24G Mil. Glassford's History and Description of the Kelp Manufacture. 



ties, during the last fifty or sixty years, have alternately been utterly 

 worthless, and, productive of considerable wealth. When Pennant, who 

 visited the Hebrides in 1772, visited Collonsay, ho states that these 

 islands " annually produced from 40 to 50 tons of kelp, which was sold 

 at the rate of £3 10s. to £4 per ton." When kelp was at £22 per ton, 

 the same islands produced upwards of 200 tons per annum, realizing clear to 

 the proprietors the very handsome sum of £4000, or thereby, annually. 

 During 1846 the same islands produced about 90 tons at about £4 per 

 ton, but would have easily yielded 120 tons, with the same hands 

 employed, had the season been at all favourable. 



^Vilson, in his "Voyage round the Coasts of Scotland and the Isles," 

 in 1842, says " that in 1812, in the island of North Uist, the clear pro- 

 ceeds from kelp alone, after deducting all expenses, was £14,000, and 

 fell little short of that sum for several years after. It has been calculated 

 that the alteration of the law regarding the duty on barilla reduced the 

 income of the island and its dependencies from £17,500 to £3500," and 

 that " the value of the island of South Uist to the proprietor has fallen 

 from about £15,000 to £5000." The district called Long Island, which 

 includes the two Uists and several others, during the palmy clays of kelp, 

 produced about 4000 tons of kelp annually from their shores, and realized 

 about £80,000 annually. The same district at present yields little more 

 than half the quantity, and that, at about £2 per ton (= £4000), the 

 greater portion of which is paid to the kelper in wages. Macculloch, 

 when he visited the Hebrides in 1818, estimated the total product of 

 kelp from the Scottish islands at 6000 tons annually, which, if we value 

 at £20 per ton, must have realized to these islands the sum of £120,000 

 annually for a number of years. At present I have good reason to believe 

 that not much over 3000 tons are annually manufactured, and if we esti- 

 mate this at the present average price (for Highland kelp) of £2, it 

 appears that only about £6000 are realized, comparatively little of which 

 can go into the pockets of the proprietors, nearly the whole being required 

 for the maintenance of the kelpers and necessary apparatus. 



In the beginning of the year 1845, there were only four chemical 

 manufactories engaged in the lixiviation of kelp, and manufacture of 

 iodine, in and about Glasgow, and these not very extensive. During 

 the following year these were increased to twenty establishments, several 

 of which were very extensive indeed, and capable of working up from 50 

 to 60 tons weekly. During this year the leys of the soap-boilers using 

 kelp were eagerly sought after, and three of the above number of manu- 

 facturers were engaged in the extraction of iodine from soap leys solely, 

 and other three parties partially occupied with this source. At present 

 there are nine manufacturers in and about Glasgow engaged with the 

 lixiviation of kelp, working up about 85 tons weekly, (= 4500 tons 

 per annum.) I estimate, however, that about 1500 tons of this quantity 

 is consumed at Borrowstowness, leaving about 3000 tons for the Glasgow 

 chemical manufacturers. 



