HUGH MILLER n 



occasion to notice, a certain Celtic lobe of imagination 

 on the mother's side, but in his mental and political 

 character the great leading features of the other race 

 were undoubtedly predominant. 



Whence Buchanan drew the possibilities of great fleets 

 in the Firth of Cromarty is unknown unless he had 

 in his memory some of the vessels of the old mariners, 

 such as Sir Andrew Wood and the bold Bartons, or 

 even the ' verrie monstrous schippe the Great Michael ' 

 that ' cumbered all Scotland to get her to sea.' Certain 

 it is that for many a day its position had marked out 

 the town as the natural centre of a coasting trade, 

 though shortly after the Union the commerce of the 

 place which had been considerable had declined. The 

 real commencement of the prosperity of the place was 

 due to the energy of a native, William Forsyth, whose 

 life Miller has sketched in a little memoir originally 

 drawn up for the family, and subsequently republished 

 in his Tales and Sketches under the title of * A Scottish 

 Merchant of the Eighteenth century/ Forsyth had been 

 appointed by the British Linen Company, established 

 about 1746 in Edinburgh to promote the linen trade, 

 its agent in the North throughout the whole district 

 extending from Beauly to the Pentland Firth. The 

 flax which was brought in vessels from Holland was 

 prepared for use in Cromarty, and distributed by 

 boats along the coast to Wick and Thurso. In the 

 early days of the trade the distaff and the spindle were 

 in general use ; but Forsyth's efforts were successful in 



