134 Presidentship of Sir John Pr ingle 1775 



the following notice of his researches, from information 

 doubtless supplied by himself : 



" Mr. Raspe, the German mineralogist, after having examined the 

 greater part of the Western Highlands and Islands, has at last begun 

 his survey in Caithness. He has been very successful in discovering 

 mines of copper, lead, iron, cobalt, manganese &c. and he will 

 probably publish an account of these discoveries. It must give the 

 greatest satisfaction to every friend to the prosperity of the High- 

 lands to understand that the marble of Tiree, belonging to the Duke 

 of Argyll, the lead in the property of Lord Breadalbane, and the 

 iron on the estate of Glengarry, are likely to turn out of great value 

 and importance. From Sutherland he has brought specimens of 

 the finest clay, and there is reason to hope that this country will 

 yet make a figure as a mining district, there being every symptom 

 of coal, and a very promising vein of heavy spar having been dis- 

 covered. On the whole, it is believed that the tour of this ingenious 

 traveller will turn out of great public, as well as of private utility, 

 and will do credit to those who have promoted it." 



There is evidence that Raspe continued his examinations 

 of the Highlands. 1 When he extended them into Caithness 

 he was not long in presenting himself to Sir John Sinclair 

 of Ulbster, a most excellent philanthropic and patriotic 

 country gentleman who was all his life engaged in further- 

 ing enterprises that offered a prospect of advantage to 

 Scotland, and who believed that even on his own land some 

 useful minerals might yet be found. He gave Raspe a 

 hospitable welcome and employed him to make trials at 

 a place where indications of mineral veins had already 

 been found. Installed at Thurso Castle the German pro- 

 spector traversed the district in search of ores, while at 

 the same time, by his wide range of knowledge and experience . 

 and his lively sense of humour he gave pleasure to his host 

 and the family circle. " For a time the investigation gave 

 the proprietor good hopes. Masses of a bright heavy mineral 

 were brought to Thurso Castle as foretastes of what was 

 coming. But in time the bubble burst, and it was fully 

 concluded by Sir John Sinclair that the ores which appeared 

 were all brought from Cornwall and planted in the places 

 where they were found. Miss Catherine Sinclair, his accom- 



1 Scots Magazine, January 1791, p. 43. 



