358 - MINER AJLOGY. 



Mineralogy otjishing^ — a system fraught, as it is carried on in some of 



Shotlan . iYi^so, islands, with i\iv. greatest injustice, most flagrant 



and infamous oppression, which scarcely less deserves the 



notice of the Legislature, than some branches of traffic^ 



that lately accupied its attention. I say this from a con- 



" fore they could be brought to try it, even for one year. He then 

 " offered leases to all who would take them; only eight or nine 

 " applied, and a greater number absolutely refused to take any."— ^ 

 " These circumstances," it is added, " are alone sufficier:t to con- 

 ** vince every unprejudiced person of the advantages of the old 

 " syitem." It appears to me quite otherwise ; and I would draw 

 precisely the opposite conclusion. These circumstances seem to 

 afford ample evidence, not only of the extreme indigence, but of 

 the abject dependence of the Shetland tenantry; of the " stupid 

 ^p?ithy*' — the extinction of the British spirit of independence— 

 which has here been effected by the old system j which must there- 

 fore be a bad one. Mr. Hunter, I must remark, seems to have 

 proceeded in his experiment with too great haste, and thus not to 

 have given it a fair chance of succeeding. 1 do not question the 

 purity of his n-otives; but I think that it was rather rash, to sum- 

 mon one hundred atid ttuenty-t-wo poor tenants all at once to remove!- I 

 have been found fault with for endeavouring to subvert the csta- 

 hlished order of matters in Shetland ; but the alterations which I 

 suggested, I proposed should be ^ra^Kfl//y accomplished; I even ex- 

 pressly protested against precipitancy.'^ My words were, (p. loa,) 

 ** In most cases the tenants are so poor, that, were the landlord, at 

 " once to withdraw his aid, and leave them to manage as they best 

 " could, many of them would probably perish for want." Again, 

 (p. 103,) " Even if the size of farms were enlarged, and leases of 

 *' 19 years duration granted, unless manufactures were here and 

 " ther^, at the same time established, it is not improbable tha^ 

 .** many of the present cottars would either starve, or be compelled 

 *' to indent themselves to America." If, with these moderate senti- 

 ments, I incur the charge of being a " bawler about oppression," 

 &c.; with what language of reprobation oughp not ThuUy if con- 

 sistent, to declaim against his friend Mr. Hunter, who, at once, sub- 

 verted the citablished order of a whole district, and by \i\%Jiat 

 turned laz tenants adrift! 



The tenants of Lunna, it is stated, submitted to be replaced^ 

 under a tacksmun " without a murmur." This was about 1803, or 

 J 804. If I knew the author, I would ask him, whether they sub- 

 mitted with equal tameness to the arbitrary increase of the " whale 

 fishing exaction" from one guinea to three guineas— which, as al- 

 ready oh erved, was effected (probably without Mr. Hunter's 

 4ipiowledge) by the tacksman of this district in 180J, but, accord- 

 ing to my information, not without murmuring ! 



tictioi^ 



