88 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



from Aberdeen to the Isle of Skye, or sold at Garmouth to the 

 people of the country around, or employed in shipbuilding. 

 The greater part of this wood is of the very best quality, equal, 

 it is said by competent judges, ^o any that is imported from the 

 Baltic, and inferior to that only in point of size. The largest 

 masts are 60 feet in length. This company has built, since the 

 year 1786, besides a number of boats, 23 vessels from 500 to 

 25 tons burden, the greater number about 200 tons, and amount- 

 ing in all to about 4000 tons, and all of their own fir wood of 

 Glenmore, both the planks and timbers. Some of these vessels 

 they have sold, others they employ in their own trade from Spey 

 and in the Baltic trade, and one was bought for the trade of the 

 Bay of Campeachy. These vessels, though wholly of fir, are 

 thought by good judges to be equal to those of New England 

 oak, from the excellent quality of the fir. There are generally 

 28 ship carpenters and block makers employed by the Company 

 at Garmouth, about 16 or 18 sawers and 8 saw millers, besides 

 several other workmen. They build vessels by contract. 

 Besides the above vessels built by the English company, several 

 sloops have been built at Speymouth during the same time by 

 others, and several have been repaired, and from the satisfaction 

 they give, it is expected the trade will increase. 



" A plank cut from a tree in Glenmore forest stands in the 

 entrance hall to Gordon Castle. The inscription on a brass 

 plate attached to the plank concludes the history of the 

 connection of the English Company with the Forest. It reads 

 as follows : — 



" 'In the year 1783, William Osborne, Esq., Merchant, of 

 Hull, purchased of the Duke of Gordon the Forest of Glen- 

 more, the whole of which he cut down in the space of 

 22 years, and built during that time where never vessel was 

 built before, 47 sail of ships of upwards of 19,000 tons 

 burthen. The largest of them of 1000 tons and three others, 

 but little inferior in size, one now in the service of His 

 Majesty and the Harbles East India Company. This 

 undertaking was completed at the expense (for labour only) 

 of about ^^70,000. To His Grace the Duke of Gordon, 

 this plank is offered as a specimen of the growth of one of 

 the trees in the above forest by His Grace's most obt. 

 servt. W. Osborne, Hull, Sept. 26th, 1806.'" 



