188 



THE STATESMEN. 



yielded good bacon and hams; and his sheep fur- 

 nished wool for clothing-. Of course he kept cows. 

 The women spun and wove the wool and flax, and 

 the lads made the wooden utensils, baskets, fishing 

 tackle, &e. Whatever else was needed was obtained 

 from the pedlars who came their rounds two or 

 three times a year, dropping in among the little 

 farms from over the hills. The first great change 

 was from the opening of carriage-roads. There 

 was a temptation then to carry stock and grain to 

 fairs and markets. More grain was grown than 

 the household needed, and offered for sale. In a 

 little while the mountain -farmers were sure to fail 

 in competition in the markets with dwellers in 

 agricultural districts. The mountaineer had no 

 agricultural science and little skill ; and the decline 

 of the fortunes of the " statesmen," as they are 

 locally called, has been regular, and mournful to 

 witness. They haunt the fairs and markets, losing 

 in proportion to the advance of improvement else- 

 where. On their first losses, they began to mort- 

 gage their lands. After bearing the burden of 

 these mortgages till they could bear it no longer, 

 their children have sold the lands : and among the 

 shop-boys, domestic servants, and labourers of the 

 towns, we find the names of the former yeomanry 

 of the district, who have parted with their lands 

 to strangers. Much misery intervened during the 

 process of transition. The farmer was tempted to 

 lose the remembrance of his losses in drink when 

 he attended the fairs and markets. The capacity 

 of the dalesmen in this respect, — in the quantity 

 of strong liquor that they can carry — is remark- 

 able; and they have only too good a training. 



