A Survey of the Coosls, &c. of Scollaml 75 



})y the continued use of bathing and mercurials ; and we are 

 told by Baker that the first porcupine man twice employed 

 salivation to cleanse his skin ; that bv these means the ex- 

 crescences dropped off, and that the skin continued for 

 some time as white and smooth as that of other people ; but 

 that soon after tlie cure it became covered with these horny 

 excrescences as before. 



Other instances of singular deformities in the skin are 

 mentioned by Fabricius, Ilildanus, Fourcrov, Sec, but 

 these are so different from that here alluded to, that they 

 cannot be placed in the same class. 



XII. A Si/ruey and Report of the Coasts and Central High- 

 lands of' Scotland; ■made Inj the Command of the Right 

 Honourable the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's 

 Treasury in the Autmmi of 1 sot?. By Thomas Tel- 

 ford, Ciiil Engineer^ Edinburgh, F. R. S. 



[Continued fiom vol.xv, p. 311.] 



The Fisheries. 



XN what regards the fisheries, I beg leave to quote a pas- 

 sage from my last year's Report. " I believe it is generally 

 admitted, that in the improvement of a country, the intcr- 

 lierence of governm.ent should extend only to the removing 

 ob.nacles, and affording conveniences which are of a na- 

 ture not easily to be surmounted by individuals, or any 

 body of men who can be brought to act together ; and 

 where it is evident that by removing those obstacles and 

 affording the^e conveniences, the exertions of individuals 

 will be greatlv facilitated, so as to promote the general good 

 of the empire." 



The objects connected with the Fisheries, which seem 

 to come under the foregoing description, are, 1st, the want 

 of a ready connnunication by water between the east and 

 west coasts ; 2dlv, the want of coimviunications bv land 

 from the low countries and the east coast, with the shores 

 and fishing lochs of the west coast ; odly, the inconveniences 

 arising from the operation of the salt laws ; and 4lhly, the 

 want of a harbour in Caithness. 



The first and second of (hose objects have alre.idy been 

 full\- di-xusscd under the heads of the Caledonian Canal, and 

 the proposed Bridges and Roads. The third has been so 

 often and thoroughly investigated, that I shall only in this 

 place Uike the liberty of mentioning that all the informal ion 



1 have 



