INVERNESS. 



183 



Ir.vcratu. 



Coiftu- 

 nient of the 

 ton. 



' 



ilium of conversation, the study of English has been 

 accompanied by that attention to propriety pf speech, 

 very naturally bestowed on a language to be acqui- 

 red. 



The town is governed by a provost and four liailies. 

 The provost is assisted by a council, consisting of -J I 

 member?, who have a derk, and a clerk-depute. The 

 new council is annually elected at Michaelmas by the 

 old council, and afterwards elects from its body the 

 new provost and bailies, and the dean of guild and 

 treasurer. The provost, however, is usually continued 

 in office for three, and the other magistrates for two 

 years. There are six incorporated trades, who annual- 

 ly elect at Michaelmas six deacons, and six box-masters 

 or treasurers, each corporation having its own peculiar 

 de.iron and box-master. The six deacons elect a dea- 

 con-convener, who presides over, and attends to, the 

 interests of all the corporations ; they elect at the same 

 time a general box-marter. The six corporations are re- 

 presented in the council by their deacon-convener, (who 



rtue of his office is a member,) and by two dea- 

 cons annually elected by the town-council. There arc, 

 besides these, several other crafts not incorporated. The 

 dean of guild hohls a court for determining all matters 

 relating to the guildry, and particularly for preserving 

 and upholding its fund, which is in a very thriving state. 

 The common funds of the town are respectable, and 

 considerably on the increase. Its income is devoted to 

 public purposes, and to giving annuities to decayed 

 persons, and salaries to the different teachers of the 

 town. The accounts of the burgh are made up yearly, 

 and are left in the council clumber for several weeks, for 

 the inspection of all concerned. To aid the magistrates 

 in managing the police of the town, about TO or 80 of 

 the most respectable tradesmen are annually nominated 

 as constables. The street* are cleaned regularly every 

 morning, and the manure so collected is told to the 

 neighbouring farmers, at the rate of about half-a-guinea 

 for a double cart-load, producing several hundred pound* 

 a-y ear. The lamp* are lighted by contract, and are in 

 number about 150. 



There are several societies in town, such as the In- 

 verness Highland Society, with president, vice-presi- 

 dent*, directors, and members ; the Northern Horticul- 

 tural Society, with a patron, vice-presidents, and coun- 

 sellors ; taring-bank for the poor, with director* ; a 

 Farming Society, with president arid rice-president* ; 

 an Athen.vum, where periodical papers of all kind* are 

 taken in, with president and committee of manage- 

 mcnt ; a society for suppressing begging, with a presi. 

 dent and committees, 1st, for paying the allowance* to, 

 wi 1 investigating the circumstance* of the poor ; 8d, for 



-hing the pauper* with employment ; 3d, for su- 

 perintrndinfc the instruction of children ; and, +th, a 

 medical committee. There is alto an Inverness Auxilia- 



l .le Society, with a president and committee ; and, 

 what does infinite honour To this town, an Auxiliary 

 Deaf and Dumb Society ha* been just established. A 

 respectable medical society has been also instituted. 

 i-c, there are several mason lodge* in town. 

 T i !< t-.il The trade and manufactures of Inverness have im- 

 proved with its increasing population. Its harbour is 

 safe and commodious, admitting vessel* of 200 tor* to 

 unload at the quay : and vessels of 5OO ton* may r 

 safety in the Moray Firth, within a mile of the town. Tfce 

 tide flows up to the bridge ; small vessel* are occasion- 

 ally built here. The exports are considerable, and con- 



: grain, (chiefly wheat,) wool, (kin* and hides, 



i .- 



hemp, flax, and woollen manufactured goods, wood and Inretntu. 

 building stone. The imports, however, are to a still ^^^ 

 greater extent, consisting of London dry goods, and commcrct . 

 groceries, coals, lime, barley, and hemp and flax for 

 manufacturing. In this trade there are a number of 

 vessels employed, of which those registered as belong- 

 ing to this port, are 51, forming an aggregate of 2746' 

 tons, and employing 201 hands. The trade with Lon- 

 don is the most frequent, a circumstance tending to 

 keep Inverness and iu neighbourhood always in an ad- 

 vanced state of acquaintance with the elegancies and 

 luxuries of life. The carrying trade to and from the 

 metropolis, is conducted with the utmost regularity. 

 The vessels belonging to the London Shipping Compa- 

 ny, are about 120 tons burden, and are six in number; 

 they are built as much with a view to the accommoda- 

 tion of passengers, as for the conveyance of goods. The 

 I.eith Shipping Company have three smacks, and the 

 Aberdeen Shipping Company have the same number. 

 The royal mail starts every day to run by Aberdeen, 

 and the Caledonian diligence sets off twice a-week by 

 the Highland road, furnishing conveyances by land to 

 Edinburgh and London. Besides these there are nu- 

 merous carriers and bye-posts. The bank of Scotland, 

 the British Linen banking company, and the Perth 

 bank have c;ich of them a branch here. There are also 

 agents established in Inverness for six different insurance 

 companies. 



Though provisions are plentiful, Inverness cannot be Provision?. 

 called a very cheap place. The butcher market is well 

 supplied. There are also plenty of sea-fish and sal- 

 mon ; which last are exported in great quantities to 

 I.omlon. Vegetables and the more common fruits are 

 in abundance. 



It is not very easy to predict what probable increase Caledonian 

 of trade may be expected to accrue to Inverness from 

 the opening of the Caledonian canal, (for which see NA- 

 VU.VTMS, KI.\M>.) That it will have some influence in 

 promoting the growing importance of the town, cannot 

 be doubted, though we fear that the operation of this 

 cause, may have been rather overrated by the eager- 

 ness of public anticipation. The discovery of the 

 steam-boat, however, by offering a new anil more cer- 

 tain mode of towing vessels through the lakes, must 

 certainly obviate much of the difficulty of their naviga- 

 tion, the apprehension of which would have naturally 

 operated to diminish the passage through them. \\'e 

 may therefore be allowed to hope that Inverness may 

 one day rise to a considerable degree of magnificence. 



If this great work shall have any effect on the trade, 

 we may also reasonably expect that it will give energy 

 to the manufactures of Inverness. Surrounded by a 

 populous ccuntry, and possessing a command of water, 

 it is well situated for manufactures of various kinds ; 

 but as yet comparatively little ha* been done in this 

 way. The principal manufactory is that of hempen 

 cloth, sent in considerable quantities to the West In- 

 dies and America, for packing cotton and coffee. Much 

 of this stuff is prepared for home consumption, being 

 used as sail-cloth, and for corn and coal sacks. There 

 are three establishments of this kind, employing a 

 number of hands. There are two woollen manufacto- 

 ries here, one of them chiefly employed in making tar- 

 tan cloths for the Highland markets. 1'he other has 

 produced very excellent superfine cloth, but this part 

 of the manufacture has been relinquished for the more 

 profitable one of country cloths, and negro clothing 

 fur the Weit India market. An iron foundry was esta- 



Muuf*e> 

 tores. 



