ON THE AGRICULTURE OK THE COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND. 89 



Scotland and Yorkshire, and transactions to a very great amount 

 take place without show of stock or sample, restinj^ entirely on 

 the character h(^d in the market by the owner and his goods." 

 Such a system of selling goods of any kind can hardly l)e 

 regarded as the best that could be conceived, though disputes 

 about transactions made at the market are almost unknown. 



Cattle and sheep markets are held at dill'erent times through(jut 

 the year, at Kyle of Sutherland, Golspie, Helmsdale, and I'arr. 



Suhordinatc Industries. 



On the extension of the Highland Eailway to Brora the Duke 

 of Sutherland re-opened the coal-pit at Brora, which had been 

 worked about seventy years before. The pit has been worked 

 constantly since then, and, at present, the output is about 

 5000 tons per annum. The quality of the coal has ])een very 

 much improved by a change in the mode of working. There is 

 a band of stone in the centre of the seam, which necessitates a 

 careful method of mining in order that the stones may Ije 

 removed after the coals are loosened down on the face. The 

 former method of working was what is known as the " wall-and- 

 pillar " system, but the " long- wall " has now been adopted. 

 There is, however, considerable difhculty with the new system 

 by spontaneous combustion of what is known as the " Gob." 

 The price of the coal at the pit has been reduced from 12s. 6d. 

 to 8s. The demand is not half equal to the supply, and is 

 entirely local. The Duke allows no coals to be used in Dun- 

 robin Castle excepting those from his own pit at Brora. It 

 contains a considerable quantity of sulphur, and in power is 

 considered to be a third below tlie best quality of Scotch coal. 



The large brick and tile works, erected at Brora a few years 

 ago by the Duke of Sutherland, are still worked at full force. 

 They are under the same management as the coal-pit. The clay 

 is of a kind that is expensive to reduce, but still a large produce 

 is kept up. The number of bricks and tiles made last year was 

 686,278. As formerly indicated. His Grace has estal)lished a 

 large steam carpentry at Brora, where the fittings for all build- 

 ings in connection with the estate improvements are made. At 

 His Grace's various works at Brora about 90 people are em- 

 ployed. The Duke has also in contemplation the erection of a 

 woollen factory, for the purpose of manufacturing the famous 

 Sutherland Cheviot wool into tweeds, as also with the ^aew of 

 giving work to the increasing population of the Brora district. 



The discovery of gold in the drift of the Kildonan river some 

 ten years ago, created great commotion in the north of Scotland. 

 Tlie intelligence of the discovery spread at telegraphic speed all 

 over the country, and thousands of people, from all parts of the 

 kingdom, flocked to the newly-found gold field. A " city of 



