348 Dr. Greville on the Economical Uses 
place nearly L.30,000 Sterling, sometimes in one season. During 
the eighty years subsequent to its introduction (from 1720 to 
1800) the total value will rise to L.595,000 Sterling. Thus, says 
Dr. Barry, “ in the space of eighty years, the proprietors of these 
Islands, whose land-rent does not exceed L.8000 a-year, have, to- 
gether with their tenants and their servants, received, in addition 
to their incomes, the enormous sum of mere than half a million 
Sterling. 
Among the Hebrides, also, large quantities ef kelp are manufac 
tured. “ The inhabitants of Canna,” observes Dr. E. D. Clarke, * 
in 1797, “ like those of the neighbouring islands, are chiefly occu- 
pied in the manufacture of kelp. Cattle and kelp constitute, in 
fact, the chief objects of commerce in the Hebrides. The first 
toast usually given on all festive occasions is, ‘ A high price to kelp 
and cattle.’ ite this every islander is interested: oad it always is 
drank with evident symptoms of sincerity. The discovery of ma- 
nufacturing kelp has eifected a great change among the people ; 
whether for their advantage or not, is a question not “yet decided. 
i was informed, in Canna, that, if kelp keeps its present price, Mr. 
Macdonald of Clanranald will male L.6000 Sterling by his kelp: 
and Lord Macdonald no less a sum than L.10,000.” 
During the course of the late war, kelp rose to eighteen and even 
to twenty pounds per ton, in consequence of the interruption to the’ 
importation of barilla, and the prefits upon it during that period 
were enormous. The oe has subsequently fallen by degrees to 
five guineas per ton, and the sale has la tterly been heavy even at 
that =n This is to be attributed, partly to ‘the superior quality 
of the Spanish barila, for the purposes of glass- making and soap- 
boiling, and partly to the reduction of the duty on muriate of seda, 
or common salt. The rock-salt of Cheshire, which now bears an 
insignificant price, is submitted to a chemical process, by means of 
which the muriatic acid is separated from the soda; and this is 
found to answer so completely, that the great glass manufactories 
of Newcastle are supplied with soda thus prepared. So pernicious, 
pee are the fumes of the muriatic acid gas which issue from 
the soda works, that vegetation is destroyed to a considerable dis- 
tance, and the pr roprietors have been compelled. to purchase the 
eround in the immediate neighbourhood. 
The number of people that find occupation in the manufacture 
of kelp is so great, that a permanent interruption to the trade 
would be a segols evil. In the Orkney Islands alone, the number 
of hands, according to Mr. Peterkin, who has obligingly furnished 
me with information on this subject, probably amounts to 20,000; 
for all the rural population is more or less employed in the busi- 
ness during the kelp season. Such being the case, it is gratifying 
to find that that public-spirited bedy, the Highland Society, is ex- 
erting itself to procure exact information about the qualities of kelp 
asamanure. It has long been knewn that common sea-ware 1s 
* Life and Remains of E. D. Clarke, by Otter, V. i. p. 388. 
