l3o4» l^iew of the Situation of Fanners j Isfc* 390 



The late T***** R***** ^^5 amongft the firfl to put four 

 bolls of barley nto a cart. It is an anecdote connttent with my 

 knowledge, that Mr Law, then recently appointed iSlierilT, met 

 the cart, and Hopped the fervant to fend a mtrra{.fe to his mafler, 

 importing, that fo great a load was opprcffive to the horfes, 

 and might probably break down the cart, -j-***** |***** -^^ 

 t*** f****** once fent ten horfcs with twenty bolls of bar- 

 ley, to meet D.ivid Salmon's cnrts at Ravtnsheugh toll-bar. 

 Three liorfc^s of JNlr Salmon's carried the whole to his gra- 

 naries. 



Nay, carts themfelves were fo rare, that, in the beginning of 

 my time, a boy, not older than myfelf, left his charge of cattle 

 amongil ftooks in long haltering time, and ran to get a nearer 

 view of one that happened to be paffmg at a diilance. This car- 

 ries my mind back to the introduction and common ufe of wheel 

 carriages in this ifland. In Queen Elizabeth's days, * a coach 

 was efteemed a ftrange monlter, and the fight ot it put both 

 horfe and foot into amazement. Some faid it was a great crab- 

 fhell bvouglit from China \ and others, th;jt ir was one of the 

 P.igan temples in whicb cannibals adored the Devil.' We find 

 Prince Charles and Buckingham making their Quixotic expedi- 

 tion to Spain on horfeback, and teaching poll-hackneys to leap 

 hedges. Poft-chaift-s were introduced into the French armies ia 

 the time of Lewis XIV. Thirty-four coaches were taken at the 

 battle of Blenheim. But to come to our own day. I have fome 

 faint remembrance of all our great men travelling poll on horfe- 

 back to and from London. The Duke of Argyle had, like 

 others, a pair of wide riding-breeches, in which he buttoned 

 the fkirts of his coat to keep them clean. He generally ftaid a 

 night, in pafiing, at Gilmerton, or with Lord Milton at Salton- 

 Hall. I have heard my father mention being with Sir Francis 

 Kinloch one evening when his Grace arrived in this plight, 

 whipping up the poft-boy's horfe, who fcampered before to 

 {how him the way. 



Every thing about the farmer, within doors and without, hath 

 kept pace with the improvement upon his implements. He him- 

 felf is better clothed ; he wears no home-made cloth now-a- 

 days ; every article he ufcs is of the bell Englifli fabric. 



The farm-houfes are neat and clean ; fom.e of them hand- 

 fome boxes, elegantly furniflied. Unqueftionably, the belt 

 farm-houfes in the county have been built by tenants at their 

 own txpence, with the fpirit of proprietors, though perhaps, 

 indeed, with more tafte than prudence. 



The hinds' houfes and cottages have fliared in the general im- 

 provement. Inftead of abominable, (linking, nally hovels, which 

 ^ they 



