376 



HIGHLAND POVERTY. 



PART VIII. 



the use of which had been forgotten for hundreds of 

 years in every other country in Europe, was almost the 

 only tool employed in tillage in those parts of the High- 

 lands which were separated by impassable roads from 

 the rest of the United Kingdom. The country lying on 

 the west of the Great Glen was absolutely without a 

 road. The native population were by necessity peaceful. 

 Old feuds were restrained by the strong arm of the law, 

 if indeed the spirit of the clans had not been completely 

 broken by the upshot of the rebellion of Forty-five. 

 But the people had not yet learnt to bend their backs, 

 like the Sassenach, to the stubborn soil, and they sat 

 gloomily by their turf-fires at home, or wandered away 

 to settle in other lands beyond the seas. It even began 

 to be feared that the country would become entirely 

 depopulated ; and it became a matter of national concern 

 to devise methods of opening up the district so as to 

 develope its industry and afford improved means of suste- 

 nance for its population. The poverty of the inhabitants 

 rendered the attempt to construct roads even had they 

 desired them beyond their scanty means ; but the 

 ministry of the day entertained the opinion that by con- 

 tributing a certain proportion of the necessary expense, 

 the proprietors of Highland estates might be induced to 

 advance the remainder ; and on this principle the con- 

 struction of the new roads in those districts was under- 

 taken. 



THE CAS-CHBOM. 



ployed with the heel uppermost, with 

 pushing strokes to cut the breadth of 

 the sward to be turned over ; after 

 which, it was used horizontally as 

 above described. We are indebted to 

 a Parliamentary Blue Book for our 

 representation of this interesting relic 

 of ancient agriculture. It is given in 

 the appendix to the ' Ninth Report of 

 the Commissioners for Highland Roads 

 and Bridges,' ordered by the House of 

 Commons to be printed, 19th April, 

 1821. 



