upon
seeing many hundreds of wretched being awaking from a state of
misery and inactivity, as from a dream; and applying themselves
with cheerfulness to the employments of useful industry;--upon
seeing the first dawn of placid content break upon a countenance
covered with habitual gloom, and furrowed and distorted by misery;--
this is easier to be conceived than described.
During the first three or four days that these poor people were
assembled, it was not possible entirely to prevent confusion:
there was nothing like mutinous resistance among them; but their
situation was so new to them, and they were so very awkward in it,
that it was difficult to bring them into any tolerable order.
At length, however, by distributing them in the different halls,
and assigning to each his particular place, (the places being all
distinguished by numbers,) they were brought into such order as
to enable the inspectors, and instructors, to begin their
operations.
Those who understood any kind of work, were placed in the
apartments where the work they understood was carried on; and the
others, being classed according to their sexes, and as much as
possible according to their ages, were placed under the immediate
care of the different instructors. By much the larger number were
put to spinning of hemp;--others, and particularly the young
children from four to seven years of age, were taught to knit,
and to sew; and the most awkward among the men, and particularly
the old, the lame, and the infirm, were put to the carding of wool.
Old women, whose sight was too weak to spin, or whose hands
trembled with palsy, were made to spool yarn for the weavers;
and young children, who were too weak to labour, were placed upon
seats erected for that purpose round the rooms where other
children worked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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