THE HIGHLANDS. 333 



The Highlands produce infinitely more than they did a 

 century ago not only in respect to rent, but in every- 

 thing. 



An old Highlander, relating in rather an odd way the 

 misfortunes of his race, observed : " When I was young, 

 a Highland gentleman measured his importance by the 

 number of men he could maintain upon his land ; some 

 time after that, the question came to be as to the number 

 of cattle ; but now it is the quantity of sheep he has. 

 I suppose our children will be inquiring how many rats 

 and mice an estate can produce." This, of course, is a 

 joke ; but still it is not fair. It is enough, in reply, to 

 state, that the population of the Highlands, which was at 

 most three hundred thousand in 1750, is now six hun- 

 dred thousand ; and that the profits, as well as the wages 

 of this population, have increased much more than the 

 rents, even in the depopulated mountains. But, after all, 

 these mountain districts do not yield more than Is. per 

 acre to the proprietors. The tenants make about as 

 much, and the common shepherds receive about 40 

 a-year ten times more, certainly, than their forefathers 

 ever earned. 



It is just the same with the displaced population ; 

 they were starving in the interior of the country for 

 want of profitable occupation, but now they are in 

 prosperous circumstances on the sea-coast, where they 

 can always find remunerative employment. This people, 

 once so formidable to their neighbours, have changed 

 their state of lawlessness for an industrious and steady 

 life. There has, then, been no falling off in work and 

 comfort, as M. de Sismondi alleges, but a marked in- 

 crease in both. 



A somewhat similar revolution took place in Eng- 

 land, according to the evidence of all historical docu- 



