SCOTLAND. 



0*1 



statistic*, market, mut receive a market price, and would there- 

 v -^-' fore destroy itself; and hence it is, that while the ma- 

 Conimc-rcc nufartnn-. directed and paid by a capitalist in the High- 

 :IM.I M.II.II- lands, must fail, that which was carried on by each 

 tkctures. mau or f am jly O n its own account could not but thrive. 



For this reason, it would be good policy to increase 

 the culture of hemp, for which the demand is constant; 

 MS the making of nets and lines would find employment 

 Tor the farmer and fisherman's idle hours. Thus also 

 the cultivation of flax might be extended ; nor doe, 

 there seem any reason but the want of attempts and 

 perseverance, why the Highland families, now idle and 

 poor, should not add to their wealth and industry by 

 adopting the linen manufacture on the same plan as it 

 is conducted on many parts of the continent of Europe. 

 That the same principle might be extended to coarse 

 woollens, is too obvious to require notice. 



It is part of this subject, as well as of the concerns 

 of agriculture, to point out the advantage* which have 

 been derived from the construction of new roads and 

 bridges in the Highlands and islands, and from the im- 

 provements in the communication by ferries, packets, 

 and posts. 



We already noticed this as to the Long island; but 

 ought here to add, that North Uist contains an excel- 

 lent road, traversing the island, made at the expence 

 of its proprietor, and that there is also a considerable 

 extent of good road in Lewis, though much more is 

 yet wanting. These are always important, were it 

 merely on account of the commerce in cattle, which 

 forms so large a portion of the trade of all the High- 

 lands ; and not less important in this view are the im- 

 provements in the ferries, whether as it relates to the 

 piers, landing places, or to the boats themselves. 



Sky has now a post twice in the week, and nothing 

 is wanting either with respect to its roads or ferries, 

 which cannot be exceeded for goodness and conve- 

 nience. In these conveniences Raasay also in some 

 measure partakes. Mull is a contrast in every sense, 

 having but one or two short roads, and being almost 

 impassable everywhere else, while its ferry is as incon- 

 venient as a ferry can well be, since it traverses the 

 even more trackless island of Kerrera, and this requires 

 also a double embarkation. The smaller islands Hum, 

 Cannaj Tirey, Coll, and others, want every conveni- 

 ence, being without roads, ferries, or posts ; and Jura 

 is equally trackless and impassable, though benefiting 

 by the packet to Isla. Here every thing is as commo- 

 dious as could well be desired, as this island is suffi- 

 ciently intersected by excellent roads. 



On the western mainland, though the country can- 

 not be traversed longitudinally, a communication with 

 the central roads of Scotland, sufficiently convenient for 

 most parts, has been made by various transverse roads 

 terminating on the sea shore. The points where these 

 greater roads meet it, are Oban, Airdnamurchan, Ara- 

 saik, Loch Hourn, and Loch Alsh ; and others kss 

 perfect lead to Pol Ewe, Loch Carron, and Ullapool. 

 The west of Sutherland is still deficient in this respect ; 

 but a road to Tongue now affords a ready avenue to 

 the north coast. Of the central lines we need here 

 take no notice ; and shall therefore proceed to consider 

 the more important and leading trade and manufac- 

 tures ot'Scotland. 



The manufactures carried on in Scotland, may be 

 classed under two distinct heads : 



1. The primary or most important, which require 

 much machinery, and employ great numbers of peo- 



ple ; and 2. The secondary, which in both the*e re. 

 pectg ire inferior. 



The firrt head comprehendi, I.Th woollen; . 

 The linen ; and 3. The cotton. 



'I 'In- second ( including gome of the chief branches of *" 

 the mechanical art*,) contains variety of article* : at 



1. Silk; *. Calico printing, &c. ; 3. Half; 4 Paper ; 



Copper, lead, and tin ; 7. Wood ; 8. Tan- 

 ning; 9. Breweries and dictillerie* ; 10. Sugar refin- 

 ing; 11. I'ottcry ; 12. GlaM; 13. Soap, candle*, and 

 starch ; 14. Culinary gait; 15. Tobacco and nuff . 

 Combs and spoon ; 17. Coal, lime, and marble, a* con* 

 in ct.-d with manufacture* ; and 18. A number of mis- 

 cellaneous particular*. 



1. Woollen. 



This specie* of manufacture, the most ancient known 

 in Scotland, consist* of iour principal division*: 1. 

 Spinning, or the conversion of the raw material into 

 yarn ; "2. Weaving, or the manufacture of yarn into 

 cloth, blanket*, carpet*, &c. ; 3. Knitting, or the manu- 

 facture of yarn into stockings, gloves, pantaloon*, Ac. ; 

 and 4. Felting, or the making of woollen hat*. 



1. Spinning. Some attempt* were made, before the 

 two crowns were united, to establish the woollen ma* 

 nufacture in Scotland on a regular footing ; and expe- 

 rienced workmen were accordingly brought for that 

 purpose from different parts of Europe. But the*e at- 

 tempts failed, and the trade gradually reverted to it* 

 former narrow limits, when the woollen doth* made 

 in Scotland were chiefly manufactured by the extra la- 

 bour of those who were employed in husbandry. The 

 females, especially in winter, were occupied in card- 

 ing and spinning the wool. The yarn thus produced 

 was either given to a country weaver, to be woven into 

 cloth for family use, or sold to such dealer* a* fre- 

 quented fairs, where the surplus of both cloth and yarn 

 was exposed to sale. This mode of manufacturing 

 woollen yarn and cloth is not yet entirely abandoned, 

 although now principally confined to the Highlands 

 and poorer districts of the country. 



Before the introduction of machinery for spinning 

 wool, the process was performed in two way* : 1 . By 

 the large wheel of one spindle driven by the hand ; and 



2. By the small wheel of one or two spindle* driven by 

 the foot, after the wool had been prepared by the hand- 

 card, or combed. Wool-combing was once a consider- 

 able branch of this manufacture ; but it is now almost 

 entirely superseded by carding machine*. 



Mr. Baird, of Aberdeen, was certainly among the 

 first who introduced machinery in the manufacture of 

 wool in Scotland. In 1789, he brought from Roch- 

 dale two carding engines, and four spinning-Jennie*, 

 with the other necessary apparatus. That part of the 

 machinery which required the power of water was 

 erected at Stoneywood, on the river Don; but the 

 jennies with looms, &c. were fixed at Aberdeen. About 

 600 Ibs. of wool were manufactured weekly until the 

 year 171)6', when the machinery was increased to twice 

 the extent. The preparation of wool by band was ge- 

 nerally laid aside, and several other mill* were erected 

 in Aberdeenshire; so that in 1799* about 4000 lb*. 

 were weekly manufactured by eighteen engine*. So 

 rapid indeed has been the increase of this manufacture, 

 that mills have been erected, not only in the different 

 parts of Aberdeenshire, but at Elgin, Forres, Inver- 

 Cromarty, in Caithness, and in some of the south- 

 ern and western counties of Scotland. But the most 

 considerable work of this kind in Scotland, is that of 



