326 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



but only displaced for their own good. If some of them, 

 blinded by prejudice, had preferred emigration, the ma- 

 jority had gratefully accepted the change ; while those 

 whom it had been found necessary to expel by force 

 were but the exceptions. 



In fact, as Mr Loch always contended, time alone 

 would show the wholesome results of these measures. 

 In 1820 the new villages were already infinitely superior 

 to the old ones. The Marchioness had spent consider- 

 able sums in opening up roads in every direction ; 

 throwing bridges across streams, and even arms of the 

 sea ; constructing inns and posting establi shments ; and in 

 rendering the small harbours of the coast more accessible 

 and safe. This country, which ten years previously was 

 absolutely closed, became henceforth approachable both 

 by sea and land ; coaches ran through it from one end 

 to the other, and numbers of vessels loaded and discharged 

 upon these formerly deserted coasts. The outlay upon 

 the harbour and works at Helmsdale alone amounted to 

 more than 16,000. This once unsafe inlet, where not a 

 vessel touched before 1814, became, five years afterwards, 

 the seat of a trade employing some thousands of tons of 

 shipping. At first the Marchioness's agents had to 

 import at considerable expense all materials required for 

 their works lime from Sunderland, coal from Newcastle, 

 and slates from Aberdeen ; and to bring, besides, their 

 own engineers masons, quarrymen, sailors, and artifi- 

 cers, even such as bakers, cartwrights, and joiners, for 

 none of these existed previously on the place. At the 

 time Mr Loch wrote, only a few of these strangers re- 

 mained : the native population had learned from them 

 enough to provide for their own necessities. These once 

 barbarous people had become, in the course of a few 



