104 HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



with kindred object, we note here. On 5th January 1787, 

 £;^ 3s. was awarded to Mrs M'LuHch, Cove, Tarbert, 

 Argyllshire, for a specimen of worsted yarn for stockings. 

 Two years later, on 2nd January 1789, there were voted to 

 Mrs Grant, Dalchroy, Strathspey, £s 3S- for the best speci- 

 men of worsted transmitted to the Society. A premium 

 of ;i^6 6s. was awarded, 4th January 1790, to Alex. Mac- 

 naughton, dyer at Ruvucky, Kenmore, Perthshire, for 

 specimens of woollen cloth. A gold medal of the 

 value of ten guineas was voted, at the same date, to 

 Lady Sinclair of Ulbster, for a specimen of cloth made 

 by her ladyship of Caithness wool, spun and wove at 

 Thurso. This medal was presented 'as a mark of the 

 Society's approbation of her ladyship's patriotic exertions 

 to improve the woollen manufacture of the Highlands, and 

 to encourage others to follow so laudable an example.' A 

 gold medal of the value of five guineas was voted, on loth 

 January 1792, to Lady Lovat, for two specimens of fine 

 linen yarn of the growth of Beaufort Castle. The speci- 

 mens appeared to be the handiwork, or to have been made 

 under the inspection, of her ladyship ; and the medal was 

 voted to encourage the raising and cultivation of flax in 

 Inverness-shire, and the proper manufacturing of it into 

 fine yarn. 



An instance of juvenile industry is afforded by the 

 next premium of the class, which was a sum of £2 3s., 

 awarded on 4th January 1793, to Mrs Gray, Coutown, 

 county of Sutherland, for the best specimen of worsted 

 stockings. It was certified that the samples sent to the 

 Society were knit by Mrs Gray's own daughters, the eldest 

 of whom was not then nine years of age. On 15th Nov. 

 1793, a sum of ^^"6 6s. was awarded to Mrs Louisa Mackay 

 of Bighouse, Sutherland, for the best specimen of woollen 

 cloth ; and at same date, ;^3 3s. were awarded to Katherine 

 Munro, Portskerry, Sutherland, for the best parcel of 

 worsted stockings. A gold medal, of the value of ;^io 

 los., was awarded 3rd January 1794 to Angus Macdonald, 

 surveyor to the Hon. Board of Trustees for Manufactures, 

 &c., for an Essay on Woollen and Linen Manufactures, and 



