1150 



STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part IV. 



south. In order, Twwever, to Indulge these propensities, and 

 to be able to appear in the capital with due effect, it was ne- 

 cessary that they should convert their estates to that mode of 

 occupation most suited to their circumstances, and from which 

 they could derive the greatest income. Luckily in this, as in 

 every other instance in i>oliticaI economy, the interest of the 

 individual and the prosperity of the state went hand in hand. 

 And the demand for the raw material of wool by the English 

 manufacturers, enabled the Highland proprietor to let his lands 

 for quadruple the amount they ever before produced to him. 

 These arrangements continued to be carried into effect from 

 time to time, in the southern and central Highlands, up to 

 about the commencement of the French revolution war ; not 

 always- however, without serious resistance on the part of the 

 people, 

 "rtie northern Highlands still remained to undergo that change 



tvhich the reit qf tlie island had already adopted. In this district 

 it naturally began to be followed in the counties situated near- 

 est to those into which it had already been introduced. In 

 Ross-shire, accordingly, it was undertaken on a great scale, in 

 1792. The dissatisfaction produced was so great, that the most 

 serious affrays took place, and the military had to act, and 

 blood was shed before quiet was restored. Between that time 

 and 1815, the greater portion of the county of Sutherland, not 

 belonging to Lord and Lady Stafford, was arranged according 

 to those plans so universally adopted. This ancient condition 

 of society prevailed longer on the estate of Sutherland, than in 

 any other part of the island, on account of its difficult access 

 across the Dornoch^ and other friths, and the total want of 

 roads in the county till 1809. The estate of Sutherland 

 {Jig. 816 a, a, a) including the barony of Assjnt, (b,b,b) 



NORTHEB.N OCEAN 



816 



ftnd the late purchases made by the Marquess of Stafford^ is 

 computed to contain more than 800,000 acres. The estate of 

 Lord Reay (c) is more than half that extent. The residue of 

 the county belongs to different lesser proprietors (d to n). 



In 1809 was begun a line of road, conducted according to the 

 best principles of the art, and made in the most perfect man- 

 ner, from the town of Inverness by Beauly and Dingwall, to 

 the boundaries of the county of Sutherland ; two excellent 

 stone bridges, consisting of five arches each, having been, 

 built across the Beauly and Conon rivers. The two princi- 

 pal obstructions these roads had to contend with and to 

 surmount, were those which were occasioned byfthe two 

 friths of Dornoch {,fig. 816. 1) and of Loch Fleet (2). The 

 former, especially, presented obstacles of considerable mo- 

 ment, arising out of the width of the channel, and the want 

 of a^ proper foundatfon on which to construct a bridge. If. 

 the "same plan had been followed in this instance, which [ 

 has been adopted on the two southern ferries, namely, of; 

 ascending to the point at which the frith terminates and be- 1 

 comes a river, it would have carried the road so much into 

 the interior, as to counterbalance those advantages which 

 are at all times obtained by the substitution of a bridge in i 

 the place of the most perfect ferry which can be established. 

 To avoid either of these inconveniences, a very careful 

 survey of the whole frith was made, and the engineer, ' 

 Telford, determined to recommend the construction of an 

 iron bridge of magnificent dimensions {See an engraved mem 

 in the Ed. Encyc.) at Bonar, a point where the frith nar- 

 rows itself considerably ; and above which it again expands, 

 though not to its former dimensions. This structure con- 

 sists of an extensive embankment, with two stone arches of 

 fifty and sixty feet span respectively ; and one iron arch of 

 150feetspan. Itcost 13,97H. From this point, the heritors 

 of Sutherland have constructed a road (4, 4) to Tongue (c), 

 the seat of Lord Reay, situated upon the Northern Ocea n. 



In many places, these roads are cut through the hardest 

 rock'; in others thev are obliged to be supported on bulwarks 

 of solid masonry. Expensive drains to protect them from the 

 mountain floods, and bridges over the innumerable streams 

 that rush from the hills in every direction, are required. These 

 must be formed of the most durable materials and the best i 

 workmanship, to resist the impetuosity of the torrents. No- ! 



thing will set this in so striking a point of view, as to state, that' 

 upon the projected road to Assynt, a distance of forty -six miles, 

 three bridges of three arches each, two bridges consisting of 

 one arch of forty feet span, five of twenty feet span, three of 

 twenty-four, six of eighteen, two of twelve, besides mam others 

 of inferior dimensions, would be required. On the Stafford 

 estate excellent inns, often combining farmeries, have been 

 built in a number of places at an enormous expense. As an 

 example, we may refer to one {Jig, 817.) containing an outer 



817 



0- 



E 



onn 



D D D 



awn 

 n 1 n 



* 



nnn 





'tM 



kitchen and servants' stair (a), with a pantry (ft), two best par- 

 lors, with movable partition for great occasions (i;), principal 

 ' ' " all ' ...... 



;ipal 



_ - . "' tuum \j If &JIC11C11 {g)f 



back kitohen and servants' stair (A). Over are five bedrooms, 

 and nine garrets for beds. 



Thus, in the course of twelve years, has the county of Su- 

 therland been intersected, in some of its most important dis- 



