292 



prefent (late ; what was formerly the mofl fruitful part of that coun- 

 try, when watered by numerous canals, and won, or preferved, by the 

 hand of wakeful induftry, from the encroachments of the (hifting de- 

 fert, has now degenerated into a fandy wafte. Our bogs might, in 

 general, be drained, and rendered highly profitable, by crops of rape, 

 hemp, and cale. A great part of our mountains would maintain a 

 fmall breed of flieep; whofe wool approaches near to that of Spain, 

 in the finenefs of ftaple ; and the encreafe of whofe numbers would 

 tend highly to the extenfion and improvement of the woollen manu- 

 fafture. 



Large trafts of mountain undoubtedly there are, fo bleak in the ex- 

 pofure, and fo favage and intra£lable in their nature, as to mocl-c every 

 meliorating art, every attempt at cultivation ; but, by far the greateft 

 part of our mountains is capable of being made ufeful. It is impof- 

 fible for thofe, who have not feen it experimentally illuftrated, to con- 

 ceive, what may be effefted, by the exertions of induflry. This may 

 be feen, in a ftriking manner, in the late accounts of China, that 

 wonderful country ; where not a plant or herb fprings up in vain, or 

 is pad over in negled ; where even the wafte of waters, is covered 

 with the dwellings of man, and compelled to produce efculent vege- 

 tables, for his fupport. It is obfervable, that the wool of cold coun- 

 tries, is the fined: ; of Cachemire, for inftance, and Caramania, 



Suppofe companies were formed, with the defign of reclaiming and 

 peopling, the deferted parts of the kingdom ; and of eftablifliing vil- 

 lages and markets, in regions, which are now uninhabited. The un- 

 dertakers might divide the land, in fhares, amongfi: induHrious peafants, 

 who fliould enjoy their refpeftive allotments, during feven years, free 

 from rent, tithes, or taxes, and fubjeft only to a very fmall chief rent, 

 during two lives, on condition of building a cottage, and refiding on 

 the preraifes. Thus, would the cultivation of the country be impro- 

 ved, and the proprietors, at the expiration of the terms granted, would 

 be able to derive a large income, from lands, which, at prefent, 



yield, 



