DEPRESSED TRADE OF THE HIGHLANDS. 9 



so the condition of the agricultural labourer. 

 In the north, he is still a long way behind his 

 southern neighbour. Perhaps the domestic cir- 

 cumstances of the agricultural labourer on the 

 shores of the Cromarty and Beauly Friths 

 may be stated as a mean between those of the 

 Hebrides and Norfolk. While agriculture has 

 prospered in this quarter of the Highlands during 

 the present century, manufacturing industry 

 has declined. About the end of last century, 

 probably not less than 20,000 hands derived a 

 livelihood from this source, who now do not. 

 The Highland capital at that period was the seat 

 of a thread manufactory giving employment to 

 some 10,000 of the inhabitants of the north 

 scattered over its different counties, which has 

 now entirely disappeared. The quantity of 

 home-manufactured woollen, linen, and canvas 

 stuffs sold in the different fairs has annually 

 been getting less also during the last forty or 

 fifty years. All these branches of manufacturing 

 industry have given way before the machinery of 

 England and the Lowlands of Scotland. Almost 

 the only machinery connected with the above 

 branches in the north belongs to Inverness, and 

 only gives employment to some twenty or thirty 



