A. D. 1752. 291 



extent and qualities, and what improvements may be made thereon ' 

 and an abflrad of their proceeding is to be annually reported to the 

 treafury, copies whereof to be laid before the parliament every feflion. 

 The king may divide large parifhes (entirely his own), and grant 

 proper provifions to the minifters of fuch new pariflies, out of the 

 prefent maintenance for the minifler of the old parifh, and the remain- 

 der out of the rents of the faid eftates, fo as the ftipend fhall not exceed 

 L50 per annum, in money or value, to any one minifler. The king 

 may erect fchools on the faid eflates, or in other parts of the Highlands 

 or iflands of Scotland, for intruding young perfons in reading and 

 writing the Englifh language, and in the feveral branches of agri- 

 culture and manufadures, and may eredt houfes fo*- their reception, and 

 for carrying on fuch manufactures by them, and for accommodating 

 their mafters ; and may apply fuch parts of the produce of the faid 

 eflates as fliall be neceflary for erecting fuch fchools, providing falaries 

 for the teachers, for clothing and maintaining fuch young perfons, and 

 for fupplying the fchools with utenfils and materials for agriculture and 

 manufadures ; and for the raifing of flax, &c. as his majefly fliall dired. 

 And the king may empower the commiflloners to allot portions of land 

 for the ufe of fuch fchools, or to apply fuch part of the clear rent of the 

 lands as he Ihall direct, in the purchafe of portions of land to be allotted for 

 fuch fchools. His majefty may empower the commiflloners to grant out 

 in property, portions of ground, not exceeding ten acres to one perfon, 

 to perfons well affeded, who fliall take the oaths to the government, 

 and oblige themfelves to ered: dwelling houfes, &c, and gardens there- 

 upon ; fuch grounds to be held feu of his majefl;y, for payment of a 

 yearly feu duty equal to fuch a proportion of the rent as Ihall corre- 

 spond to the ground feued out, &c. The king may, out of the rents 

 of the eflates aforcfaid, ered prifons on fuch parts of the forefaid lands, 

 or other parts of the Highlands, as he fliall think fit, and the fame fliall 

 be deemed lawful prifons ; and he may m^e allowance for the main- 

 tenance of indigent prilbners, &c. 



Of this very good law pofl:erity will reap the principal benefit ; be- 

 ginnings being already made in feveral parts of the Highlands for 

 working-fchools, to wliich the raofl; lauda'le fociety in Scotland for 

 propagating chriflian knowledge in the Highlands, &c. have lent a 

 helping hand by ereding feveral fchools out of their own income, for 

 the inilruction of the children : new villages are alio begun : manufac- 

 tures, as well as agriculture, are fet on foot, where none were known 

 before : fo that it is highly probable, that, in half a century more, the 

 moll uncultivated parts of that country will wear a vt:ry dift'ercnt afpedl. 



' For feveral years pafl,' fays Dr, Bufching, in his New geography, 

 ' between 4 and 50C0 fliips have failed annually through the Sound : 

 ' but in 1752 above 6000 fliips (a number unheard of before), palled 

 ' through ihofe llraits. In general that toll is on an equal footing with 



Oo 2 



