1194 



STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part IV 



must be formed of the >not durable materials, and the best , 

 'workmanship, to resit the impetuosity of the torrents. No- 

 thing will set this m so striking a point of view, as to state, that 1 

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



1131 



three bridges of three arches each, two bridges consisting of 

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

 twentv-four, six of eighteen, two of twelve, besides manv 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 ifig, 1132.) containing an outer 

 kitchen and servants' stair (a), with a pantry (6), two best par- 

 lours, with movable partition for great occasions (c), principal 



entrance (rf), a small parlour (e), small room (/), kitchen fe), 

 back kitchen and servants* stair {h). Over are fi 

 and nine garrets for beds 



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

 of Sutherland been intersected, in some of its most im- 

 portant districts, with roads, in point of execution 

 superior to most roads in England. And owing to the 

 equally praiseworthy exertions of the counties of Ross 

 and Inverness, on the one hand, and of Caithness on the 

 other, the same perfect means of communication now 

 exists, from the burgh of Inverness to the town of 

 Thurso upon the North Sea. 



Ferv districts of Scotland possess so small a proportion 

 of land fit for cMivaiion, compared with its extent, as 

 Sutherland; and previously to the year IS 11 but even a 

 small portion of that was brought into cultivation. 

 Each shore is fringed (if the expression may be used) 

 with a narrow border of arable land, which, on the 

 south-east coast, extends from a few hundred yards to 

 about one mile in breadth : the interior consists entirely 

 of mountains. 



The lands were let to tacksmen, as in Ireland, till in 

 latter times, when a certain district was let to the 

 whole body of tenants resident in each " town or town- 

 ship," who bound themselves, conjointly and severally, 

 for the payment of the whole rent. This land was 

 held, as expressed in Scotland, " run rig," or like com- 

 mon field land in England. 



The effect of this arrangement was to scatter thickly a hardy, 

 but not an industrious race of people up the glens, and over 

 the sides of the various mountains; who, faking advantage of 

 every spot which could be cultivated, and which could with 

 any chance of success be applied to raising a precarious crop of 

 inferior oats, of which they baked their cakes, and of here, 

 from which they distilled their whiskey, added but little to the 

 industry, and contributed nothing to the wealth, of the empire. 

 Impatient of regular and constant work, all the heavy labour 

 was abandoned to the women, who were employed, occasion- 

 ally, even in dragging the harrow to cover in the seed. 

 _ To build their hut, or get in their peats for fuel, or to per- 

 form any other occasional labour of the kind, the men were 

 ever ready to assist; but the great proportion of their time, 

 when not in the pursuit of game, or of illegal distillation, was 

 spent in indolence and sloth. Their huts were of the most 

 miserable description. They were built of turf, dug from the 

 most valuable portions of the mountain side. Their roof con- 

 sisted of the same material, which ws supported upon a rude 



wooden frame, constructed of crooked timber, taken from the 

 natural woods belonging to the proprietor, and of moss-tir dug 

 from the peat bogs. The situation they selected was uniformly 

 on the edge of the cultivated land, and of the mountain pas- 

 tures. They were placed lengthways, and sloping with the 

 declination of the hill. This position was chosen, in order that 

 all the filth might flow from the habitation without further 



1132 



exertion upon the part of the owner. Under the same roof, 

 and entering at the same door, were kept all the domestic 

 animals belonging to the establishment. The upper portion 

 of the hut was appropriateil to the use of the family. In the 

 centre of this upjier division was placed the fire, the smoke 

 from which was made to circulate throughout the whole hut, 

 for the purj)Ose of conveying heat into its farthest extremities. 

 The effect being to cover every thing with a black glossy soot, 

 and to produce the most evident Injury to the appearance and 

 eyesight of those most exposed to its influence. The floor was 

 the bare earth, except near the fire-place, where it was rudely 

 paved with rough stones. It was never levelled with much 

 care, and it soon wore into every sort of inrauality, according 

 to the hardness of the respective soilsof which it was composed. 

 Every hollow formed a receptacle for whatever fluid happened 

 to fall near it, where it remained until absorbed by the earth. 

 It was impossible that it should ever be swept ; and when the 

 accnnulation of filth rendered the place uninhabitable, an- 

 other hut was erected in the TJcinity rf tJjf gld one. The old 



