2/4 SCOTLAND. 



is the shire town, and evidently built for the purpose of commerce. It 

 is a large well-built city, and has a good quay, or tide-harbour: in it 

 are three churches, "and several episcopal meeting-houses. It has a 

 considerable degree of foreign commerce and much shipping, a weli- 

 frequented university, and about 20,000 inhabitants. Old Aberdeen, 

 near a mile distant, though almost joined to the new by means of a long 

 village, has no dependance on the other ; it is a moderately large mar- 

 ket town, but has no haven. In each of these two places there is a 

 well-endowed college, both together being termed the university of 

 Aberdeen, although quite independent of each other. 



Perth, the capital town of Perthshire, lying on the river Tay, trades 

 ^o Norway and the Baltic ; is finely situated, has an improving linen 

 manufactory, and lies in the neighbourhood of one of the most fertile 

 spots in Great Britain, called the Carse of Gowry. Perth was once the 

 capital of Scotland Here the courts of justice sat, the parliament as- 

 sembled, ar d the king resided : it was then defended by a strong castle, 

 and is at present one of the most regular and handsome towns in Scot- 

 land : it contains about 15,000 inhabitants. Dundee contains about 

 26,000 inhabitants; it lies near the mouth of the river Tay; it is a 

 town of considerable trade, exporting much linen, grain, herrings, and 

 peltry, to sundry foreign parts ; and has three churches. Montreos, 

 Aberbrothick, and Brechin, lie in the same county of Angus : the first 

 has a great and flourishing foreign trade, and the manufactures of the 

 other two are in an improving state. 



Commerce, manufactures. ...The trade and manufactures of Scot- 

 land are in most respects similar to those of England, though on a 

 smaller scale, and for many years past have been rapidly improving. 

 The chief exports are linen, grain, iron, lead, glass, woollen stuffs, 

 soap, &c. ; the imports are wines, brandy ; and from the West Indies 

 and America, rum, sugar, rice, cotton, and indigo. The total amount 

 of the exports from Scotland in 1793 was computed at 1,024,742/. 

 and the number of ships employed were 2234. 



The fisheries of Scotland have been greatly improved of late years, 

 and send large supplies to the English and foreign markets. The 

 busses, or vessels employed in the great herring fishery on the western 

 coasts of Scotland, are fitted out from the north-west parts of Eng- 

 land, the north of Ireland, as well as the numerous ports of the Clyde 

 and neighbouring islands. The grand rendezvous is at Campbeltown, 

 a commodious port of Argyleshire, facing the north of Ireland, where 

 sometimes 300 vessels have been assembled. They clear out on the 

 12th of September, and must return to their different ports on the 

 13th of January. They are also under certain regulations respecting 

 the number of tons, men, nets, &c. But though the political existence 

 of Great Britain depends upon the number and bravery of her seamen, 

 this fishery has hitherto laboured under many difficulties ; the adven- 

 turers in it having frequently been losers, in consequence of the bounty 

 of 50s. per ton (since reduced to 30s.) not having been regularly paid. 



The chief manufacture of Scotland is that of linen of various kinds, 

 of which several years ago 400,000 yards were yearly whitened in one 

 bleachery on the banks of the Tay, and the whole quantity stamped for 

 sale in Scotland, beside what was made for private use, amounted to 

 above seventeen millions of yards, in value nearly 900,000/. which 

 quantity has been since increased. In the town of Paisley and its 

 neighbourhood on the Clyde, the quantity of white sewing thread an- 



