[ ^77 ] 



is carried over a great part of the ifland, Ind ren- 

 ders the grafs peculiarly good for feeding; this 

 likewife prevents the fnow from lying long on the 

 pafture grounds ; but entirely mars the growth of 

 trees. It is inhabited by about twenty thoufand 

 people, who depend upon the fummer fifhing, and 

 knitting of ftockings, for their fcanty and precarious 

 fubfiflence; the fifh is fent to Barcelona, Leghorn, 

 or Hamburgh; and the ftockings fold to the Dutch 

 filhermen, or fent to Hamburgh; and the fine 

 ftockings to Edinburgh, where they fell from three 

 fhillings to one guinea and a half a pair. 



The landholders let their lands from year to year, 

 on condition of fome perfonal fervices, and all their 

 produdl at a fmall price in the option of the buyers^ 

 who are often tackfmen, and rent the people's fer- 

 vices at about fool, for forty or fifty boats with fix 

 men each. 



The people are faid to be indolent; the reafon of 

 which is, that the landholders, by a barbarous policy, 

 and by a variety of mean », contrive to bring them 

 into debt, to prevent their leaving their country; 

 [N. B. Few of the people can either write or 

 number ; for the fame policy prevents good ichools 

 being kept:] and they, defpairing of iodependence^ 

 become hopelefs and indolent, 



T 3 The 



