194 on manufactures and agriculture, Dec. §. 
sensical ideas of the wealth and happinefs of nations 
being incompatible with each other, banifhed to the 
‘regions of fancy and superstition.—The subdivision 
of commercial and manufacturing prosperity. among 
the various nations of the globe, will be found, in 
the end, not lefs conducive to individual, than to ge- 
neral happinefs ; and every sort of improvement 
will gradually take place according to the climates, 
circumstances, and situations of the countries in 
which they are attained. The northern and colder 
regions of the earth, will learn from experience the 
am 
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————— ee 
folly of attempting to produce silk, vines, or olives ; 
the torrid zone, to give up projects for supplanting 
the temperate in corn, grafs, wool, and hides; and the 
whole world would become as it were an immense fa- 
mily, in which every part of it has its proper occupa- 
tion. 
These reflections have occurred to. me in conse- 
quence of the pleasing recollection of what has hap- 
pened in our Scotland since I was a boy, or able to 
ponder the wonderful improvements that have taken 
place among us in every department of political eco- 
nomy. 
I have resided these four years past in the south- 
ern district of Scotland, not far from the borders of 
England ; and, when I came, listened with concern 
to the dictatorial presages of people who pretend- 
ed to be enlightened and well informed, concerning 
‘the impofsibility of doing any thing important for 
manufactures, ina country where fuel was brought 
all the way from Lothian, and corn was to be sent to 
Leith, or the markets of Berwick or Dalkeith, 
