SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. 549 



but that must be considered quite an extreme figure. For 

 this inflation of value, the war with France was chiefly 

 responsible. For the twenty -two years ending 1822, the 

 average price was 10 los. A succession of heavy blows 

 played havoc with kelp. The high duty on the imports of 

 barilla from Spain was removed ; the duty on salt was 

 repealed ; and potash salts from Saxony were added to the 

 list of competitors. In 1831, as low a price as 2 per ton 

 was reached. The increasing uses of iodine saved the 

 trade from extinction ; but when, about 1875, iodine was 

 imported from Chili, and, subsequently, from Peru, the 

 | manufacture of kelp was again rendered unremunerative. 

 An effort was made in 1863 to revive the industry in Tiree, 

 and subsequently in North Uist, on more scientific princi- 

 ples than had formerly obtained ; but the attempt had to be 

 abandoned in Uist, and last year, the works in Tiree were 

 closed. 



The revenue derived by the proprietors of the Long 

 Island from kelp, during its palmy days, was considerable. 

 To the proprietors of Uist, especially, it proved a veritable 

 gold mine. In 1812, the net proceeds of kelp in North 

 Uist exceeded 14,000, and for several years afterwards, 

 they fell little short of that sum. By 1837, the profits had 

 dwindled to an insignificant amount. About 1790, the 

 rental of South Uist was 2,200. As kelp increased in 

 value, the rental rose rapidly to 15,000. By 1837, it had 

 fallen to 5,000. In 1.825, tne net proceeds from kelp in 

 Harris were about 2,180 ; in 1826, about 800; in 1828, 

 about 280; and in 1829, the balance was on the wrong 

 side.* While the boom lasted, the people were in a state 

 of comparative comfort, though their share of the profits 

 was not commensurate with the terribly arduous labour 

 which kelp-burning entailed. But the proprietors lived up 

 to their inflated incomes, and the people saved nothing 

 jfrom their increased wages. When the bubble burst, ruin 

 istared proprietors and people alike in the face. General 



* During the palmy days, early in the century, Lord Seaforth derived a 

 venue of about ,8,000 per annum from the kelp manufactured in Lewis. 



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