THE HIGHLANDS. 327 



years, clever workmen, good seamen, and hardy miners. 

 The Marchioness caused to be built, at her own expense, 

 churches and schools ; and it only required a very short 

 time to complete the work of regeneration. 



At the same time, Mr Loch had no difficulty in prov- 

 ing that, in point of rural production, properly so called, 

 the operation was a successful one. The depopulated 

 lands were divided into twenty-nine large sheep-farms, 

 averaging twenty-five thousand acres each. Cheviot 

 rams and ewes of the improved breed had been im- 

 ported in large numbers, and were added to the native 

 black-faced race. The heather was burned, mosses were 

 drained by open ditches, and the water was collected and 

 distributed along the mountains by means of artificial 

 canals. Owing to these judicious proceedings, a fine 

 and close natural grass covered the highest summits, 

 just as in the lower valleys. This natural grass, grow- 

 ing upon a thin bed of soil, and which could not have 

 borne the tread of heavier animals, was improved, and 

 grew every day thicker from the manuring of the sheep. 

 At this time it was estimated that the number of sheep 

 fed upon the Sutherland mountains amounted to 118,000 

 cheviots, and 13,000 black-faced. The export of wool 

 rose to 415,000 Ib. annually, and was sold to the York- 

 shire manufacturers at the Inverness market ; and 30,000 

 sheep were delivered to the south-country farmers, to be 

 fattened for market. These products, already much 

 greater than anything formerly obtained for that was 

 almost nothing gave promise of rapid increase. 



The coast farmers, in their turn, finding themselves 

 placed in better circumstances, had, at the instigation 

 and with the assistance of their masters, adopted im- 

 proved methods of cultivation ; and fine fields of barley 



