Observations upon the present state of the Scotch fisheries [electronic resource] : and the improvement of the interior parts of the Highlands : being an essay on these subjects, given in to the Highland Society of Scotland ...

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The

Robert E. Gross
Collection

A Memorial to the Founder
of the

Business Administration Library
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OBSERVATIONS

THE PRESENT STATE

THE SCOTCH FISHERIES, ^c.

OBSERVATIONS

UPON

THE PRESENT STATE

OF

THE SCOTCH FISHERIES,

AVD THE

IMPROVEMENT

or THE

INTERIOR PARTS OF THE HIGHLANDS,

BEING

AN ESSAY ON THESE SUBJECT^,

GIVLN IN TO

THE HIGIiLAND SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND,

^ad fa tvuiciJ the^ tuere pl'cfed to at^jfidge their Highfjt Frizc*
Midalfar ihi Year 1790.

Br P. WHITE, ESqK

0Y THE CfiNERAL EXCIS£«OFFICE, EDIMBURGV.

EDINBURGH :

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR,
»T GRANr AND MOIR, PATERSON's COURTy

Anno i7yi.

P R E F A- C E,'

It has been ufual for perfons
vvliom the Commonwealth of
Letters did not recognize, and
who have mbinitted their opi-
nions to the ordeal of the Pub-
lic, to introduce themfelves to'
thcirRcader with an apology for
their conduct. This mode of
a 3 pro^

6 Preface.

proceeding has the refemblance
of humility and modcfty : It
may be> however, doubted,, (con-
fidering the natural pronenefs
there is in mankind to felf-ap-
probation,) whether in general
there is much fincerity in fuch
apologizing introductions. At
any rate, there is certainly a de-
gree of ^bliirdity, and perhaps
of unfairnefs, in fuch feeming
lowliaefs : It is unfair, becaufe it

is

Preface^ ^

IS a kind of befpeaking the Read-
er's favour, by praclifing upon
his paffioRS: And it is abfurd,
becaufe the author is thereby
taking blame to himfelf before
any one imputes it to him. For
thefe reafonS;, the Author of the
prefent perfonnance has not fol-
lowed the method ufualiy adopt-
ed in Prefaces.

It will be learned from the

title page of the folio v/ingj[heets,

that

9- Preface:

that they were originally wrote
for the information and parti-
cular ufe of the Hi'^hland So-
eiety of Scotland. It is with
the permiffion of that Society,-
that they now come abroad, and
are fubmitted to the judgement
of the Public.

The information upon which
the arguments made ufe of in
the prefent tract are founded,

has

Preface, 9

has been acquired by the expe-
rience of a ten years refidence
upon the North- Well coafl of
Scotland ; and is likewife the re-
fult of a good deal of confide-
ration bellowed upon the fub-
jectofthe Fiilieries. Cur Read-
er will fee, that the inferences
which we have drawn, are almoft
totally difFerentfromthofewhich
have been drawn by others who
have wrote before us, fo far as.

the

jro^ Preface.

the fubjed refpedsthe Fiflieries.
We however truft, they will be
found to be juft, and to merit
fome degree of confideration.

^ ^' *^ *

The Author, in difcuffing hia
fubjecT, had not any pleafing
profpe6l of praife before him:
He was obliged, confiftent with
truth, and his own ferious con-
viction^

Preface* ^ 11

vlctloiij to reprefent a fabjecl,
which had become popular, in a
iefs favourable point of view
than it has been treated of by o-
thers.— As Praife was not, there-
fore, the Author's aim, Cenfure^
he hopes, will the more readily
fpare him.

In thefe fentiments, he fub-
mits his Obfervations to the
Reader.

Edinburgh^ 1
JuLT iSl/jy 1 79 1. J

OBSERVATIONS

THE PRESENT STATE

THE SCOTCH FISHERIES, bV,

ADDRESSED TO

The Highland Societt of Scotlaxd.

X HE Society having, in an advertiie-
ment figned by their Secretary, and
publifned in the Edinburgh Papers, de-
fired information from fuch perfons as
were willing to give it, as to the Pre-
fent State of the Scotch Fishery, and
the bed means of promoting and im-
proving the fame : And the Society-
having

14 Ohfervatlons upon

htiYing alio, in their advertifeni en t, de-
iired that it might ht ilated by fuch
perfons, " vVhat the circumilanc c . were
** which fhoiild determine the lituatioii
'* of the villages intended to be built
'* upon the coafls, and in the inland
*^ parts of the Highlands ; — the proper
*' meafures to be adopted by Govern-
*' ment,-~by the Joint-Stock Com-
*' panv lately cftabliilied by acl of
** Parliament, — by the Society, — or by
*^ the proprietors of lands in the High-
** lands, in forming fuch eft ablifhments,
" — the encouragements proper to be
" given, — the beft method of provid-
" ing the fettlers with ground for
** building, and otherpurpofes, — andfcr
<* fecuring to them a fupply of necef-
*' faries during the infancy of Tuch
" eflabliUiment ;" the prefent paper is

meant

7'he Sxotch fybenes. 15

meant aa-tin endeaTOur to convey to the
Society the information deiired : Eat
the author miiH crave liberty not to
confine himfelf barely to the quefdonS
above propofed : and like wife he hopes
the Society will pardon him, if, in fpeak-
ing to thefe qiieftions, he fhail depart
fomewhat from the order in v;hich they
are dated. It will readily appear, to
every gentleman into whofe hands this
paper may come, that in detailing fads^
and making obfervations, upon a iah^
jecl where the detailer can have no in-
tereft, and has no intention to miflead,
the bed way fully to underRand him,
and to profit by his information, is to
allow him to deliver the account in fuch
order as is mod conformable to his own
train of ideas. The author of the ob-
fervations now to be on^ered fhall de-
A 2 tain

1 6 Qhfervatlons up

on

tain the Society with no farther preface
or apology : If any of his remarks fhail
be deemed worthy of its attention, or
.ihall be in any. jdegree conducive to
the welfare of the Filhery and the
Goiintry, he attains his whole aim in
the prefent addrefs.

To a feeling and rational mind, the
fubjecl now before us will, appear of
the greatefi magnitude and importance,
and replete with matter well worthy of
the molt ferious inveftigation. Whe-
ther the fubj.ed: is confidered as affedl-
ing individuals, or as affeding the com-
munity at large, it is equally interell-
ing. It concerns the well-being of near-
ly two-thirds of the inhabitants of this
part of the United Kingdom, men who
are by no means behind their neigh-
bo un

'The Scotch lyljcrles. ly

bours in either the qualities of body or
mind, but whofe labours are, at prefent,
of very little ufe to the public, and of
ilill lefs to themfelves. — It was referved
for good men, lovers of their country,
to meet and confult together, for the
humane, munificent, and patriotic pur-
pofe, of benefiting their country, and
cherifliing her ufeful and forgotten Sons*

The order in which we pfopofe td
treat the matter nov/ in hand, is, frjl.
To give a detail of the Frefent State of
the Scotch Fifiiery ; in which v/e fiiall
fatisfy ourfelves with a Ihort view
of that on the Eaft Coafl, as not be^
ing the imm.ediate objedl of our en-
quiry, or affording fo much field for
obfervation ; but fliail dwell pretty
largely upon the Fifhery on the Weit
A 3 Coail,

j8

Ohfervations upon

Coafl, as being 1;he major point in view ;
in the coiirfe of makin<5 our obfcrva-
tions upon whicli, we will take notice
of the cii'cumftances which fliould de-
termine the fituation of the intended
villages, the encouragement proper to
be given to the fettlers, and the other
requiiitions contained in the Socie-
ty's advertiiement, intermingling, as
v/e go along, fuch remarks and ftric-
tures as fhall arife out of the fubjed :
And to the whole we lliall fuperadd re-
marks upon the interior parts of the
Highlands, with a propofai for the im-
provement of that part of the country.

We might probably be excufed, w-ere
we to omit altogether faying any thing
of the Fifhery upon the coail betwixt
Ecrwick upon Tweed, and the entrance

to

Ihe Scotch Fijljeries, tp

to the Murray Frith. The coafl of
that tradt of country is populous and
rich : there is a conftant market for
ail the frelh fiHi caught there, and
the inhabitants hare the command of
fViipping at all times, to tranfport fuch
filh as they find it their accourit to fend
abroad or coaflvvife. Were the coails
of the Highlands as populous and fer-
tile as this part of Scotland, the tafK
would be eafy to improve the Fifh-
eries there : The coaft we are fpeaking
of is the bell improved in the kingdom :
there are, however, feme of its advan-
tages for carrying on the Filhery trade
which are neglec^led. At Stirling, Perth,
Aberdeen, and Spey, the Salmon- Filh-
ery is profecuted with much attention,
and a pretty good fupply fent from the
two firil places to the Edinburgh mar-
ket.

20 Ohfervatiom 'Hf'oTf

ket ; a much larger of boiled falmon is^
'however, fent from all thefe places to
the London market, preferved in vine-
gar, and packed in fmall tubs called
kitts. Sometimes this fifh has fold in
London at two fliillings and fixpence
a pound ; at other times it has been
fold as low as fixpence. When the
price falls in London, they beghi at the
falmon-river^to fait their fifh- for expor-
tation : The ordinary average price
thefe iifli bring abroad, is about four
pounds ^<?;' barrel of forty two gallons,
with the further advantage pf a premi-
um from Government of 4w^ Hiillings
and lixpence per barrel.

At Dunbar, and upon a fmall extent
of the coail on each fide of the Frith of
Torth; a llioal of herrings very often

fet

n^ Scotch Fi/Jjeries, 21

]c:t in about the beginning of Karyefl,
the greatefl part of which are fold freih,
(mollly at Edinburgh) and fetch great
prices. The Mellrs Falls at Bunbar
followed this filhery with great induf-
try. Some of their herrings they fmoah-
ed in the Yarmouth way, Thefe iifn
do not feem, however, to be fo fit for
curing into white or pickled herrings.:
they have not that fapid oily quality
which the herrings on the V/eil Coafl:
lochs poiTefs : When falted and kept for
any length of time, they become ratliex
infipid and dry.

It is perhaps needlefe to mention,
that within thefe few years great exer-
tions have been made in the Whale
trade ; and the towns of Leith, Aber-
deen;, Dundee, Montrofe, S^c. have

made

'-22 Ohjervat'ions upon

made very- encouraging adventures in
that way. Lqfily^ Although there are
few herrings caught in the Frith of
Forth, or upon thp coaft of the diRridl
betv>7ixt that and the Murray Frith^
yet there are a good many biiffes fitted
out from that part of the coafl, particu-
larly from Leith, for the Herring-fifh-
eryonthe Weil Goad. Abbut the time
of Charles I. the inhabitants of the
coafts of tlie Frith of Forth carried on
a brill?: trade, and fitted out a great num-
ber of bufles, the cargoes of which they
exported mofily to theBaltic. Some of the
towns which enjoyed this trade exhibit
at this day fpedacles of mifery and
wietchednefs. The troubles which pre-
ceded and followed the King's death
ruined the circumftanceSj and damped

the

^'he Scotch Fifo cries, '2j

the aclventrous fpirit of thefe merchants.
But there was, and ftili is, amongil their
fuccelTors, a remain of that fpirit for
which their forefathers were fo remark-
able ; and it is only of late years that
they have totally loft the trade of fend-
ing herrings to the ports in the Baltic,
by thefe fiili appearing upon the coails
of the countries there, of which the in-
habitants availed themfelves.

There is no part of Scotland where
the white fiihery for the frefh markets
there is carried on with more induftry,
or better underftood, than v/ithin the
diftrict we have mentioned : We will
even venture to go farther, and to aflirm,
that there is not in any part of Europe,
(Holland excepted) better white fifiiers
than tliofe v*'ho follow that profeflion

xipon

t4' Ohfervations upon

upon the Eaft Coail of Scotland. Is it
not therefore to be wondered at, that the
merchants upon that coaft, particularly
at Aberdeen, Montrofe, &c. have never
made an attempt to fend haddocks, cod,
&c. to the London market ? Such a
trade would cerainly yield great proiit :
The Ml to be fprinkled with the purefl
of fmall fait, and might be either bought
from the boat-fifliers, or caught on
board the fwift failing fmacks, (in
which they might le carried feafonably
to London) as beft fuited circumftances:
but the fifliing on board the fmacks
would be the moil certain method, be-
caufe they could keep the fea to fifli
when the boats could not. It is the
more furprifing that this trade is not
attempted, when it is confidered, that
the famous fifliing- bank, called the

'J

Lor?

The Scotch Fi/Jjcrks, 25

Long Forties, runs along ft this part of
the coall. W^z do not know that the
inhabitants of the call coail of Scotland
neglecl any other local advantage they
polTefs from their fliores, excepting that
we have now mentioned, unlefs, per-
haps, that they do not pay that atten-
tion to their lobiler-flfliing which it d-e-
ferves.

We fliall now fpeak of the fifliery
on the ccail of that track of country,
which lies between the entrance to the
Murray Frith, and the promontory cal-
led Cape Wrath, in the county of Su-
therland ; in which we lliall include
the Orkney Iflands. Wc iliall omit
faying any thing of the Shetland filli-
ing, as probably not being particularly
f mbraced by the Society, whofe pa-
C tronage.

^6 Ohfervations upon

tronage, if we apprehend right, has
the Highlands and Iilands adjacent
thereto, for its more immediate objects.
Indeed, it is fo far convenient to our
purpofe, that little remains to be pro-
pofed, for improving the fiiliery car-
ried on upon the coaft of Shetland :
the induliry of the inhabitants is great,
and their fuccefs not difproportioned to
it. We hope the day is at no great
diftance, when we fhall fee the like at-
tention to the curing of good and mer-
chantable fiHi among the natives of the
Highland coaft, as is amongil the inha-
bitants of Shetland, and their induilry
.equally rewarded. Much praife is due
to the gentlemen in Shetland ; they are
the very foul of the fifliing there ; it
was firft foflered by them, and they
maintain it to this day, to the great aid-
vantage

Ihe Scotch Fi/Jjcries, 27

vantage of themfclves, and the natives
their dependents, who are amongil the
bell carers of cod, ling, and other white
filh in Scotland. The cod-fnliing is
more certain at Shetland than the her-
ring, and the inhabitants of courfe turn
their attention moflly to the former.
At fame time, fuch herrings as they do
cure are the bed of this country. This
is an effecl of their frequent communi-
cation with the Dutch.,

The only fiiliing carried on in the
Murray Frith, excepting the white
fiihing for the frefli markets at the
towns of Cromarty, Elgin, Forres,
Nairn, and Invernefs, is the falmon-
tifhery at the rivers of Nefs and Beau-
He, and a lelTer falmon-fifliing at the
nver of Findhorn. There is indeed a
C 2» fmall

!28 Ohjer'vations upon

fmall flioal of lierrings ufually appear
(at leail once a year) in the Frith ; and
"for fome years back have conltantly ap-
peared at a narrow ilrait, which di-
vides Invernefs-niire from Rofs-fhire,
called the Ferry of KefTock. Thefe
fifli are, however, of fo fiTi-all a lizc^
and fo poor, as to be altogether imEt
for curing ; they are therefore fold
anoftiy at the- market at Invernefs, and
are, in fome fcarce feafons, a welcome
fupply to the inhabitants of that coun-
try. The continuance of thefe fifh is
Tcry uncertain ; fcmetimes only a few
days, at other times for a month \ but
they never appear in any confiderable
quantities. — The Socrety vvill perceive
tl>at this account of the KeiTcck her-
rings is very different from that given
by a late writer of a neighbourmg Idng-

dcni*

Ihe Scotch Tiperles. 29

flom. He feems throughout to have
viewed every thing in this country
through a favourable glafs. But the
account here given is the truth, which,
though not always fo pleafant as fi6lion,
is yet in the end more whole fonie. But
we return from this digreffion to our
fubject, and have to obierve, that
the filliing for falmon in the rivers a-
bove mentioned, is pufiied with great
induilry ; and the tackfmen of thefe ri-
vers, who are fometimes alfo tackfmen
of part of the falmon rivers in Angus,
Aberdeen and BanfF-lliires, follow the
fame plan of boiling for the London
market, or faking for exportation, at
Invernefs and Beaulie, as is done at the
other rivers in Scotland. — It appears by
the cuilom-houfe books at Invernefs,
that about the 1743, ten thouilmd bar-
C 3 rels

30 Ohfervations upon

rels of herrings were caught and cured
in the Murray Frith, near the place
where Fort George now ftands : Since
that time there has been no confider-
able take of herrings^ fit for curing, in
that Frith.

Within the Frith of Dornoch, and
upon the whole of the eail coall of
Sutherland, there is not any fifhing car-
ried on that deferves alnioft to be men-
tioned. We know of no falmon river
of any note within that diitricl : An in-
Goniiderable falmon-fifliing is carried
©n at the Bonar,, at the head of the faid
Frith ; another one at Brora, and one
at Helmfdale. Herrings have not ap-
peared upon the eafl coail of Suther-
land, in any great number, for a long
time back : Indeed, fliould they appear,

the

I

The Scotch Fi/heries, ^z

tciQ natives are not polTefTed of tackling
to kill them. This part of the coaft a-
bounds, however^ in excellent white
fiih, particularly off Tarbett-nefs, and
in a line from the fouth fide of the
Murray Frith to the north fide of the
Frith of Dornoch,, and down towards
the coaft of Caithnefs. A good fupply
is afforded for the ufe of the country
thereabouts. Much profit would arife
to perfons AAho would employ fmaU
vefTels in fifliing on that part of the
coaft for the London market ; the fifh
to be fprinkled in the way vv^e have al-
ready mentioned. This is the only
improvement the filhery will admit of
upon this part of the coafl ; but the at-
tainment of it would be of great confe-
quence to the country.

The

32 Ohfervations upon

The northeail coall of Caithnefs is
not remarkable for a refort of herrings.
White fifh are plenty enough in com-
mon with the reil of the eaft coafh of
Scotland. Before we fpeak of the
north- weft coaft of Caithnefs, which
lies within the Pentland Frith, we fhall
juft mention the Orkney lilands ; and,
with regard to them, we have only to
obferve, that herrings do not ufually
embay themfelves amongft thefe iflands,
at leaft not in any coniiderable num-
bers ; they have white fifh enow there,
and they have a very clear navigation
for carrying them to London, if they
inclined fo to do. It would be no cb-
jedion to the fale of thefe fifh that they-
were powdered with fait ; on the con-
trary, fuch fifh are very agreeable when
boiled, to the tafte of moft people.

Upon

The Scotch Fi/J: erics. '^y

Upon tiic north- vv'efl coail of Caith-
nefs, tliere is ufiialiy a good fifning for
herrings : Thcj appear there ordinari-
ly in fummer. At Wick and Staxigo,
fome buildings have been ere died for
curing red herrings, by merchants from-
Duubar and Aberdeen. We do not
know, however, that they have had
much fuccefs. The coaft there is fo
dangerous, and tlie weather, even in
fummer, fo bcifterous^ that it is not fafe
to fiih in either boats or velTels upon
that coail, efpecially as there is not a
proper harbour upon tlie whole of it.
It is certainly a great objecl, to the gen-
tlemen of the county of Caithnefs, to
attempt to get at leafl one good land-
ing place made upon that coail, which
v;ould greatly facihtate the filliing
there, which, in our opinion, v/ill nevei>

do

34 Ohfervatlo7is upon

do much good until tliat happens. It
is the more to be regreted that there
is not harbours iipon that coafl, that the
Caithnefs herrings are a good deal
larger than any got upon the refl of
the ^vhole coafl of Scotland.

We are now arrived upon the v/efl
coafh of Scotland, which may very pro-
perly be denominated the Great Fifn-
mg Grounds of Britain. This appella-
tion belongs to the fnores of the whole
track of country, which lies between
the north-weftern extremity of the
coafl of Caithnefs, and the Mull of Gal-
loway, including alfo under that name
the whole of the Hebrides. It is no
part of our purpofe in this paper to en-
ter into geographical or hiilorical ac-
counts of thefe coafls and iilands, as be-

inr

Ihe Scotch FiJJjenes. 35

ing a thing extraneous to the fubjecl.
Were it indeed allowable to introduce
fiich defcriptions here, they are already
anticipated, in the large accounts pub-
iilhed in the works of Pennant, John-
lion, Anderfon, Knox, 6^0. In ihort,
fo much has of late been wrote and faid
(fome true, fome falfe) about the He-
brides, that it w^ould be almofl an im-
pertinent talk, to attempt a farther de-
icriptioii of them. The geography of
thefe remote countries and illands is
now more familiar to fome perfons even
in England, than that of the county of
Middlefex.

We fliall here, by the way, take the
liberty to obferve, that it is a pity that
little benefit has accrued to the filhery
or the country, from the (probably)

well-.

36 Ohfcrvations upon

well-meant endeavours of fome of the
writers above mentioned. There were
two great reafons for their failure in
this refpecl : The firfl was, that the
accounts they publiflied were picked
up by them in the courfe of their fly-
ing excurfions, v/hen they neither had
time nor opportunity to lludy the ge-
nius and difpofition of the natives of
that country, to coniider its trade, or to
weigh its local advantages or difadvan-
tages. Founded upon information thus
obtained, voluminous produclions have
been obtruded upon the world full of
inferences, as falfe as the proportions
they flowed from, and containing ex-
travagant exprelTions and contradic-
tions. This laft is the other caufe of
thefe writings not being attended to by
the great in the other kingdom., and, ol

courfe J

Ihe Scotch Yij'heries, 37

,€Ourfe tlie fabjecl of them not being
taken up as a national concern. Knox
fays, in his View of the Britiili Empire,
Vol. ill. page I2ifi:, " The tenants are
" opprelfed by the proprietors of lands
" in the Highlands." — A gain, page 123d
of fame volume, '' That the proprietors
^' of lands in the Highlands are Gam-
blers and Horfe-Jockies," and, page
127th, fame volumie, ** That Highland
** eftates are the feats of opprelfion,
-^* anguifh and wild defpair."

^We fhall fuppofe an Eng- ifh gentleman,
a Member of Parliament , ''ttlng in his
clofet, with Mr Knox's book in his hand:
when he comes to the pafTages cited, he
lays down the book for a moment : his
meditation will be very lliort; and its
jf)dds but it produces the following foil-
D loquy :

38 Ohfervations upon

loquy : " If what is here faid be tru€,
(and from the confident manner in
\vhich t IS afierted, I would incline to
believe it is true) I think I perceive
this buiinefs to be a bite. If Parlia-
ment fhall proceed to give away the
public money to encourage thofe oppref-
fed men to fiih, why, what benefit to
them fliall it be ? it will only increafe
t,he rapacious de^^ands of the'e gamb-
lers and horfe-jockies upon them." The
Englifh member mufes a ittle, perhaps,
?md begins to get rid of this 4i^^culty,
by refleding, that, in good policy, a par-
tial evil may be permitted, when it
draws along w^ith it a general good.
That is to fay, no matter, v^^hether the
^dliial catchers of the fiili ai-e benefited
r>x not : If they are encouraged, fifh
,will be caught ; and of courfe the trade

..ar4

Tfje Scotch Fi/Jjeries. 39

^nd profperity of tlie country promoted.
The gentleman, thus again reconciled
to the fubjedl, takes up the book, and
reads on, perhaps, till he cames to page
377. of it, where the author fays, " That
" the want of/ale was one of the prin-
" cipal caufes of the failure of the
*' Britiih White Herring Company, ef*
" tablifliedin i750yby men ofunlimit-
** ed property, aided by a bounty of
" 50 s. per ton from Government,
" without the riralfliip of Ireland."
The Member is flartled, and a fecond
time lays down the book: He immedi-
ately fays to himfelf, " I have now read
377 pages of this author ; and I have
been all along underitanding, his drift
to be, to llimulate a fpirit of adventure
in the Fifliery. — I did not well under-
ftand him, I confefs, when he enabled
D 2 me

40 Ohfervations upon

me, by his fiatement about the oppref^
lions of Highland proprietors, to draw
a conclulion unfavourable to his own
(\^^igD.. I thought indeed I had reliev-
ed myfelf from that difficulty ; but he
has fnatched the hope, by railing an in-
fiiperable objedlion ; for he tells me,
UP equivocally, that there was not a
market for Britifn herrings, even when
Ireland caught none. I know that
now prodigious quantities of herrings
are caught by the Irilh ; I know, like-
wife, that nnce the 1750, we have aC'
quired no new colonies to v»'hich we
may export our herrings ; nor have we,,
by any new and fuperior modes of cur-
ing them, procured to ourfelves a pre-
ference in the European markets. I
perceive the whole buiinefs to be a mif-
take. If v/e have not a proper market

for

The Scotch Fipjcrles, 41

fcr even thef Herrings wc now catch,
why give money to encourage the
catching more, until new markets are
difcov.ered ? That would be needlefs,.
indeed : I will read no more : This
author either does not underiland his
fubjedl, or is endeavouring to impofe
upon his reader." With this, the well
meaning gentleman, who probably
would have given his fupport in the
Senate, to any proper plan for encou-
raging the Plighiand Fiflieries, throws
down Mr Knox's book, never more to
take it up, or to fpeak favourably of
the fubjccl of it*

Inconfiflencies and mif-fcatements

could like wife be pointed out, in the

writings of the other gentlemen who have

yifited that country, but it "would anfwer

D 3 ao

42 Ohfervations upon

no particular purpofe to do fo here. —
Mr Knox having, however, exceeded
them all, in the heedlefs and ranting
manner of his detail, we thought it not
improper to flep afide a little from our
fubject to mention him. We are much
afraid he has done hurt to that, which
(we have the charity to believe) he
meant to ferve. At the fame time, it
may not be improper to obferve, as a
necelTary caution in reading his perfor-
mances, that Mr Knox was originally
a bookfeller in London, in which pro-
feJ[iion he was very fuccefsful. — After
having realifed ic,cool. he quitted
Bookfelling, and commenced Bookmak-
ing. Mr Knox knew from experience,,
that the fale of a book did not fo much
depend upon its containing truth, as
upon its being judicioufly decorated

wi th

I

Tbe Scotch Fijljeriss. 43

with matter which would excite curio-
fity. It is to be feared that his anxiety
for the fale of his book has kept pace
with, if not exceeded, his anxiety for
the Fifhery, ahhough the, latter was his
great cry. Nothing can ^\^\n this more,
than the wanton manner in which he
attacks the charadlers of individuals. —
Knox knew, as a bookfeller, that fcan-
dal is always read ; and that plain
truth is too uniform, to pleafe the talle
of an age fo remarkable for the purfuit
of variety.

Having taken the liberty to make
this digrellion, we proceed again to
take notice, that the whole Weil coafl
of Scotland abounds with fiflx of dif-
ferent kinds, and, in the proper feafon,
with iaaumerabie quantities of her-
rings.— .

44 Ohfervations upon

rings. — As the herrings are more eaii-
ly catched than any other kind of Fifli^
are fitter for receiving fait fo as to keep,
and are to be found in greater numbers
than any other kind of fiili, of courfe,
from the very earlieil accounts of civi-
lization in this country, the catching^
thefe fifh has drawn attention from
the inhabitants of the country; not only
from thofe reiident upon the coafts where
they are caught, but from thofe upon
the Eaft coafl of the kingdom, who have
failed thither to take them, from very
early periods of the Scottifli hiilory. It
is apprehended that it would be a need-
lefs tafk to defcribe minutely, here, the
method of catching the herrings'. It~
is generally known, ihat it is in the
night time they are eaiieft killed, by
means of very long nets, reaching-

almoU

The Scotch Fifieries. 45

almoilto the bottom of the water : When
thefe nets are drawn up, the herrings
>are ordinariy found llrangled in the
mafhes or loops of them : When thus
found, they prefent perhaps the moil
beautiful appearance in all animated
nature, being enamelled, gilded, painted,
infinitely beyond every thing which the
moil glowing colours/and happy pencil
can defcribe : Thus fecured, they are
deprived of their guts : the.:nelt and
roan are however allowed to remain :
Then they are ialted and barrelled up ;
and, v/hen fo cured, with cleanlinefs and
care, are an acceptable boon from the
all-gracious Author of Nature. — Unhap-
pily, however, in this country, we have
not yet learned, or are unwilling to
learn, how to prcferve, to the greateil
advantage, this gift of the Creator.

There

46 Ohfervatlons upon

There is as much difference to the- pa-
late, in eating a herring taken out of a
barrell at Amflerdam, and one t.ikea
out of a barrell at Greenock, as is be-
tween the relilh of a piece of pork,
part of a fwine fed at a meal-mill in
Aberdeeniliire, and a piece of the like
creature, fed amongil the fea wreck
and fhell-iiih, on the coail of Ireland^
On the caufe of this difference, we fhali
have occalion to fpeak hereafter*

We now proceed to flate to the So-
ciety, in a brief manner, the prefent
pofture of the Fiihery for herrings
upon the coafts of the Weil-Highlands ;
but, in doing this, it will perhaps be
better to go a little back. It is with
very great pleafure that w^e begin by
acquainting the Society, that from

good

^yje Scotch Fi/heries» 47

good information, it appears, that the
inhabitants of ^fe- the town of Stornaway
in the Iiland of Lewis (a property of
the Seaforih family,) have, with great
induftry and perfeverance, followed
the fiihing ever fince the union
of the two kingdoms, and with
exemplary fuccefs. Their anceftors
followed this buiinefs from very early
times, of which there are fufficient mo-
numents remaining : but it was after
the Union that the merchants in Stor-
naway had full fcope for their laudable
purfuits -.then it was, that the herrings
which they caught, might lawfully b^
fent to tiie Britifli Weft-India Iflands,
a-nd be exported thither, and to all
other lawful places, attended with the
x.ncouragement of a bounty : from that
time, the people of Stornawayhave been

gradually

/L% Ohfervations upon

gradually advancing. Some twenty*
five or thirty years ago, all the fifU
they caught were carried for them to
their port of deflination by hired vef-
fels. Now they can fliew in their har^
bour, in the fifliing time, upwards of
thirty fail of flout handfome velTels,
from twenty to feventy tons burden^
all their own property. Their town is
a pattern of neatnefs and cleanlinefs ;
and when a ilranger enters their con-
Tenient manlions, he w^ill have fet be-
fore him a piece of well-drefTed High-
land mutton, fome choice fifh, and a
bottle of port, the produce of the hof-
pitable landlord's induftry. To the
everlafting credit of thefe induilrious
fiihers and merchants, it fails to be re-
corded, that they have made their plea-
iant hamlet rife into view, and difplay

ivpward,£

ne Scotch Flffjcries, 49

upwards of an hundred fiated houfe?,
belides inferior one$, from their gain
from the fea. Thus Stornoway flourifn-
-ed, though it even laboured once under
fome difadvantages, the particulars of
which, as they would bring the names
-of individuals above board, we choofe to
avoid. But the cafe is widely dif-
ferent now; Stornoway has for its Lord,
fuch a one as it long Jias wdilied for
and defeived ; even the noble gentle-
man who loves his country and his
friends. The firft thing, in our opini-
on, which v/ill interrupt the profperity
of this rifmg fettlement, will be the
•overdoing of the Herring Fifhery upon
.the coafts of Britain, of which there is
great danger. Of this we will have oc-
^aiion to fpeak more largely hereafter.

E Thhs

50 Ohfervations upon

Thus Stornoway flood alone for a
long period, as the only fifliing ftation
upon that part of the coafl: But in the
year 1776, certain merchants from Li-
verpool and the lilc of Man, began to
erecl houfes at Ifie Martin in Loch-
broom, in the county of Rofs, and at
Loch-Inver in the county, of Suther-
land, for cudng herarings after the Yar-
mouth way; that is, fmoaking th^m in-
to red herrings : At fame time, a cuf-
tomhoufe with proper officers, was ef-
tablifhed at Ullapool, two miles from
.the firll mentioned place. Five or hx
years after wards^ fome merchants at In-
vernefs ereded houfcs for the like
purpofe at Gairloch in Roii-ilii-re, and
alfofhades, and other convenient houfes
for curing cod, which are caught in
great numbers upon ^ bank which

DC

The Scotch Fijh erics. 5 1

begins at the mouth of that loeh : and
five years ago, a merchant at Storno-
way, with fome partners in London,
erected confiderable buildings upon the
Ifland Taurera, a fmall hohn upon the
coafl of the Cromarty eftate in Wefter
Rofs, about eight miles from the new
village of Ullapool. Mr Rodrick Mo-
rifon, the acting partner of this com-
pany, has great merit, for having plan-
ned and condudled this undertakings
which bids fair to be a thriving fiihing
ftation, being in the centre of the beft
of the Lochbroom fiiliing grounds.
Indeed this piece oi fervice done to that
country, is the leaft part of Mr Mo-
rifon's merit : the public are indebted
to him for his general zeal and induf-
try, which holds forth an excellent ex-
ample to the inhabitants of that part of
E 2 the

52 Ohfervations upon

the coaft ; and as he carries on different
branches of trade^ he has introduced in-
to that neighbourhood a fpirit for deal-
ing, and has given them, bv his example,
a pattern of punduality in making pay-
ments. The good conducl of a man of
note, is of vail confequence in the High-
lands. This is well known to every
one who is acquainted with that coun-
try.

It would be of little fervice to the views
of the Society, for tiie author of this paper
to defcribe to tliem all the different leffer
lifaing nations upon the Weil coail, with
which he is acquainted : there are num-
])ers of fliades for curing filh, and fmall
llore-houfes for fait, calks, &c. all a-
long the coaft, and in the iilands of the
Weft of Scotland ; particularly at Loch-
Tor-

Ihe Scotch Tifheries, 53

Torridon, a little to the fo.uthward of
Gairloch. In the ifland of Lewis,
many of the fanners in the remote parts
of it iifh for cod S^c. which they fell
to the Stornoway merchants ; thefe
have convenient houfes eredled upon
their refpedlive farms for facilitating
the trade.

The mofl coniiderable fifhing upon
all the coafts of Britain, for cod and ling,
is in the neighbourhood of thefe illands,
viz. upon that ground called the Mo-
ther Bank. This bank runs between
the lHand of Mull on the eaft, and
Barra and South Uiil on the weiL.
The bell fifhing is off Barra- head, whe-
ther a number of veffels refort every
feafon. The merchants at Peterhead,
and fjme people at Aberdeen, have
E \ made

54 Ohfervations upon

made confiderable profit of this fifhing.
The people in Campbeltown and Roth-
faj, and in the Clyde, rather prefer
fifhiing for herrings than for cod S^c ;
whereas on the Eafh coail they prefer
the white fiihing. The reafons for the
condud: of each are plain, viz. in the
Clyde and other places in the weft, the
demand for herrings, owing to their
Weft India trade, is brilker than for
white fifti ; while, upon the Eaft coaft,
w^here there is no American trade, it is
vice verfa. The falnion fifliing upon
the Weft coaft is of no great confequence :
this is owing to the fhort run of their
rivers. There may be fome of that
fifli caught in the river Nith, and in the
Solway, and at Air ; but they are no
conliderable objedl.

The

Ibe Scotch Fijloenes, 55

The moil of the herring iiihing trade
of Scotland, is carried on by means of
velTels called buffes, fitted out from
Campbeltown, Rothfay, Greenock, Port-
Glafgow, and other places in the river
Clyde and its vicinity. There has been
confiderable profit derived to thefe
towns from this trade, which is en-
couraged by a bounty from Govern-
ment, of thirty fliillings per ton mea-
furement of the veffels. — A further
aid is granted by the public, in a pre-
mium of 2 s. 8 d. for each barrel of
wdiite herrings exported to foreign parts,
and other premiums upon different kinds
of fiAi, which it would be needlefs
here to enumerate.

At the clofe of the American war,
thetrade of fiiliing upon the Weft coaft

ftood

56'. Ohfervations upon

flood much ill the way- we have defcrib-
ed it. The troubles of the then pre-
ceding times, had damped the trade
of the Weflern fifhing towns ; and at the
end of the faid war, this country alto-
gether could reckon but few bufTes up-
on the fifhing. Since that time, the
number of buffes are almoft doubled.
This was partly an effedl of the peace,
and partly owing to the laudable en-
deavours of certain patriotic individu-
als, who, by their talents and influence,
called forth public attention to the Fifh-
er} : Hence a meafure arofe, which
throws a luilre upon the annals of the
prefent day: This was the eilablifh-
ment and incorporation of the Joint-
flock Company, for the fpecial purpofe
of extending, protedling, and encourag-
ing the Fiiliery — and the incorporation

of

I'he Scotch Fj/J^eries. 57

of the Society, to \vhich the prefent
paper is addreiTed. By the exertions of
the members of thofe aiTociations, both
in their individual and colleiflive capa-,
cities, certain laws, which were juftly
deemed impolitic, as tending to cramp
the Fifliery, (though meant at iiril to fe-
ciire the revenue), were abrogated and
annulled, and fome very liberal indul-
gences were granted by Parliament to
the trade, v»'hich have been productive
of good confequences. What thefe
were, it is needlefs here to recapitulate ;
it is prefumed they are known to every
member of the Society, and therefore,
we Ihall not here enter upon them. We
ihall like wife refrain from entering in-
to a minute defcription of what has
been done by the Joint- flock Company,
at their villages of Toppermorry and

Ullapool,

58 Ohfervations upon

Ullapool, as things already known ta
the Society, and. therefore needlefs to
trouble it with.

Under the appreheniion, that the in-
tentions of the Society in requiring in-
formation regarding the Fiihery, would
be better anfwercd by making remarks
upon the moil important parts of it, and
pointing out improvements, than by
long and minute details of iis prefent ii-
tuation, we have abridged our accounts
of it as much as we could, confident
with our faid purpofe y and we now
proceed to clofe this part of our defigUy
by taking notice of the prefent flate of
the Fifhery in general.

Thefilliery of mofl importance to Scot-
land is undoubtedly the herring. We

have

llje Scotch Fiji cries. 59

have afligned our reafcns for this im-
-controverted opinion, upon the 4 -^d and
44th pages of this paper. If ever there
was a game of chance in the world, it
is in filhing for herrings. To-day they
ure to be found in fwarms baffling Ihe
power of numbers to reckon, or ahiioil the
iiiind to cGnccive : to-morrow they are
^one, and their place knows them no more.
How idk then is the doclrine of fome,
who have lately had the hardinefs to
advance in their publications this pofi-
tion, vi:?:. ** That that trade which can-
** not he carried on without the aid of
'* aGovernment, ought to he abandoned,'''*
Some who have brought forth thefe
dodrines think themfelves philofophers.
It may be fo : But the world now-a-
days has more wit, than to allow clofet
fpeculatiits to fyilemize for it, in matr

ters

6o Ohfer'vaticns upon

ters of trade. Has it been out of any
treatife on trade by any philofopher or
pbilofophers, that fuccefsful merchants
have learned their lelTons ? or will any
miniiler of ftate ever be mad enough
tcf adopt the maxims of fuch fpphifls ?
We have happily no ufe for their phi-
lofophy in this queftion : it is fo plain
that the fimplell man imderilands it.
There cannot be a doubt, that if there
was not an aid from Government, two
thirds at lead of thofe perfons who fit
out herring bulTes, would drop the trade.
If this fuppolition is granted, (and there
is the bell reafon to think it will,) it
follows, that by the plan of the pbilofo-
phers, this country (the independence
of v/hi-ch, is fo nearly allied to the re-
fpedlable flate of its navy), would for
the fake of faving a paltry fum, forgoe

tbe

i

1'be Scotch FiJIo cries. ()i

the advantages arifmg from the fupply
of feamen, which the fiilif ly nurfes up,
and the advantages which the Communi-
ty at large derive from the fifhery, as at
prefent carried on. It is to be hoped
the wifdom of the Government of this
country, will avoid the adoption of fuch
G pernicious meafure. The lofs which
w^ould thereby .^r fe to the country,
whether coniidered in a political, cr
commercial view, is fo plain, that it re-
quires no philofophy, but only a little
common undcrflanding, to pronounce
the pofition advanced by thefe grave
fages, to be fo abfurd, as not to deferve
a ferious refutation.

We have faid, that the fifhing-trade
is precarious : Our obfervation is veri-
fied, in the indifferent fuccefs of it for
^ fome

62 Obfervatiofis upon

fome years back. There is no body
however can doubt, but the bounty paid
for encouraging the herring-fifnery in
veiTels, is well compenfated to the coun-
try, by the ilrength derived to our na-
vy, from the fervices of the feamen
nurfed up in the faid trade, although
a fingle herring was never to be catched
by thenio

There has not been any great fludu-
ation in the price of herrings, for the
laft feven years. Upon an average,
"white-herrings may have fold for 24 s.
per barrel, and red for 30 s. The
quantity of white-fifli taken for the lafl
feven years, has been much the fame as
for the feven years preceding. And
the average price of mud-fifli, (or bar-
relled faked cod,) in London^ has been,

m

The Scotch FiJJjcries, 63

in that period, about a guinea and a half
per barrel. The quantity of dry-fifii
exported from this country is not very
conliderable : They may have fetched,
upon an average for the lail feven years,
20 s. per cwt*

We have now finilhed all we mean ts
fay, in this flagc of our defign, by way
of detailing the prefent ftate of the
Scotch Filuery : What will hereafter
follow, fhall principally contain our
opinion and obfervations upon the fub-
jecl.

In refiecling deliberately upon this
buiinefs, it will be found to be involved
in much more difficulty, than at firll
would be apprehended : The refult of
a careful confideration of the fubjed:,
r 2 ia

64 Obfervations upon

is not fo flattering as we would wiilu
Truth ought, however, to be fuperior to
every confideration y and we are impell-
ed by it to acknowledge, that after
weighing all arguments, ^ro and con^ the
following uncomfortable paradox arifes,
viz. Mucb farther encouragement given
to the herring-nfliery, will not at pre-
fe?it beneiit that fiihery ; and, if the
encouragements are carried a great deal
farther, they will utterly ruin the trade.
But the fame refearch into the fubje(ft:,
which prefents this gloomy pidure, af-
fords us, in return, the following plea-
fing propofition, viz. The encouraging
the fiilieries, though even carried too fa?\
will moil certainly benefit the High^
lands and its coails. The latter is a
very clear pofition, and is fatisfadlory fa

far.

Certainly

"The Scotch Fi/heries, 65

Certainly it was the belief of tliofe
gentlemen, who compofe the Honourable
Societies which have taken fo laudable a
concern in the matter now before us, that,
while they benefited theHighland-coaft,
they at the fame time advanced the filli-
eries ; and their inllitution, purpofe, and
intention, was to embrace both objeds,
which were judged to be reciprocal :
But upon a narrow examination of the
bulinefs, we are humbly of opinion, that
thefe two intereils a.re at prefent almoil
feparate, and that it will require a ileady
hand to prevent the former from en-
croaching upon the latter; an event, the
evil confequences of which the High-
lands itfeif would (hare in at lait ; this,
too, may feem paradoxical.

To come to the point, then, we fiiail

£rit obferve, that it is perfedly well

F 3 ' known^

66 Ohfervations upon

known, that the profits ariiirg from the
trade of catching and barreling, what is
called pickled herrings, are not very
great, even although the bufinefs is at
prefent upheld by an aid from Govern-
ment, which is a natural confequence of
the very limited fale for thefe fifh ; ex-
cepting at home, and in our own Weft-
India ifiands, we have no market for
them. The merchants upon the conti-
nent of Europe will not look at them, if
there is a Dutch herring in the market ;
and when there is no Dutch competitors,
the Danes, Swedes, and other Northern
fifhers, are always at hand, ready, infi-
nitely to underfell us. Even the Irifh,
when their own herring-fiihing fails, do
not apply to us, but to the Danes, &c.
who ferve them cheaper. The onlyBritifh
herrings which can ihew their face in

the

The Scotch Fijheries. 6j

the European markets, (and even the fc
only within the Mediterranean, for the
Dutch and our other neighbours have
plenty of them,) is that manufacture
of them called red herrings. Before
however thefe can be cured, confide-
rable and expenlive buildings nmil be
eredled, which is very unfuitable to
the circumftances of the greateft part
of thofe people, who carry on the
Scotch Herring Fifhery.

This account it is impoffible to con-
trovert; and the refledion which natu-
rally follows it is, that by too fondly
giving way to the heedlefs clamour,
and ill-grounded expedations, which
the Fifheries, as a popular fubjedl, have
given rife to, and exceflively encourag-
ing the trade in queflion, the mark

may

68 Ohfervatlons upon

may be over-fhot, and the child onlj
meant to be fondled, may be cruflied to
death in the over eager embrace.

It is a truth, and it demands the moll
ferious conlideration, that there is not
a market for even the filh that are
caught in fome years under the prefent
encouragements : even the Dutch them.-
felves, fuperior as their herrings are,
find difficulty enough in difpoling of
them ; it is an undeniable fad, that
-their herring trade is much upon the
decline. All Northern Europe is now
engaged in the herring Filhery : hence
the market is glutted, and the profits
gone to almoft nothing. i

Let it be afi^ed at a bufs-fifher, and he
will frankly tell you, that in a bad fifn-

ing

Ibe Scotch Fijheries. 69

ing year, when he has made only half
a cargo, he cleared more money by the
adventure, than when the herrings
were plenty, and a full cargo has been
made by him. Thus, the trade may,
and is in danger of being over- done.
It would be well if Rich meafures were
taken, as to make the interells of the
Highlands and the Fifheries reciprocal ;
and this we think could be fully efFed:-
ed, by a v/ife and moderate protedlion
and encouragement, given to both. It
is very allowable to fuppofe, that, allur-
ed by an exceffive encouragement, fuch
numbers will attempt the fifhing trade,
that the profits, if any, will be too in-
conliderable to induce any perfon to fol-
low it ; of courfe the trade will be loft
to the country. In this cafe, although
the Highlands behoved, for ever after,

to

70 Ohfervations upon

to feel the good effeds of what has al*
teady been done th^re by the Joint-
ftock Company, in colleding the people
together in towns, yet the falling off
of the Fiihery, would be a mortal
wound to the profperity of thefe young-
fettlements, in a country where there
is no great fcope to puQi agriculture,
and where they muft expedi: to improve
their capitals, rather out of the fea than
out of the land. How happy would it
be, were things carried to the point of
propriety and no farther; then would
both the Highland villages and the Fifh-
ery, live and grow up together, to the
immortal honour of thofe good patriots,
whofe virtue firft led them to turn their
attention to their forgotten fellow-men, in
thofe remote and uncomfortable regions.
But even the difaftrous event we have

been

Ihe Scotch Fijherits. 71

been fuppoiing, lliould it ever happen,
%vould not totally root up the good ef-
fects of the meafures already taken for
improving the Highland coafls : indi-
viduals might lofe by the failure of the
Fifhing, but the Community at large
would derive the greateft benefit from
the civilization of that country, which,
whether the Fiilieries fucceed or not,
will in all probability be the confe-
quence of the experiments now making,
of colleduig the people there together
in towns.

In all the publications which have
been of late Iported upon the fubjed of
the Fifhery, the great cry has been —
Get fifh at any expence, — The country
will never be right till its Aquatic trea^
fares are produced. — Pti/Jj the Fijhery to

its

72 Ohfervations upon

its utmojl extent : it is a mine of national
wealth ij^c. One of thefe writers, {Mr
Knox, as we have already flated), awk-
wardly and inconiiilently, (though very
truly) blunders out the important fad:,
that the want of market for our fifh is
fadly to be apprehended. There is the
rub. If this is true, all the enthufiafm
which has been djfplayed about pufh-
ing the fifhery goes for nothing, and
only Ihows, that thofe Gentlemen, who
have wrote fo much upon it, would have
done better, had they refledled more,
and wrote lefs. Luckily for the coun-
try, every body was not fo fanguine as
thefe gentlemen were, or at leail pre-
tended to be. The Fiflieries are no
doubt a nloft important object to this
country, and every proper indulgence
and encouragement ought to be given

to

71)6 Scotch Fijljeries. 72

X^ the profecuting them; but every ju-
dicious per foil will at onc§ fee, from
the hints we have given, that caution
is as much neceiTary, in fixing the
bounds of ihat encouragement, as in ad-
miniilring a medicine, of which a cer-
tain quantity would preferve the patient's
life, but more than that might kill him.

in this place, it may not be improper,
in defence of the concluiions we have
been drawing, to introduce certain ad-
ditional premifcs, which w,e imagine
v/ill not be controverted. They are
thefe: The Americans have p^'^nty of
herrings upon tkeir coafts : they can
fail freely to any part of Europe for
fait ; and their country abounds with
wood fit for curing red herrings. Thus
provided, it may be foon looked tor,
G- that

74 Ohfervations upon

that they will attempt to fupply Europe
with fiih, and ruin our market for the j
?ibove mentioned herrings in the Italiau
countries.

Thus we arc of opinion, (contrary to
the current of popular buzz) that it is
poflible to do too much towards encou-
Xfiging the Fifheries. But we beg to be
imderflood, that it is by no means inli-
iiuated that the fteps already taken for
that purpofe, are all that the trade de-
mands, and that the country fhould
there Hop. At fame time, we freely
own our opinion, that there is not a
great deal to do, of all that is necef-
fary, or even fafe, in the prefent Hate
of the trade^ towards encouraging th^
Fiflieries.

Having faid thus much, it behoves us

to

Ihe Scotch Fij7je?nes, 75

to fiibmlt to the Society our opinion, a;i
to the kind of encouragements proper
to be given to the trade, and the extent
of thofe encouragements.

In the hiilorical accounts of popula-
tion and trade, we find that mankind,
(not only individuals but nations)
have ordinarily been benefited by the
examples of each other, — ^Venice aim-
ed to be what Carthage once was :
zndi the feven United Provinces made
Venice, as much as they could, their
model, not in Government only, but
in trade and manufadures, and in
maxims in trade. No one can doubt,
that the Dutch are at this day better ac-
quainted with the methods of curing
fifh, efpecially herrings vv^ith fait, than
any other people in the world : we
G 2 havft

76 Ohfervations tipon

have flated that the Britifli herrings
liave a confined flile \ the firfi reafon
for this, is, that the Dutch herrings are
always preferred to ours at market, far
their goodnefs ; and the fccond, that
the herrings of ether foreigners get
preference for their cheapnefs. The
endeavouring to do away the firfl men-
tioned evil, (which will virtually relieve
us alfo of the fecond) is th^efore, iii
our opinion, a firft flep in the irmprove-
ment of our Fiflieries ; for, as has been
faid,, to what purpofe do we catch fifli,
if we cannot vend them ? although our
flfli curers were able to fend fuch her-
rings to market as the Dutch do, there
would ftill be occalion for the cautio4i
we have recommended in encouraging
the Fiflieries ; for even in that cafe, the
Dutch w^ould ilill get preference by

under-

Ihe Scotch FiJJjeries, 77

tinderfelling us. This they are enabled
to do, from their national genius for
pariimony and fobriety. Thus, the
Dutch will always have the upper-hand
of us in the herring trade. The only
mark therefore left for us, is to endea-
vour to beat the Danes, Swedes, &.c.
out of the market (as the Dutch at pre-
fent do both us and them) by bringing
better (for we cannot bring cheaper)
commodities there. If our fifh-curers
wiih to iilh, it would be wifdom in
them to endeavour to learn to cure their
fiflr ; feeing their doing ^o, is the only
chance they have to fell them to llran-
gers, or to induce our Well India plan-
ters to enlarge their orders for herrings.
Were the Britifh as good as the Dutch
herrings, the fugar planters would or-
der double the quantity they do : net
C 3 only

^8 Ohfervatians upon

only the negroes, but the white people
in the Weft Indies, would think them
good food.

The Society will probably be furprif-
ed to be informed, that the fuperiority
which the Dutch have over us in the
filli trade, is owing, in great part, to the
cleanlinefs and care with which they pack
their fifti, and the want of thefe requi-
fites in our fifli-curers. To be brief^
the whole matter is this: In Holland
the vrifdom of the Government has ap-
pointed, at the principal ports in the
territories of the republic, ofticers
with fuitable falaries, whofe bufinefs it
is to fee certain laws of the country, re-
lating to the packing of fifh duly exe-
cuted. Thefe jaws ordain, that when
herrings arrive in Holland from the

filliing,

The Scotch FiJJjeries, 79

lifhing, they fliall be all unpacked out
of the barrels in which brought, and
cleaned and afforted. It would only
confume time, to enter here into a mi-
nute account of the Dutch procefs of
curing. Suffice it to fay, it is nmple ;
and the whole fecret is, cleanlinefs and
exaclnefs ; cleanlinefs, in refrefliing the
herrings from all the blood and dirt,
which the firfl faking had extracted
from them ; and exaclnefs, in forting
them into calks, according to their
feveral qualities and fizes. The calks
are marked by the proper officers on
the head, to authenticate their quality,
contents, and country ; and thus made
ready for market, they recommend
themfelves wherever they are fent.
So wifely jealous are the Dutch, of the
charader of their fiih, that it is un-
lawful

8o Ohfervations upon

lawful for any of their fubjedls to carry
fifli to market from the fifliing grounds,
without firft landing and repacking
them in Holland, in the manner de-
fcribed. The Scotch pra6lice forms a
complete contrail to that here defcrib-
ed ; of which any one may fatisfy him-
felf, w^ho lliall ever fee the dirty me-
thod of managing herrings at Green-
ock, the principal mart forthefe fifh in
the kingdom. In our opinion, an atten-
tion to this important circumitance, is
a Hep abfolutely necelTary, in the very
firfh inftance, for encouraging ths
Filheries. The neceifity of it, after
what we have faid upon the confined
fale of Britiih herrings, mull flrike every
one : it is clear, from what has been
faid, that additional encouragements
bellowed upon the Fifliery, would ope-
rate

The Scotch Fijheries. 8i

rate contrary ways, until markets are
opened for the fifli : It is as clear, that
markets cannot be found for the fitli,
until they are able, by their quality,
to recommend themfelves. Therefore
we argue, that an attention to the cir-
cumftance in queflion, muft precede e-
very farther encouragement of moment.

In confidering how the purpofe here
aimed at could be brought about, we
can fee no plan more feafible, than
the bringing over into this coun-
try, and fettling, at the Joint-flock
Company's villages, a it\N natives of
Holland, who have had experience
in curing herrings, for the purpofe
of inflrudling the cures there in the
Dutch method. As there would not
be occafion for many of thefe Dutch,

it

$2 ObfervatiGus upoft-

it. might be clone in a private manner,
and offence to the Govern incnt of that
country accordingly avoided. Indeed^
fo few would be needed, that the mea-
fnre, fliould it ever be known ifi Hol-
land, could hardly excite any jealoufy.
We fuppofe th€ expence necefTary to
entice thefe people to come over, and
to remain in this country, could not be-
a great inconveniency to the funds of
the Joint Stock-Con^ipany, efpecially if
(as is not to be doubted,) the Company
received the aid of the Society. If
thefe Dutchmen did their duty, and if
the curers upon the Wed Coafl paid
proper attention to the diredlions of the
foreigners, the probable confequences
would be, that better herrings would
foon appear at the Scotch market, from
the Company's villages, than thofe

caught

The Scotch Tifi cries. §3-

caught by the bufles belonging to the
merchants at Po.rt-Glafgow, Greenock,
Campbeltown, &.c. ; and this again
would bring it about, that thefe people
would, in felf-defence, be obliged to have
recourfe to alluring fome Dutch curers
to come in amongfi: them. This lait
would, be a falutary meafure for the
country, iind would flow from the plan
>ve have now recommended. It is natural
to fiippofe, that it v/ould be only gra-
duallyy that the curers in Scotland
would difcover the neccility of procur-
ing Butch teachers j which would be a,
convenient, circumftance, as by that
;means the Dutch could be brought in-
to this country by piece-meal unnoticed,
and fo offence to the Government of
itheir country avoided,

"VVe

g^ Ohfervations upon

We have already declared our fenti-
ments, that, in the prefent ft ate of the
trade, more exertions in favours of the
filliery, are almoft precluded. There is
very little more left for us to fay upon
that part of our fubjedl, hy iff elf. As
has been already ftated, various hin-
drances and obilru6lions in the way
of the fiihery, contained in former re-
venue-laws, are now cleared away. The
bounty from Government, upon the
tonage of the bufTes, is equitable and li-
beral, as is the premiums upon the fifli
exported : The trade was never lefs
cramped than it is at this day. The
encouragements are fitting, and ought
to animate the fiiliers to aim at curing
their fifli properly, as the bell means to
preferve a trade, which, from the com-
bined circumflances of great indul-
gences

7he Scotch Fijfjcries. 85

gences granted to it at home, and the
indifferent character of our herrings
abroad, is in fome danger of being over-
done or loil.

We noxv come to {peak of the High^
land coaft, and that country in general,
and its concerns, v/hich immediately
brings to our view, tlie eftabliflinrents
fet on foot by the loint-llock Company,
in their villages of Toppermorry and
Ullapool. And liere we cannot re-
frain from droping our fubjecl for a lit-
tle Vv'hiie, to exprcfs our warm and
hearty approbation of the truly vir-
tuous condu6l of thofe worthy patriots,
vrho have thrown luftre on the times
v/e live in, by their generous and ami-
nble conduct ; evincing themfelves at
<Hice the friends of mankind and of their
H country.

86- Ohfervations upon

country. Their names will be men-
tioned by grateful poilerity, when the
bleffings which their wife and praife-
worthy counfels have planted, are ma-
tured and ripened, and when they
themfelves are no more.

The Author of this paper is not ac-
quainted with the fituation of the vil-
lage of Toppermorry. The fituation
of the other fettlement at Ullapool, he
lias had occaf^on to know well : he has
traverfed a great part of the Weft coaft,
and refided ten years in that country.
He muft certainly fay, that thofe who ad-
vifed the Company to fet down a village
at Ullapool, did not miflead it ; for the
circumftances which fliould determine
the fituation of a village upon the coafts
of the Weft Highlands, from our know-
led ii:g

H'he Scotch Fi/JjcricT. 87

ledge of that country, meet ail together
in the ntuiiticn of Ullapool.

But to be better underllood, and to
anfwer in this place one of the requiii-
tions of the Society's faid advertife.nient,
we fliali ilatc, what in our opinion are
th^ circumjlances, which ihould deter-
mine the utuation of a village on the
•coails of the Highlands.

The firjl thing, therefore, in our
judgment, which fliould determine
the preference in favours of any one
place as the fiance of a fifning village,
upon the coafts of the Weil Highlands,
-is, that fuch place, or its vicinity, fhall
be noted, by long experience, as the
principal refort of fiHi (particularly of
herrings, upon that part of the coafh).
H 2 This

88 Ohfervations upon

Thia cordideration ought to out-weigh
every other one ; and though other
places might poiTefs all other requifites
for the fiance of a village, yet, if not in
the neighbourhood of a good fiihing
ground,, a village, in the prefent flate of
the Highland coaft, Ihould not be bulk
there, but at the befl fiiliing place,,
provided it be not impracticable, from
the face of the country, (which is tha
cafe at fome places on the Weft coail)-
to fet down a village, and to accommo-
date the fcttlers ^vith even iinall gar-
dens there.

Next^ if there are two or more places^
equally remarkable for the greatefl re-
fort of herrings upon that part of the
coad, furely the preference fhould be
given to that place, where there is the

greateO:

"I he Scotch Fi/Jjcries^ 8q

greatefl quantity of arable^ or at leail
improveable, level land*

Again,, if there are two or more places
upon any one part of the coafl, equally
noted for thefe two advantages, the pre-*
ference no doubt Ihould be given to
the one, from which a road to commu-
nicate Vr'ith the Low-country could be
cheapeil made. Oeconomy is highly
necelfary: and therefore preference
ihould be given to the cheapeil road,
though longeil, provided the difference of
diflance be not attended with any con-
liderable difadvanta^e to the inhabi-

o

tants of the propofed village. It is al-
moil needlefs to explain . here how the
longefl road may be cheapeil. Every
gentleman of the Society knows that
the Highland country is incumbered
H 3 with

C)6 Obfirvations upon

with rocks, and interfe(5led by many ri-
vulets, and that a mile of road in fome
places, will coil more money than to
•make twenty in other places. But from
TiVhat we have find, it mull not be infer-
ed, that we propofe placing the villages
at a diilance from the Lovz-country, ra-
ther than near it. This is the fartheil
thing imaginable from our meaning.
V/hat we urge is, that a cheap long
road, would probably be more conve-
nient for the funds deftined to the en-
couragement of the Fifhery, than a
lliort, but expenlive one : If any place
upon the Weft coaft is found, poiTelTed
of the two firft qualificatiors we have
mentioned, and from whence a road
could be made, cheaper than from any
other part polTefTed of like qualifica-
tions, the fliortnefs of the road would

enhance

^Ihe Scotch Fijhcries, ()t

enhance the value of the lituation, and
k ought immediately to be made choice
of for the iite of a village.

Next, n there are two or more places
upon that part of the coafl, v>'hich fhall
be equally in poiTeilion of all thelocal ad-
Vantages we have meMion'ed, we would'
prefer the one for building our village
upon, which fnouid be know^n to be bell
frequented b} -haddocks, and other fmall
fifli ; becauie thefe would afford fome
fubiillence to the inhabitants of the vil-
lage, when the herring- fiPning fnouid
happen in any one year to, fail.

Lajlly, we reckon the neighbourhood
of peat-mofs in one place, and not in ano-
tlier, if both are equally polTelTed of
the local advantages already mentioned,

a

92 Ohfervations upon

a good reafon for preferring the place
where mofs is found, to the other, foe
building a fiiliing village upon.

Should all thefe local advantages
meet, in any lituation upon the High-
land coaft, we may fafely pronounce,
that fuch lituation is the very place
proper for building the propofed village
upon. To the great credit of the ad-
vifers of the meafure of building there,
the village of Ullapool will be found
to be poiTeiTed of all thefe advantages.
It is not only the bell fituation for a
village, upon the northern diilridl of the
Well coaft, but (if we are not mifni-
formed) it is the very bed, from at lead
Toppermorry all along the whole range
of the Weft coaft, to the North-eafter-
moil; point of this part of the united king-
dom.

The Scotch F'l/heries, Q3

dom. Ullapool is in the very centre 01
the beil iilhing grounds for herrings in
Scotland : there is a fine fiat of land
there, moil of it arable, and the refl
very improveable. The making a road
from it to the Low- country, will be
cheaper and eaiier, than from any o-
ther part of the North-Weil: coail we
know. In the bay of Ullapool (a
fmooth land-locked corner of Loch-
broom) feme of the fmefl: haddocks
and other kind of fifli are to be found at
almoft all feafons of the year, within
two or three hundred yards of the doors
of the refidenters there ; and there is,
in the hills at the back of the level land
at Uilapoo], mofs inexhauflible. . If,
therefore, the village of Ullapool does
not thrive, there mAifl be very fmall

hopes, that one built upon any other

part

'54 Ohfervations up on

part of the Weil coafl will fucceecl.

In what we have faid refpedling the
circuniftances, which ilioiikl weigh
principally in letting down a village up-
on the Weil Highland coail, Vv-e ap-
pikjhend our reafons for the eftimation
in which we have held each circum-
ilance, and the confequent priority of
t>rder we have placed it in, are obvious^
•without any farther explanation ; hut
our making fo fmall account of mofs,
for the neceiTary article of fuel, as to
confider it as the Jajl and leajl objedv
to be taken into the reckoning, in fclecl:-
ing a fituation for a village, may re-
quire to be accounted for.

The Society is not to be informed,
that the climate of the whole of the

Vvefl

^he Scotch Fijheries, 95 >

Weil coafl of Scotland, is boiilerous,
and fubjed to great rains. This cir--
cumflance is very unfavourable to the
gaining of peats: The making of fuel
from mofs is one of the hardeil pieces
of work the Highlanders have to en-
counter. They dig their peats to-day :
Some days after they lift them from the
ground to dry : next day a hurricane of
wind and rain throws them all down :.
They are fct up again, and again fliare
the fame fate. By this time the feafon
is gone, and the poor people are oblig-
ed to put the peats in a wet flate up in-
to flacks. Thus their time is confumed,
their bodies toiled, and, after all, their
purpofe is not attained ; for the peats
Hacked wet will not burn, and they are
confequently in great mifery, with
fmoke and cold, through the winter.

Fcr

9^ Ohjervatlons upm

For thefe reafons, we look upon the
neighbourhood of mofs, to be the very
leajl confideration in chooUng the fiance
of a village. Coals maybe furniflied
to the inhabitants of fuch village per-
haps cheaper (every thing confidered)
than peats, though they fhould even
have the mofs at their doors. But, at
any rate, it would be extremely proper
in the Joint-ilock Company, in the pre-
fent infancy of their village, to lay in a
Hock of coals at Ullapool. Were a
coniiderable fifliing to ftrike up there,
during the- time the people were at work
with their peats, (which very often hap-
pens) they would be reduced to the
dilemma, of either lofing the fifning,
or flarving with cold through the win-
ter ; both thefe inconveniencies would
be prevented, by the Company having

on

The Scotch FIJI) cries. 97

oji hand a quantity of coals, ready to
anfwer fuck an emergency.

We fh all now beg leave to make fome
obfervations upon what the Joint- flock
Company has done at its two faid vil-
lages. The Author of this paper has no
view in communicating ^his fentiment-s
upon the m.atters now in hand, but, from
a hearty wiili for the profperity of his
native country, to endeavour to put in
bis mite of fervice, to the laudable de-
ftgns of the Society. This is not to be
done, by writing iine iiovv^ery languan-e,
or fmooth turned periods, but by faith-
fully ftating his opinian, derived from
an experience acquired by a reiidence
in the Highlands. Truth is at all times
falutary. Burnifhed falfehoods,' (which •
have been too much ufed upon this fub-
I jecl

98 Ohfervations upon

jecl of the Fiihery,) while they dazzle,
ure fure to blind and millead.

The Author of this paper left that
country fome years ago, and before the
undertakings were begun at Ullapool,
From the information he has received,
he finds that very confiderable build-
ings are already eret^ed there ; a pier,
an inn, a place of worfhip, and a fchool-
houfe; befides.a number of fmall houfes
for filhers and tradefmen, have been
ereded by individuals, aided, as we are
informed, by the funds of the Company.
Too much praife cannot be bellowed
upon thofe perfons, who fet on foot and
encouraged this plan, of civilizing and
improving that negleded corner of our
native country. When we refledl upon
the noble motives by which thefe per-

foni

The Scotch FiJIjeries, cj^

fons were aduated, it is exceeding dif^
ficult to find fault with any thing
which has been done under their
directions, or to touch upon any thing
unpleafant to them. Candour, however,
and our profeffed defire of giving our
undifguifed opinion, obliges us to ob-
ferve, that it were to be wifhed the
Company had proceeded more flowly,
in the laying out its money, and done
fome of its v/orj-cs upon a fmaller fcale,
particularly the inn at Ullapool, which
is moil unneceiTarily large. Probably
it would have been better, had the
Company oecononiiled as much as it
could, in order that it might be the bet-
ter enabled to advance the conliderable
fums which will be wanted for that
abfolutely neceffary meafure, of making
and keeping up roads of communica-
I 2 tioa

100 Ohfervaticns upon

tlori betwixt their villages and the Low-
countries.

The eftablilhing feme ufeful manii-»
faciure in the villages, and the makin^^
of thefe roads, we look upon as the
principal coniiderations in the whole
buiinefs of thefe new er^dtions, Jo far
as the Highlands is concerned, Tho,
failure of the iifhing upon that coaft for
a tracl of years, (as has been fornieriy
known to have happened) would have
the effed to draw off all the adventurers
in the fifliing upon a large fcale, which
had fettled there. The only thing,
therefore, which would be left as an
inducement to the lower order of people
to remain at the villages, would be the
manufaclure mentioned, and the facili-
ty with which they could communicate

with

The Scotch Fijljeries, lOi

with the Low- country. The poor
people \Wio remained, would be thus e-
nabled to carry on fome little trade ; and,
by maintaining their hold, prevent all
which the Company fliall do from
being totally loft, which would other^
wife inevitably happen, if the herrings
ill Old d abandon the Weft coaft for any
confiderable fpace of time ;_^tliefe fiib
have been known to difappear upon
that coaft, for upwards of twenty years.
Til us, roads would be a great benefit
to the villages, in cafe of the worft hap-
pening. If the villages are profperous,
roads would inanitely increafe their
profperity, by putting it in the power
of the lefler fifners in thefe hamlets, to
convey their filli freftito the towns in
the Low- country, where they would
fetch great prices. Upon the fubjecl:

of

ic/i Ohfervations upon

of the manufadlure proper to be intro-
duced into the fiiliing viUages, we fhall
referve ourfelves, until we come to
fpeak of the improvements which the in-
ferior parts of the Highlands will admit
of ; becaufe the kind of manufacture
proper to be eftabliihed there, and the
manner of conduding it, will equally
apply to tiie Coails of the Highlands.

It is a melancholy coniideration, when
one retletSts, that in a country, famous
throughout the World for the wifdom
and liberality of its civil polity, the max-
ims which that polity Hiould dictate,
are, in the cafe we are now fpeaking of,
{o much departed from, that the fettling
irad civilizing the remote parts of tlie
Empire, is not done under the direc-
tion, or at the expence, of the Govern-

nient

Ihe Scotch Fipj cries, 103

ment of the country, but is laid upon the
fhoulders of individuals, who, anxious
for the public welfare, do it voluntarily
out of their own eftates, rather than
fruitlefly apply for the aid of the State.
A Frenchman or a Swifs, would hardly
give credit to this relation. In thefe
countries, even w^hen one of them Vvas
fliackled under an arbitrary Monarchy,
works, the carrying on of which would
bring advantage to the whole Communi-
ty, were done at the expence of that
Community. Sorne Fre ich authors
have, w^ith great fuccefs, fnown in their
writings, that the fettling remote parts^
in a kingdom, and opening communi-
cations betvven thefe and the more ci-
vilized parts, ought to be the buiinefs
of every well-ordered State.

But

•104 Ohfervations upon

Eat if our Governors are io torpid,
as not to trouble themfelves about fuch
public fervices as that we are now
fpeaking of, but to allow the charge of
doir.g it to fall upon the virtuous indi-
viduals, vvhofe Zealand anxiety for their
country has led them to take the bu-
linefs upon themfelves, yet furely they
will, for very fliame, now that they fee
fo much done, give their confeiit, that
the expence of making thefe j-ieceiTary
roads,- fhali be defrayed out of the pu^
blic purfe. This is an event devoiatly to
be wifned for ; and the Society,, and
all the. friends of the Fiflieries, and of
the Highlands, iliould ufe their bed en-
deavours to bring it about. It would
relieve the Joint-ftock Company of a
very heavy burden, ^nd lighten tlie
lofs, which it is not impofuble may a-

rife,.,

The Scotch Fineries* 105

rife, when the Company fhall come to
balance accompts with thefe eilablifh-
ments it fnall have foilered.

It will cod the minifler very little
trouble to do this favour to the Com-
pany, and this duty to his country. The
bcfl way for him to do it, v/ould be to
lay a fmall tax upon the ton of every
veffel, employed in the herring-fifheries
in Scotla,nd, for the fpecial purpofe of
making and maintaining thefe roads ;
the Company, or a committee of it, to
be the truftees, under the ad: impofing
the tax, for feeing the money duly ap-
plied. No body would grumble at this
tax. A Ihilling a ton upon the bufles,
might produce about 800 1. per annum,,
upon the credit of which, the Compa-
ny might borrow 6000 1. or 7000 1. ; a.

fum,.

ic6 Oof erv aliens upon

fum, it is apprehended, fufficient to make
the roads at prefent needed. The roads
once made, the tax might be mitigated,
except fo much as was necefiary to lieep
them in repair. It woukl be bad poli-
cy in the prefent fiate of that country,
to propofe a turnpike upon thefe roads.
We are fenlible, that the fum above
mentioned is not fufficient to make the
roads in queilion, aiiii alfo the bridges
which would be rcvquifite upon thefe
ro-ad'i ; but the making the roads is the
firfl thing to be done ; which, if found
of utility, there v;ill then be encou-
ragement to build bridges. It may be
objeded, that a tax upon the buffes
would be improper ; but as it would be
but a fmall one, and as the owners of
the buffes would be much benefited by
thefe roads, it may be fuppofed they

would

'Ihe Scotch FJjljeries, loy

ivould think the payment of the tax no
hardfliip. At prefent, v/hen a bufs has
caught as many herrings as will load
her, Ihe departs for her port ; and, let
the fifh be ever fo plenty, fhe can de-
rive no farther benefit from them ; but
if the roads in queftion are once made,
the bulTes will find fale for fuch her-
rings as they may catch, after they have
made their cargoes ; for not only the
country people, but flrangers from the
Lowlands, will buy their furplus her-
rings, when they can take them away
in carts, which at prefent they cannot
•do. Befides this, by means of good
roads from the v/ellern fiihing-grounds,
to Invernefs, &c., any bufs which may
come by a misfortune, can be fupplied
with fails, cordage, &cc. from thefe
^places, inftead of being obliged to go

. ta

io8 Obfervations upon

to her port (at the diftance perhaps o-
an hundred miles) for that purpofe, by
which delay fhe might lofe the fifhing
for that feafon.

We have already difclofed our fenti-
ments, that in the prefent fcarcity of
market for Britifli herrings, by unne-
ceiTarly pufliing the Fiihery, and la-
viihing encouragements upon it, an
evil may arife to the country inftead
"bf a good : for this reafon, we think the
Joint-itock Company Hiould proceed in
their buildings with cautious fteps.
We do not fay that they have already
built enow of houfes at their two faid
villages, but our fmcere belief is, that
it would neither be for the Com-
pany's own interefl, nor for that of the
Community, to proceed very much far-
ther.

Ihe Scotch Fijh€ries, 1 00

llier, until more markets are fecured for
Biitilh herrings. A town in a fertile
country, may be fupported alone by the
relidence of gentry in it, a retail trade,
and public hollelaries ; but, in the
Highlands, it is a manufadure or fifliery
which muft fupport any appearance of
a collected focicty ; therefore, inilead
of expending money upon buildings,
which may never be inhabited, or which,
if inhabited, will only help to fill the
market with a commodity in no great
requeft ; we would humbly incline to
think the Company fnould very foon
fufpend its operations, until the efre(fl:s
of the experiments it is now making
fhali be a little known. At the fame
time, we are under no difficulty in fay-
ing, that we think the befl application
of the Company's funds nozv, would be,
K frji

a: 10 Ohfervations upon

jitjl, to encourage Ibme Dutch curers
to fettle at the two villages, for the pur-
pofe of teaching the people there the
true method of preferving herrings:
Andi,fecondIy, (if no aid can be obtain-
ed from Government) to apply part of
thefe funds to the making and up-
holding proper roads, betwixt the faid
"villages and the Low-lands. In the pre-
fent ftate of the fiihing trade, thefe two
meafures, in our opinion, are what the
Company fhould dired its principal at-
tention to.

Having faid thus much, regarding
what the Joint-Hock Company have
with the mofx laudable intentions done
for this country, it falls next to be con-
sidered, by what encouragements the
fcttlements already ellablifhed by the

Cgmpany,.

The Scotch Fi/heries. iii

Company, may be befl preferred during
their infancy, and until full time is gi-
ven to make a fair experiment of their
utility.

We fliall not hefitate to fay, that, in
our opinion, the fooner thefe villages
are left to uphold themfelves by their
own exertions and induilry, the better
for the Company and the Community.
Encouragements do not always produce
the good effecls they aim at, efpecially
when beftowed by public bodies ; al-
though encouragements engage the fo-
ber and induftrious, they are alfo baits
for the n^edy, the defperate, and the
idle. That induflry depends as much,
if not more, upon the fpirit and difpo-
iition of the people, as upon the encou-
ragements held out to them, is fairly
K 2 exempliSed

112 Ohjervatloiis upon

exemplified in the hiflory of the towa
of Stornoway ?Jready mentioned, which
has thriven and grown rich, although
for a coniiderable time, and till of late,
in the hands of even feverity and ex-
adion. At the fame time that we fay
this, we are clearly of opinion, that all
the individuals who are already invit-
ed, or whom it would be prudent here-
after to invite to thefe villages, fhould
liave liberal inducements held out to
them, to remain or fettle there. The
offering a houfe and garden to a fettler
gratis y may be an inducement to a
wretch, who rather intends to beg than
work, and he will be glad of the offer
without any farther encouragement ;
.but if the Company wifn for induf-
trious men, it mufl not only oifer
them a free houfe and garden, but

alio

\

Ihe Scotch FiJJjerles, 113

filfo a boat, nets, Sec. upon credit :
Even tills is not enough : The accom-
phfnment of the Company's purpofe
(mz\ keeping the fettlers in the vil-
lages) will never be brought about, un-
kfs it ill all fmd a market at their doors
for the hill caught by their fettlers.
We do not mean by this, that the Com-
pany iliould claim the pre-emption of
all fifn fo caught ; on the contrary, the
fettlers Ihould be encouraged by the
Company obliging itfslf to take from
oiT their hands all fach hfli as they
cannot difpofe of, and that, not at an
under, bu4: at a medium price. Thus,
the Company rnuH for fome time be the
purchafers of hlli : It muil do more :
for, with the price fo given by the
Company, to a fcttler for his fifli,
he cannot; in the prefent ilate of the
K'3 Yillr.ge5

114 Ohjervations upon

villages and the country, procure the "
neceflaries of life ; therefore the Com-
pany, to effedt its purpcfe, mud engage
itfelf to fupply, at moderate prices, the
fettlers, at all times, for a certain pe-
riod of years, with meal, butter, cheefe,
falt-beef, Ihoes, linen, ready - made
fifher-jackets, Sec. and coals, if demand-
ed. Coals, it will be abfolutely neceC-
fary the Company fhould provide, for
the reafons we have given upon the
96th page of this paper. Without fuch
encouragements are granted to the vil-
lagers for feme time, we are of opinion,
the fettlements will only languifli, and
at lait die. It is almcfl needlefs here
to obferve, that the Company, in its
mercantile capacity, mnil provide build-
ings for iheltering, and alfo materials
for curing fach full as may be fo ofTer-

ed

. The Scotch FiJJjeries. 115

ed by the fettlers, as well as ilore-houfes,
for the articles of confumption we have
mentioned.. The Company ihould not
however engage itfelf to thefe condi-
tions long. If the Fifliery fucceeds,
and Britiih herrings iliall open a market
for themfelves, by the improvements
which may be hereafter made in curing
them, the confequent profperity of the
villages will open refources to the fettlers
for fupplying themfelves, upon perhaps
better terms than the Company could
afford. — Upon the whole, we are of o-
pinion, that the Company, while it on
the one hand, for the reafons we have
urged, proceeds with caution, in not
bringing too great a number of people
into its villages, it fhould, at the fame
time, on the other hand, grant due en-
couragement to thofe pcrfons it may be

proper

Ii6 - Ohfervations upon

proper to bring there, to induce them
to come to, and remain in thefe fettle-
ments. This laft is a meafure abfokite-
\y neceflary, being the only chance for
effecting the Company's purpofe ia
any degree at all.

But there is a great difficulty remains,
\4z. What is to become of fuch of the
fettlers as live alone by fifhing,.if, unhap-
pily (as has been often experienced,)
the herrings fliould defert the coalt for
fome years running. In fuch a cafe, it
would be impofTible for the Company
to purchafe their continuance at the
yillage, at the dear rate of fubfifling
them upon the Company's credit all
that time, in profpedl of being paid by
the after fiihings of fuch fettlers :
Even doing fo for one or two years,

would

The Scotch Fi/heries* 117

would be too ereat a riik for the Com-
pany to run. We own this is a very
great dilemma.

The difiiculy here flated, has often
employed the thoughts of the Author
of this paper ; he has confidered it with
great attention, and, after the matured
deliberation, he can only think of one
thing, which would provide againll it ;
Unfortunately, it is almoft impollible
to procure it : Its name is,. The Li-
berality of the Government of Great Bf^i-
tain, to that part of the Kingdom called
Scotland.

As we before noted, the facilitating
the improvement of remote and uncul-
tivated parts of any kingdom is furely
the proper bufinefs of the Government

of

liS Ohfervatlons upon

that flate or kingdom. It would be
fortunate for the Communit} , if the ma-
nagers of ilate- affairs in this country were
of alike opinion with us. The building
the villages, making the roads, purchaf-
ing the fifli, and fuppljing the fettiers,.
ought in good policy to have been done
at the expence, and under the dire6lion
of Government : If any profit accrued
by the buiinefs, the public revenue
would have been encreafed by it : If
any lofs, it would juflly have fal-
len upon the Community at large. The
idea of a Government purchaiing her-
rings from its fubjedrs is not a new one :
■In Engknd, Edward the 3d did fo ; and
the pradlice was continued by his fuc-
ceiTors down to Qiieen Elizabethi
Should it ever unfortunately happen,,
that the herring-fifhing fnould fall off,

owing

"The Scotch Fi/heries, 119

•owing to there being too many caught
for the markets, — from the debafement
of the charader of our fiili, or from o-
ther circumllances now unforefeen, a
minifter would be obliged to have re-
courfe to this meafure, if he meant not
to lofe the ftrength which is derived to
our navy from the numbers of feamen
which the Filhery nurfes up.

Though we are not fanguire in our ex-
pedations, that Government will either
aid the J oint-ftock Company, to enable
it to retain the fettlers in the villages
during unfuccefsful fifhing years, or
appropriate money for making and man-
taining the roads we have been fpeak-
ing of, yet it is impoffible for us
to allow ourfelves for a moment to
think, that any minifter -of this country

will

12® ' Ohfervations upon

will ever go about to endeavour
to put a negative upon any motion
which may be made for indem-
nifying the Joint-ilock Company for
fuch loHes, (if any fuch there are) which
it fhail appear, upon taking leave of the
faid. ellablilhments, the Company ihali
have bona fide fuftained. The honour
and juitice of this country would be en-
gaged in this meafure, and certainly
the reprefentatives of this part of the
kingdom inParliament, will, whether of
the miniller's party or not, to a man join
in fupport of fo juft and equitable a pro-
pofal.

We have already taken notice of the
negledl: which every thing relating to
this country meets with in the Britifh
Parliament : At whofe door does this

evil

The Scotch Fineries-, 121

e»/il originate? We may cliarge it upon
the indifFerency of the Englifh members
about Scotch affairs : But candour ob-
liges us at fame time to fay, that we
are afraid part of the evil is chargeable
upon our own members, who are rather
paffive in matters which concern their
native country.

While we thus blame Government
for being carelefs about the concerns of
Scotland, it is however no more than
juflice to fay, that the extravagant
propofals for taking money out of the
public purfe, for the particular benefit
of this country, which has been made,
might very probably affrighten minif-
ters at the Vv hole buiinefs of the Scotch
Fifheries. The Committee of the Houfe
of Commons upon the Fiftiery, amcngfl
L other

123 Ohfervatiojis upon

other tilings, which in our opinion
Vt^ould have created a moil needlefs ex-
pence, reported to the Houfe, that it
was neceiTary to eftablifh a Board of
fub-commiffioners of the revenue at
Invernefs ; and that fundry new She-
rifflhips were neceiTary in Scotland.
Surely thefe demands had better been
let alone : The fadl is, that too much
has been wrote and faid about the Fifh-
ery. Every one has it in his mouth ;
but we may fay (we hope without of-
fence or arrogance) that, comparatively
fpeaking, few underfland it. Hence
the fcheme is diilrafled with the plans
of every idle projector, who v/ith his
propofals increafes the mountain of fpe-
culative fluff, and ilill farther deters
thofe in power from meddling with a
bulinefs fo unfliapely. Inilead of the

Society

1

7 he Scotch Fijh erics. 123

Society therefore advertifmg for infor-
mation, we doubt not but it would be
more for the benefit of what it yifhes
to promote, if the Society fliall hereaf-
ter, without fuch precarious alTillance,
tliink for itfelf upon the fubje,6l of the
Fiflieries, and the improvement of the
Highlands, which moll of the members
of the Society, from their knowledge
of that country, are very competent
to do.

Before we leave off concerning the
fifhing villages, v/e ill all beg liber-
ty to miCntion to the Society a mat-
ter Vv'hich in our humble opinion de-
ferves its attention, — It is an improve-
ment in the power of the Society or the
Joint-flock Company to compafs.

L 2 Upon

124 OhfervatiGiu upon

Upon the Weft coaft, during the'fifliing
feafon, when a body of herrings efitei-s
one of the lochs, it is not long before
the whole fleet of herring bufles follow
them. There is not any thing better
known by the fifhermen, than that her-
rings are not fond of remaining in a loch
where they are molefted with the fre-
quent dafhing of oars, and toa many
vefTels and boats pafhng and re-pafhng ;
and that accordingly, when thus treated,
they foon depart. This evil (and a
great one it is) might be ealily prevent-
ed : We think it would be an objedl
for the Joint-ftock Company or the So-
ciety, to alk from Government the fer-
vice of a fmall Admiralty cutter durijig
the hilling feafon. On board of this
velTel a fuperintendant fliould be fent,

who Ihould be a man of charader, of

experience

\

The Scotch Fipjsries. 123

experience and abilities, and whofe or-
ders the commander of the ciitter fhould
be obliged to obey. This fuperinten^
dant's bufmefs fhould be, to judge what
number of veiTels and boats ought to be
allowed to enter any loch, where there
is a flioal of herrings. He fhould be
invefted with an authority from the
vice-admiral of Scotland, to take cog-
nizance of trefpalTes upon the water,
and to commit offenders by his own
warrant : His powers fliould aifo ena-
ble him to determine upon any difpute,
which may arife amongft the fiilicrs a-
bout the fituation of their nets, or other
difierences. The Author of this pa-
per has been an eye-witncfs of the ne-
ceifity of fuch a meafure as he is now
recommending : He has feen the crews
of the buffes from the Clyde &c. at-<
L 3 tack

126 Obfervatlons upon

tack the poor natives of the Weft coail
in their miferable canoes, drive them
from the beit iifning places, deilrov their
nets, cruelly maltreat them, and then
let down their own tackling, in the
places of which they had thus robbed
the poor natives. The faperintendant
might have the benefit of an afiiflant,
and two or three inferior officers ; and,
that the public might be as much bene-
fited as poffible, in return for the ex-^
pence whicli falaries to this ellabliHi-
ment would create, both the principal
fiiperintendant and his colleague, iliould
be veiled with powers to lit and a<^ at
the villages, as ordinary judges, in dif-
putes about property, to a certain extent :
And, if it was thought neceiTary, they
might be farther intrufled with a power
to judge of, and pronounce fentence

upon

The Scotch Fi/heries, iij

upon, leiTer crimes committed at the vil-
lages and upon the coaft.

We are not unacquainted, that there
is at preient an ofhcer appointed, under
the Board of Truitees for Fiflieries and
manufadures, called^^zV;^ haillie, with
authority to fettle difputes amongil the
fiihers ; but we are afraid his powers
are too limited, and he has no aihilance
to enforce the execution of his own a-
wards. It may be proper for us here
by the by to obferve, that we doubt if,
without an exprefs law, the meafure of
hindering an improper number of^buiTes
from entering a loch into which a fhoal
of herrings had got, could be defended*
But we think the* adopthig fuch a regu-
lation is of fo much confequence, that
It is. even m the prejsnt ilate of the her-
ring

128 Ohfervations upon

ring-fifliery, an object to endeavour to
get an enadtment of the Legiflature to
author ife it.

It may perhaps be expeded, that mc
fliould here fay fomething about the
the queflion which has been broached.
Whether a deep fea filliing, or a loch
fiiliing, is the bed ?

After having already declared our opi-
nion, that, by the prefent modes of fifh-
ing, there are at leail as many herrings
caught as the market demands, it would
be an unbefitting tafk for us to enter
upon recommending any particular plan
as the hejl for catching herrings ; but,
for the information of fuch of our read-
ers as may have perhaps never heard of
the queflioU; we Ihall ilate as briefly

as

The Scotch Fi/beries* 129

as poffible what occurs to us upon the
fubjed.

Some have vehemently argued for a
deep-fea fiiliing, as infinitely prefer-
able to fifhing in lochs. This dodrine,
upon which much has been faid, af-
fords a very proper inflance in proof of
our aiTertion, that more has been wrote
upon the Fifhery than has been under-
flood about it.

The advocates for a deep-fea filhing
quote the example of the Dutch, who
fifh in this manner. It is very true the
Dutch do fo : But when we enquire,
Why ? we find, it is becaufe they have
it not in their power to do otherwife
with profit. The Dutch have only
two choices ; that is, either to fifli in

the

130 Ohfervations upon

the deep upon the coafl of Shetland,
or fail throu ',h the Pentland Firth, and
fifh in the weftern lochs of Scotland.
This lalt would be fo long a voyage,
and the navigating the difficult ftrait of
the Pentland F:rth, fo hard for veirels
of the conilrutflion of their buifes, that
this rhethod would not anfwer them.
Of the two evils, therefore, annexed to
the fituation of their country for fiih-
ing, they wifely make eledlion of the
lealt, viz. fifhing in the deep-fea, bc-
caufe the ihallow fifhing- grounds are
too far off for them. The Dutch have
upon their own coafts no lochs, bays,
or in-lets of the fea, to which the her-
rings refort ; they are therefore obliged
to feek them in the deep, at double the
rilk and expence at which they could
fiih them in embayed fliallow places,

fuch

I

The Scotch Fiffjeries, 131

fuch as the lochs of Scotland. The in-
habitants of this country (more efpeci-
ally thofe upon the Weil coail) would
be extremely unwife indeed, were they
to be at the great expence of materials
for a dcep-fea iifliing, and expofe their
buiTcs to fo much tear and wear, when
every purpofe they aim at is better an-
fwered by their fifningin the lochs uf-
ually haunted by the herrings with their
fhort nets, at a lefs expence by one
half at leaft, layhig cut of the qaeilioa
the riflv of loiing both veffel and nets
in the winter time in the open fea ;
a fate which the Dutch often experi-
ence. The Dutch would never hunt
the fiih through feas, which are fome
times tempeiluous even in Summer,
were it not impoffibie for them (with.
any advantage) to fail to tlie Well lochs

of

132 Ohfervatlons upon

Scotland, where (when they fliould
arrive there) we have fome doubts if
they v/ould be allowed to fifli. The decp-
fea fi filing is not only very expenfive
and perilous, but alfo very uncertain ;*
for the herrings, while in deep water,
are for the moft part in an itinerant
difpoiition. It is well known that ow-
ing to this, the Dutch are very often
unfuccefsful ; a fadt, which the gentle-
men who argue for a dcep-fea fifhing
pafs over in lilence. It is a ftrange ar-
gument, indeed, that becaufe the Dutch
are good fiihers, therefore we are to
imitate them in all things regarding the
Fifhery, even in that which they them-
felves confider as a y^ry great difadvan-
tage. The doing fo would be as vm-
wife as the conducl of a perfon, who,
wifhing to imitate the drefs and exte-
rior

7he Scotch Fijfjeries, 155

rior of fome beau, would, in order to
conform exadly to his pattern, break a
limb, becaufe the perfon he wilhed to
copy had come by that misfortune.

It may be here proper to obferve,
that the advocates for a deep-fea fifli^
ing, have not only quoted the example
of the Dutch, but alfo that of the Yar-
mouth people, in inflance of this prac-
tice. The latter do not however make
a choice of that method any more thMi
the former: their doing fo is the effe(?c
of neceffity, becaufe the herrings, which
ufually appear once a year upon the
Yarmouth coaft, do not come into ilial-
low water. It i-s the peculiar adTanta^e
of the Highland coail, to be cut and
indented a;ll along with ■ in-lets and
bays: to thefe the herrings are fond of
"""'^ JVI re^

134 Ohjervations upon

reforting : on the coafl of England, there
are no fuch in-iets : the fifli, accordingly,
which appear there, keep a coniiderahle
way from the ill ore in deep water, and
the fifhers muft take them there or not
at all.

If it {liali be faid, that the reafon givea
for the Dutch not going to the High-
land lochs, gannot be afligned as the
caufe vch.j the Yarmouth people do not
go there, feeing they are almoft as near
thefe locks as fome of the fifkers on. the
cad of Scotland, who go ; We anfwer.
That the Yarmouth people, preferring
fifliing upon their . own coafl for her-
rings in deep ,water^: tp; going to the
Weft lochs for. thefe . ftfn, does by - jio
jneans prove that ^hey, efteem the de^.r
fea] pftiing as fupei'ior to tlie Q.ther ;, it-

M ^^^^^

The Scotch Fi/ljcries. 135

only iliev.'s, that the Yarmouth people
give preference to that mode, which is
not only eafieil for them, but aUb (con-
fidering their great diilance from the
Weil coad, and the expenfive way in
which the Englifa vidual their veiTels)
the cheapefl. Thus we fee, that both
the Dutch and Yarmouth people follov/
that method of iifhing w^hich is Inyl a-
dapted to their refpeclive fituations.
The Scotch, by fiihing in fliallow wate.-,
do the fame. If thefe premifes arc
granted, (and we think they nuifi) w^a
are logically entitled to fay, that all
idea of the fiihers of this country adopt-
ing any other method of fifhing for her-
rings is precluded \ for, being already
in pofTeliion of the hejl, their choice can
go no higher. We fliall only farther
obferve on this branch of our fubjecl,
M 2 that

1^6 Ohjervaticns upon

that however fitting it might be for the
iifners on the Eafl coail of Scotland to
follow the Dutch and Yarmouth me-
thods, and avoid the troublefome navi-
gation of the Pentland Firth, yet fure-
ij no judicious man will fay, that the
lilliers upon the Weft coaft ought to
pradife the deep-fea fifhing. So well
aware of the expence and riik of a
deep-fea fifhing are the Eaft coaft her-
ring fifhers, that they take their chance
of the Pentland Firth, for the fake of
the eafy and fafe fiftiing, which they
iind in the lochs to the weft ward of it.
The advocates for a deep-fea fifhing re-
commend their plan to the eaftern and
weftern Scotch fiftiers alike: How
improperly they have done (o, we have
endeavoured to fliow.

W

The Scotch Fi/heries. 137

We fhall here beg permhTion to pro-
duce another proof of our alTertion,
that too much has been raflily wrote
and faid upon the Fiilicry. This is ex-
emplilied in a perfon of no lefs learning
and confequence than Dr Adam Smith,
who maintained, That G overnment ought
to withdraw the bounty, paid upon the
tonage of bujfes employed in the Fiih-
cry, and give it to boats ofily,. fo em-
ployed. It is not eafy to conceive how
fuch a notion could enter into the head
of any man of Dr Smith's abilities and
informatiom We have no way of folv-
ing the difEculty, but in fappofmg that
the Doclor has not been well informed :
He took up a notion, that the bufs>.
owners upon tlie Weft coaft fent out
their veffels on pretence only of fifujng,
but in reality with an intent to co?n§ at
M 3 the

133 Ohjervations upon

the bounty. Certainly in this cafe Dr
Smith drew his ccnclufions from fake
premifes : for, had he fairly informed
himfelf of the adlual coit of the out- fit
ofabufs, he would have found that
fuchavefTel, equipped according to law,
returning into port without any fifli,
would take every fhilling of the bounty
to defray her charges : Where then was
the temptation to fraud? No matter: the
Docior, would not part with his opinion :
He made ufe of a pun, which he thought
fettled the bufinefs : They don't go out,
fays he, (meaning the buiTes) to catch
theft/Jj, but to catch the bounty. Lucki-
ly for the country, the Dodor's advice
\vas not wholly taken : He fav^ the boats
encouraged with a bounty, or at lead
an indulgence - equal to it; but the
Legillatare prudently continued the en-
couragements

The S^'otch Fi/heries, 139

couragenients to the bufs-fiiliing upon
the old footing, where it at prefent re-
mains. We lliall reqiiefl of our reader
to refierl: what the confequences would
have been, ha,d Dr Smith's advice been
taken : no lefs^ we may fafely pronounce,
than the total annihilation of the trade
of fiiliing in the whole tov/ns in /the ri-
ver Clyde and its vicinity. The giving
the bounty to boats only w^as, to be furc,
well calculated for the Eail coail of
Scotland, where the Docler refided, and
Vv'here, it would appear, he obtained ail
his knowledge concerning the Fifhery ,
becaufc fuch herrings as do appear
there, come for the mofl part within a
mile or fo of the doors of the merchants
ftorehoufes ; fo that boats, in their ^\t\\2i-
tion, would have anfwered without any
bulTes y by which means the v/hole Cr

normous

140 Ohfervations upon

normous expence of building, equipping^
and manning the latter, would havebeeb
iaved. This however would not have
anfvvered one of the great purpofes of
granting a bounty to the buffes, viz*
breading up feamen ; and therefore the
Legiflature very properly refilled the
propofal. Were a bounty given only
to boats, the fifhers from- Clyde, 6tc.
would be virtually cut off from the be-
nefit of it y becaufe, as the herrings
very feldom appear in the neighbour-
hood of ^Z?Wr towns, (where their fait
and cafes are depoiited) but at the dif-
tance often of an hundred miles from
thcfe places, they would be under the
neceffity, in order to reap the benefit of
a bounty upon- boat fifhing, of fitting
out and mantaining large veiTels to ac-
company flich boats to the filliing

grounds,.

The Scotch Fi/Jjenes* 1 41

grounds, as a kind of floating llore-
iioufes and lodging lioufes for their
men. The boat-bounty would not in-
demnify this expence. The Doctor's
meafure would therefore in eifedl have
cut off the Clyde fiihers from miy boun-
ty at all to encourage them to fifh;
which we are well perfuaded would
have put an end to their attempt^
ing it.

Such we fee has been the giddinefs^
with which not only leiTer writers, but
alfo the luminaries of commercial re-
fearch, have run on, in writing and
fpeaking upon the Fifhery, a fubjed,
as we have already faid, which has
been much perplexed by the hideous
fchemes of falfe reafoners, and others
unqualified to fpeak properly upon it.

The

142 Ohfervaticns upon -

The lucubrations of 'the different at-
tempt ers to fet the country right about
its Fifnerv, became at lail io vohimi-
nous, and tlieir difTerent fchemes, none
of which hit the point, were fo irrecon-
cileable, that the whole formed a jumble,
enough indeed to afrighten miniflers
from looking into it : of courfc it has been
parti} negleded by them, as a fathom-
lefs bulinefs ; a grand Elixir, always ta
be attempted, but never to be produc-
tive. From the fame caufes, fome nio-
derate and feniible men have drawn
nearly the fame conclufions ; and thus
unhappily an objccl, undoubtedly de-
ferving a due degree of national atten-
tion, has not yielded the benefit which
might have been reafonably expected
to accrue to the country from it.

We

Jhe Scotch Fyheries. 143

We have now fin i (lied all we intended
to fay refpedling the FiHieiy, through-
out which we have regarded truth, ei-
ther according to our own particular
knowledge, or the befl of our informa-
tion : and have given our opinion after a
thorough examination of the fubjecl,
-Recording to thebeil; of our judgement.

We fliall now clofe our defign, by
fubmitting to the Society, our obferva-
tions upon the Utility of vmking fome
EJlabliJJjments in the Interior Farts of
the Highlands, the only requifite of the
Society's faid advertifement which we
.believe remains to be fpoken to.

OBSER-

4

OBSERVATIONS

IMPROYEMLNT OF THE INTERIOR PARTS

HIGHLANDS.

J<^

I

OBSERVATIONS

UPON THE

IMPROVEMENT OF THE INTERIOR PARTS

HIGHLANDS.

ADDRESSED TO THE HIGKLAMD SOCIETY OF SCOTLA^'D.

The Society, it is prefumed, are not to
be informed, that about thirty years a-
go, and during the lafl reign, no lefs a
fum than 3000 1. per annum was grant-
ed by Parliament for nine years, for en-
couraging the fpinning of yarn and
making of linen in the Highlands of
Scotland, and for other purpofes, for
N 3 thQ

148 Improvement of the

tlie benefit of this country. The ma-
nty, we believe, was granted out of the
equivalent, which Scotland, at the Uni-
on claimed from England, for fubjecl-
ing herfelf to the debts of the lattex.
The management of this dcfign fell un-
der the Board eflablifhed in this coun-
try for conferving and encouraging it?
Fiflieries and Manufactures : In purfu-
ance of the intention above mentioned',
certain buildings were ereded at Glen-
morrifon in Invernefs-fhire, and at
Iioch-broom and Loch-Carron in Rofs-
•jliire. Owing to what caufes we know
not, but at the expiry of the period li-
mited by the act which granted the
inoney, fo little was the defign of giving
it found to be anfwered, that Govern-
ment did not think fit to continue the
encouragement, and the experiment

has

tnterlor parts of the Highlands, 149

has never lince been again tried. Tiio
hoLifes eredted for the purpofes we havG
mentioned, which were very expenlive
(and magnificent for that part of the
country) are at this day occupied to
various purpofes, very different from the
original deii gn of them, and prefent a
very melancholy pidlure to a perfon of
refiedion, who iliall happen to pafs by
them. One cannot help feeling fome
vexation, upon coniiderirg that fuch ca-
pital fums have been expended-, with-
out producing any of the good purpofes
for which they were granted. The
people of the country, in the neighbour-
hood of thefe eilablifn meats, know as
much at ihis day, and no- more, about;
fpinning, weaving, flax-raifmg, &c. as.
they did fifty years ago. Surely (ii;
we :::ay expr^fi ourfelves fo) tlicre has-
N 3 beea

150 Improvement of the

been bad cookery here ; for, in remote
places in the Highlands, where women
may be hired at a very cheap rate,, pro^
Jit, inflead of lofs, fliould have arifen
from their work. However, the fate of
thefe undertakings is in conformity e-
nough to pall experience in things of
the like nature : All encouragements, in
which third parties mufl be employed
between the giver and the receiver of
fuch encouragements, are lefs or more
liable to the evils of fraud or job-
bing ; on which account, every mode
of granting public encouragement, whe-
ther by the State, or individuals, which
drav^s after it the necelTity of erecting
buildings for account of the party
granting the encouragement, employ-
ing agents, clerks, &.c. Ihould as much

as poflible be avoided.

Having

Interior Parts of the Highlands, 151

. Having faid thus much, we are now
to propofe to the fociety our plan of en-
couraging the population and profpe-
rity of the interior Parts of the High-
lands,

We enter with real fatisfadion upon
this part of our defign. What we are
to propofe, we think a pradicable
fcheme, which ought to engage in its
behalf every v^^ell-v/ifher of our country.
It needs no gilding or falfe reprefenta-
tion to recommend or fupport it, and a
trial at leaft may be made of it. It would
be an impertinent talk to enter here in-
to a defcription of the vafi: extent of this
part of the united kingdom, to which the
appellation of Highlands properly be-
longs. This, as well as the great popu-
lation of thofe parts, is perfedly well

known'

1^2 Improve fuent of the'

known to every gentleman of the So-
ciety. We believe we do not exaggerate,
when we fay, that the inhabitants of thofe-
parts of Scotland, known by the name of
the Highlands, make up nearly two thirds
of the whole of the population of that
kingdom. What a pity it is, that their
labours are not more ufeful to them-
felves, and the community of which
they are members. No people in
the ^vorld are apter fcholars at every
thing which may be aiirgned them to
do, or difcover more fagacity in the cx-
ercife of their reafon: They arc, for the
mofl part, faithful fervants, and prudent
judicious mailers : The common people
are fober and Heady, and entire llran-
gers to the diiTolute and wretched lives,
which people of the fame rank, in the
more fertile parts cf the kingdom, are

knovv^n

Interior Parts of the Highlands. 153

known to lead : There is not fuch a con-
tented fet of beings in the whole world,
(if we except the happy peafants in the
vallies of S\^ itzerland) as the fmall te-
nantry of the Highlands. Let us here,
in fupport of our obfervation, bring to
the recoliedlion of fome member of the
Society, the fatisfadlion and peace he
has feen within the walls of fome poor
Highlander, to whofe houfe he has per-
haps been driven by the ilormy night.
The focial fire, the woman of the cot-
tage fpinning upon the rock, the fpare
but whoiefome meal in preparation up-
on the fire for fupper, the landlord' 3
little live property fecured from the
threatening ftorm in the other end of the
cottage, and within view of the owner,
who, to chear his wife and little ones,
beguiles the folitary liour with the re-
cital

154 Lnprov erne lit of the

cital of the atchievements of fome va-
liant anceftor in a fong. To find fuit-
able employment for thefe poor virtu-
ous citizens and their progeny, is fure-
\y an object worthy of public attention.
Great are the obligations which the
Community is under to thofe patriotic
individuals who have generoufiy under-
taken this talk : we hope that, while
they thus ferve their country, their
laudable zeal will at fame time be com-
penfated, by the increafe in value which
their property mult experience in con-
fequence of the meafures taken by
them.

In the hiflories of civilized coun-
tries, well adapted for cultivation, we
find that tillage has ufually been the
firit thing which has occupied the at-

tentioa

interior Parts of the Highlands* 153

tention of the inhabitants : manilfadu-
res and trade came afterwards. On the
other hand, in countries lefs fertile,
manufactures and trade, inflead of being
confequences of an improved ftate of
the country, have therafelves been in
effedt the caufcs of the cultivation of
the foil.

The inland parts of the Highlands
of Scotland are not fertile: they are
however pretty populous ; which cir-
cumftance, by due management, might
be made amply to compenfate both the
want of foil and climate. The way in
tvhich this is to be done, is, by introdu-
cing into thofe parts fome kind of ufe-
ful manufacture.

The Highlands at prefent does not reap

the

1^6 L}it>rovement of the

the benefit of its confiderable popuk-
tion : there are more people there than
the produce of the land can well main-
tain : they are on that account obliged
to wander to other places in quell of
employment, and to become a kind of
vagabonds upon the earth. "What re-
lief, then, fo natural, as to find them em-
ployment at home, in a manufacture,
which if well conduclcd, would not only
make individuals live comfortably, but,
by means of the money fuch manufac-
ture would bring into the country, the
foil would be improved, the value of
land raifed, and employment found for
numbers of the natives in agriculture.

Though there are feme obfiacles in
the way of effecling this happy purpofe,
yet they can be removed at an expence

in-

Interior Farts of the Highhmds. 137

inconfiderable, when compared to the
advantages, which would be derived
from fuch a meafure : The firjl of thefe
obftacles is, that the people in the in-
land parts of the Highlands are not at
prefent collected into towns or villages ;
and ihQfecond, that there are not pro-
}>er roads of communication betwixt
that country and the more populous
parts of the kingdom.

Having fatisfied ourfelves with re-
gard to the practicability of what we
have propofed, as well as its utility,
^ve fhall proceed to obferve to the So-
ciety, that, in confidering the fubjecl be-
fore us, we have no lielitation in declar-
ing, that we queflion if it would be ad-
vifeable to attempt a village in any of
the interior parts of the Highlands, (or
O even

15S Improvement of the

even if it would be pradlicr.ble to keep
the people together in fiich village)
without fome kind of manufadlure were
efLablilhed in it. A parcel of poor
people, to be fure, might be brought to-
gether, allured by the advantage of
having a houfe and a bit of ground
gratis, or fuch like encouragements :
Eut what benefit would t\\Q country
at large derive from fuch a meafure?
Even the neighbourhood of a village
%vithout a manufacture in it, would
have very little advantage by it, far-
ther than the convenieaice of being
near perhaps a fin all retail fliop, or an
•artificer' part of the earnings of thefe
tradefmen might probably find its way
into the pockets of fuch farmers in the
^neic^hbourhood as coukl frare of their

O i

produce to fell to the village : but if

everv

Interior Parts cf the Highlands, 159

every fhilling fo earned was to be fpent
in the fame way (a fuppolition not very
probable) this would not be bringing
any money into the country.

Allowing, however, fuch an inter-
courfe VfOuld be an advantage to a
neighbourhood, we doubt if a place
Gould be found in the inland Highlands^
whofe neighbourhood, in its prefent
iVdte, could afford bufinefs to fupport
fach a village as we have mentioned.
In a cultivated country, a town may
be up-held by its immediate neighbour-
hood, or by enjoying the benefit of ly-
ing at the entrance to a Highland
country; but, in an uncultivated coun-
try like the inland Highlands, fuch an
idea is entirely precluded. If a village
in the inland Highlands in the prefent
O 2 Hate

i6o hnproTement of the

itate of that country, could not "be fap-
ported by its neighbourhood, it is ft ill
leis fuppoieable that fiich village could
fupport itfclf : Therefore, in oar hum-
ble appreheniion, every idea of erec-
ting a village in the country in quef-
tion, without eftablifninga manufaclure
in it, is a wrong one, and will, we ima-
gine, be fou-id not lo anfwer. Wem^ay
lay it down as a maxim, in this cafe,
that if a village in the inland parts o£
the Highlands does not benefit its neigh-
bourhood more than its neighbourhood
benefits it, the intention of building
fuch village {v\%, to find employment
for the people, and to improve and raife
the value of the land) is not anfwered.
We. have feen that a village without a

manufadure

Interior Parts of the HigJAands, 1 6 1

nianufadare could not iupport itfelf,
far lefs better the country; therefore
it is clear, that the e reding fuch a vil-
lage would not anfvver the end which
undoubtedly the Society aim at. We
may add, that not only ought a village
in the country in queflion to be inde-
pendent of its neighbourhood, in the
prefent Itate of that country, for trade
to fupport it ; but alfo meafures iliculd
be taken to render fuch a village inde-
pendent of its neighbourhood, for the
chief articles of fubfiftence ; a precau-
tion abfolutely neceifary for the prefer-
vation of a fettlement of this kind,
until the country around it ihall be
in fome fort fit to fupply it with ne-
cefTaries.

O 3 Kavin

l6l liiiprovernent of the

Having thus, as we imagine, raffici-
ently proven, that the bringing money
into the inland Highlands, by means of
fome manufadure, is the bcfl way in
which the Society's great endof em.ploy-
ing the people, and improving the foil-,
can be brought about ; and having alfo
endeavoured to fhow, that the eredt*
VA^ villages without eftablifliing fuch
manufadures in them, would fall fhort
of effecting the Society's faid purpofes ;
vre come next to pronofe the kind of
manufadlure, in our opinion proper to
be firfc fo introduced, the fcale it
fiiould be taken up upon, and the man-
ner, in our opinion, in which it fliculd
be conducHied.

In confidering this fubjed, we are
not perplexed with many choices:

There

I

Interior Parts of the Highianch 163;

There are, in our bumble opinion, only
two manufadtures, wbicb, in the pre-
fent Hate of the interior part of the
Highlands, it would be proper to intro-
duce into thefe parts. The one the.
linen, — the other that of the woolen.
We have flvirlv adjufled the balance^
and thrown our reafons in favours of
each of thefe branches of trade, into
oppoiite fcalcs : thofe in favours of the'
woolen inanufadure, foon infinitely
preponderated. It behoves us to give
feme account of thefe reafons.

In judging of the matter before us^
one of our reafons for preferring the
ivoolen manufaclure, is, that the High-
lands itfelf affords great quantities of
the raw material of that manufacture^
the confumption of whichj at home,

would

164 Improvement of the

would be a great attainment to the
Country. Although this circumflance
was very favourable, we do not know,
(confidering the quick market there is
at prefent for wool,) if it would have
determined us, had we not been alfo of
opinion, that of the two manufa^lures
mentioned, the woolen was the one of
which an experiment could be made
in t?ie Highlands, at the leaft expence ;
in aid of which opinion, the circum-
flance of the wool's being ready at hand
in the Highlands comes in.

For making a fair experiment of the
trade we have been recommending, it
is our opinion, that the Society fliould,
(if it does not choofe to make the trial
at its own expence,) flrain every nerve
to obtain public aid, to enable it to

build'

Lit erior part of the Highlands, 165

build a fmall village upon a favourable
jpot in the inland parts of fome of the
Highland counties. Some of the inland
parts of Argjlefnire are well adapted
for fuch a village ; but as that county
has already a deal of trade, and is in a
fair way of having more, probably it
would be as well to favour fome place
of lefs trade, and farther north, with
the village ; perhaps fome part in the
heights of Perth,Rofs,or Invernefs-fbires.
The local advantages principally to be fe-
cured, in fetting down fuch a village,
are fo obvious, that it is almofl walling
time to mention them. The leading ob-
jects are, the choice of a place in the
neighbourhood of a flieep country, in a
fpot capable of improvement, and from
whence a road could be cheapeft made,

to

i66 Improvement of the

to communicate with the nearcil fca-
port.

We fliall be extremel) cautious in
adviiing the Society to launch out large
fums of money upon fpeculation. We
are fenfible that the moil laudable in-
tentions^ for the wifefl purpofes, and
proceeding upon the bell grounded ex-
pe6lations, may, and fometimes have
been defeated through mifmanage-
ments, or the intervention of \'^ayv\7ard.
circumftances, arifing out of the conca-
tenated train of events beyond the eye
of human foreiight. The beft way, in
our opinion, in cafes of the nature now
before us, is not to proceed altogether
upon mere hypothelis ; but where it rs
in our power, (as in this cafe it certain-
ly is,) to pofTefs ourfeives of fome argu-
ment

Interior Parts cf the Highlands. iGj

meiit derived from fad, as a refling-
place in our fpeculative journey : Hav-
ing got Jiold of fucli a place, we can
there breathe a little, and not only look
to what is before us, but alfo to what is
behind, and make choice of advancing
or retreating as is moft convenient.

Now, in this village, fo to be built by
way of experiment, we would propofe,
j/?, To erccl fmall houfes for the recep-
tion of poor families ; the number of
thefe not to exceed fifty, and the ex-
pence of each houfc, not to exceed 25L
idlj; A better kind of houfes, with
fmall fliops facing the flreet, not ex-
ceeding the value of 50 1. each ; the
mimber of thefe v.e would prcpcfe
fnould be fix. 3^% Buildings, in vvhich
7ilay be carried on the kind of woolen

manufacture

1-68 Improvement of the

raanufadure hereafter to be mentioned,
to the extent in value of 350 1. \ and a
houfe and offices for the perfon who
fjiall carry on fuch manufadure, of the
value of 200 1. Athly^ A houfe for a
dyer, with a dye- houfe adjoining, to-
gether of the value of 80 1. 5^/^/v, A
place of worfhip, with a fmall public
clock therein ; together of the value of
200 1. Gthly, A public houfe of the va-
lue of 150 1. 7^/^/f, A wauk-mill, with
a houfe adjoining for the waulker, to-
gether of the value of 60 1. ^tbly, A
public Well, of the value of 50 1. gtbly^
A fchool-houfe,with accommodations for
the fchool-mailer, of the value of 70 1.
lothly, A houfe for the preacher, of the
value of 60 1. And, iithly^ ^nd Iq/llyy
a flore-houfe of the value of 150 1. The
exp.ence of inclofmg with a dry-ilone

dyke

Interior parts of the Highlands, 167

dyke the fmall gardens of the fettlers
we eilimate at 50 1; and for inclofing
thofe of the other fettlers we reckon
20 1. will be neceifary, making toge-
ther 70 1. We reckon 200 1. would be
fufficient to defray the expence of fu-
perintending the building of the vil-
lage, and 500 1. may be ilated as the
purchafe-money of a piece of muir-
ground, for the lite of the village, and
for a fmall territory about it, upon
which it might, if needful, be extend-
ed : and we Hate 460 1. for carrying on
any other building which may be found
neceifary, and for incidents and contin-
gencies; making the whole out-lay for
the village the fum of 4150 L

Having given this abilracl of our

fcheme of building the village, it is

P next

170 Improvement of the

ferred as the firjl upon which thie
experiment Hiould be tried^ whether miy
manufa^iire at all in thefe parts would
anfwer. In mod of the manufadures of
this country^ coals are neceflary ; but as
thefe (even although found in the
Highlands) could not be obtained but
at a very great expence, we fliould, for
the reafons above mentioned, think it
very unadvifcable, to make the experi-
ment in queilion upon any manufadlure
in which the ufe of that fuel was abfo-
lutely neceiTary. The (lockings, we
would propofe fliould not be manufac-
tured in the loom, but knitted upon
wires, as is pradifed in the country of
Aberdeen-iliire : this method is net on-
ly beil fuited to the Highlands, as tend-
ing to anfwer one of the chief purpofes of
the Society viz. the employing the peo-
ple ^

Interior Parts of the Highlands. 171

pie • but the ftocldngs fo manufaclurcd,
though not fo fliewy, are yet more fub-^
ftantial than loom (lockings, and have
accordingly preference in Holland^
which is the beft market for flockings
we know. At fame time, if cireum-
ftances juftify it, the loom flocking-
weaving might be tried.

The next thing for our conlidera-
tion, is, to fix upon that plan of intro-
ducing this manufacture into the inte-
rior Highlands, which fhall be leaft
liable to abufe or difappointment. We
own this is not fo ^?Sy to judge of: for,
on the one hand, Vv'e find that to at-
tempt it upon cheap, terms would only-
produce the evils we dread ; on the o-
ther hand, v/e find the encouragementL^
neceflary to do it to purpofe v.'ill be a
F 3 heavy

2 7^ Impro'vefnent of the

heavy expence. We have, however, no
alternative, as it is clear that that method
which fhall be found to bring the So-
ciety's intentions beft about^ though
moil expenlive at firft, will alfo be found
in the end to be the cheapeft, and to it^
therefore, we give the preference. The
Society's purpofes can never be brought
•about by taking the manufadure into
its own hand, and appointing people to
fuperintend and conducSl it. Needy or
defperate men might offer themfelves
upon eafy terms ; but experience fhews^
that the execution of public purpofes^
trulled into the hands of fuch people^
has not produced any good ; unlefs ad-
miniitering to the neceffities of the par-
ties fo employed can be called fo. If
therefore the Society fhall ever think
of adopting the meafures we are recom-
mend-

Interior parts of the Highlands, 173;

mending, if they are to be well ferved^
it mutt be by perfons, not only of cha-
radler and probity, but of known pro-
perty.

The encouragements necelTary, on
the one hand, to procure the fervices of
a perfon or perfons of this defcription,
and the engagements he or they ought
to come under in return for thefe encou-
ragements, on the other hand, is what
we fliall now ft ate.

To make the Society's intentions in
this refpecl public, the beft way would
be, to advertife in the newfpapers the of-
fers of the Society, which, in our hum-
ble opinion, ought to be as follows, viz.
That to any perfon or perfon?, indivi-
duals or companies, converfant in the

woollen

1/4 Improvemeni of the

woollen manufadure, who lliall fatisfy
the Society, that he or they are polfef-
fed of a capital of at leaft 1500I. and
who fliall be willing to fet up the faid
buiinefs in faid village, and to come
under the conditions hereafter to be
mentioned, the Society will procure
the following encouragements to be
given : Firjl, That there Ihall be paid to
fuch perfonSy upon the amount of the
capital employed by him or them, each
and every year, a clear premium of 15
per cent, per annum, idly, That the
Society, for the farther encouragement
of fuch perfon or perfons, will procure
accommodations to be built for carrying
on the fiiid buiinefs, and accommodations
alfo for the family of fuch perfon or
perfons, to the extent, together, of at
leaft 550I. ; fuch buildings to be exe-
cuted

Interior Parts of the Hlihlamh. 173

cuted according to the plan of the faid
perfon or perfons, but under the infpec-
tion of the Society or its agent, '^dly^
That the faid perfon or perfons, fhall,
befides thefe encouragements, be entit-
led tp the exclulive privilege of carry-
ing on the faid bufinefs in the faid vil-
lage, for the term of fourteen years, du-
ring all which time he fhall be free of
rent for the faid buildings, and be en-
titled to the faid i^per cent, and alfo
the other encouragements herein after
mentioned, ^thly. That the Society
fhall engage itfelf to have ahvays upon
hand in the faid village, a fufficient
quantity of oat or bear- meal, ready to
be fold to the people employed in the
faid manufacture by fuch perfon or per-
fons, at the average price which it fliall
appear from the m.odes prefcribed by

law^

17^ Improvement of the

law, for fixing the prices which regu-
late the importation and exportation of
vidlual, fuch meal fliall bear at the
time, in the county where the aid
.village fliall be iituated. S^hly, The
Society ihould offer, for facilitating the
trade of fuch perfon or perfons, to pro-
cure, that good and palTable roads fnall
be made between fuch village, and the
fea-port town nearqfl thereto, tthly, The
Society fhould offer to procure, that fuch
perfon or perfons fhall be accommodated
during the currency ofthefaid fourteen
years, with a quantity of land rent-
free in the near vicinity of fuch village,
fufficient for the maintenance of three
horfes and two cows ; two of the former
of which, with a proper waggon, the So-
ciety fnould engage to procure to fuch

perfon

Interior Parts of the Highlands, 177

perfon or perfons gratis. For the far-
ther encouragement of fuch perfon or
perfons, the Society fiiould engage it*
felf, that, at the expiry of the faid four*
teen years, it fhould be optional to the
faid perfon to continue the bargain
with the Society for feven years more,
with this dedudlion of circumltances in
favours of the latter, that at the expiry
of the faid firil term of years, and
during the currency of the faid fe-
ven years, the faid perfon or perfons
iliould not be entitled to the exclufive
privilege of carrying on the faid manu-
facture in the faid village, nor to any
more than 10 per cent, per annum upon
the fum employed by him or them in
each year during the faid feven years.
And lajlly. For the ftill farther en-
couragement of fuch perfon or perfons^

it

178 Improvement of the

it fhould be optional to him or them, to
continue the bargain with the Society
for flili feven years more, v/ithout any
exclufive privilege infavom's of the for-
mer, and upon a premium of only 5 per
cent, per annum, upon the fum he or
they fhall fo employ, fubje6l to a de-
duction in name of rent, of 5 per cent,
of the fum the buildings and land occu-
pied by fuch perfon or perfons, Ihall
have coft the Society or the public. For
the additional encouragement of fuch
*perfon or perfons, the Society ihould en-
gage itfelf, that T\"ith every apprentice
the faid perfon or perfons fliall take to
teach the weaving, dyeing, waulking,
or wool-combing, for feven years, the
Society will procure to be paid to fuch
perfon or perfons the fum of 50 1. in
name of apprentice-fee, upon th€ maf-

ter

Interior Parts of the Highlands, 179

t-er, becoming bound to maintain and
clothe, in a fiiitable manner, fuch appren-
tice during the whole time of his faid fer-
vice ; and the Society ihould farther en-
gage itfelf to build for the accommodation,
of the trade of fuch perfon or perfons, a
dye-houfe, a comb-fliop, and a waulk-
mill, together with free houfes and gar-
dens, to each of the perfons w ho fhall
occupy the faid works ; and to accommo-
date, alfo in Tike manner, the perfons
hereafter to be mentioned, which the
faid perfon or perfons fhall by his or
their bargain be obliged to bring into
the faid village for teaching the country
people. The Society iliould at the
fame time offer, in like public manner,
to fuch perfons as are willing to fettle
in the faid village, and to furnifh out of
(^ their

i8o Improvement of the

their refpe6live familes five people able
to work at the faid manufadure, a
houfe and garden, fre€ of rent for
feven years, and to fupply fuch families
at all times with meal, at the prices al-
ready mentioned. To perfors willing
to carry on any ufeful craft, or a retail
trade in the village^ the Society Ihould
offer one of the 50 1. houfes and a gar*
den, rent-free for three years.

In return for thefe encouragements,
the Society fliould, in xki^firjl place, take
fuch contrader or contradlers bound by
iiimfeif or themfelves, and two fufficient
fecurites, in afum equal to double his or
their capital, that he or they fliall imple-
ment everycondition he or they may en-,
ter into with the Society or the publicw

Next^

Inter-tor Farts of the Highlands, i8l

Next, the faid perfon or perfons fliouldbe
taken bound to bring into the faid village,
and keep there at all times, during the
currency of his or their faid bargain,
ten young women from Aberdeen- fliire,
and as many weavers of ferge from Stir-
ling, the former for the purpofe of
teaching the fpinning of woolen yarn,
and knitting of {lockings; and the lat-
ter, for teaching apprentices the ferge-
weaving : And alfo, to bring into the
faid village, and keep there as aforefaid,
four wool- combers, one dyer, and one
waulker, for inllruding apprentices.
Next, the faid perfon or perfons Ihould
be taken bound, to keep employed, du-
ring the currency of his or their faid
-bargain, within the manufacluring-houfe^
the following number of perfons .in each

0^2. of

i82 Improvement of the

of the branches of the manufacture, viz.
Eleven ferge- weavers, thirty fpmners of
wool, and as many knitters of llockings,
including apprentices and women-learn-
ers : In the comb-fhop, five wool- com-
bers, including an apprentice : In the
dye-houfe, three dyers, including ap-
prentices 5 and at the waulk-mill, two
waulkers, including an apprentice.
And moreover, fuch perfon or perfons
Hiould be obliged to engage himfelf or
themfelves, to employ at leafl fifty of
the country people without doors, in
fpinning w^ool, or knitting {lockings, if
as many w^ill accept of employment.
At fame time, there fliould be no re-
llraint upon fuch perfon or perfons, to
employ as many more as he or they

Ihall think proper. Such perfon or

perfons

ihterior Parts of the Highlands, i S 3

perfons fhould be farther taken bound,
to take at lead one apprentice each year,
daring the faid fourteen years, to the
weaving bufinefs ; one each third year
to the wool-combing; two every fifth
year to the dyeing bufinefs ; and one e-
very feventh year to the vvaulking :
The faid apprentices to be natives of
the Highlands.

Thefe are the outlines of what ap-
pears to us proper to be done, for mak*
ing trial of introducing the woollen ma-
nufadure into the interior Highlands.
We do not recollect any farther regu-
lations of confequence, which we ima-
gine would be necefTary, except the ap-
pointment of fome proper perfon at faid
village, with a faitable allowance, ux
0^3 quality

1S4 Improvement of the

quality of agent for the public, to be
a check upon the nianufa<Slurer, and to
fell the meal to the villagers out of the
public flore-houfe. This perfon ought
to be in the commillion of the peace, to
enable him to decide any little differen-
ces which may arife in the village.
We might have mentioned fundry lef-
fer regulations, which may be necef-
fary, but they would have only fwelled
our paper, already perhaps long enough*^
We have, as we imagine, pointed out the
way to avoid the greatefl difficulties^
When fuch a village is eilablifhed for a
year or two, it will be eafy, by throwing
out little baits, to allure fmall country
dealers and others, to come and fettle
in it ; to obtain a fl:iare of the money
which the manufadure will circulate,

will

Interior Parts of the Highlands, 185

will of itfelf be a fufHcient inducement
to fome.

But the greateil obflacle to our
icheme yet remai?is. We have been
all along fpeaking of introducing
the manufacture in queilion into the
Highlands, without faying who Ihall
be at the expence of doing fo. In
treating of the Filheries, we took occa-
fion to remark, that a bulinefs of the
nature before us was in our opinion
properly the province of the State. We
refled:, with almoil indignation, upon
the wafle of money (no lefs than 27,000 L
in nine years) which toak place in con-
fequence of the plan for carrying on a
manufadlure in the Highlands in the
lafl reign : What amazing things might
have been done with that money by due

ma*

tS6 Improvement of the

management? but that is not now a
matter for confideration : The pomt is,
to endeavour to find out means where-
by money could be raifed to make the
experiment we are fpeaking of: We
do not think it could be made upon a
fmaller fcale than that we have propof-
ed ; fome will perhaps think the fcale
propofed too fmall ; but if the fchemc
is found not to anfwer, enough of mo-
ney will be loll, and if it fucceeds, it is
eafy to enlarge the undertaking.

Comparatively fmall as the fum
needed is^ yet we doubt if minifters will
go into the meafurc of granting it : It
would interfere with the plan of oeco-
nomy which they, it appears, would
wifli to lay down to themfelves : there-
fore,

Interior Farts of the Highlan ds* 187

fore, in the worll event, we do not think
it would be very difficult to raife the
liim wanted, by private contribution.

In confidering this, there is no plan
which it appears to us would anfwer fo
well, as for the gentlemen in Scotland,
who have landed property in the High-
lands, to aiTefs themfelves voluntarily
in a fmall pondage upon the real rent
of their refpedive eftates, which would
raife all that would be needed, without
falling very heavy upon any indivi-
dual. We fuppofe a fund rather under
lOjCOol. would anfwer for building the
village, paying the premium to the
manufadurer, the falaries to the minif-
ter, fchoolmafler, and fuperintendant,
making the road, and floring meal for

tha

iE8 Improvetnent of the

the villagers. There is no doubt, that
no immediate profit would arife to any
individual contributer to this plan, (the
proprietor or proprietors of the land in
the neighbourhood of the village ex-
cepted,) but rather lofs ; at lead, for a
longtime, no money would come in ;
though, if the village throve, there is^
no doubt but in time the fubfcribers or
their heirs would be indemnified. But
the confideration, that the objecSt aimed
at is not fo much immediate profit, as
the diffufing of general good, (in which
even individual contributors may even-
tually Ihare) will, in the opinion of
every well-wifher of his country, more
than compenfate any temporary lofs
fuflained by him in the profecution of

the plan propofed.

After

Interior JParts of the ttigllands, 189"

After all, aid from Government
fhould not be defpaired of. The influ-
ence of the Highland Society is great^
and its exertions no lefs fo : perhaps by
flrenuous efforts, the fum mentioned,
and probably more, might be obtained
for the purpofe in hand : That this..
may be the cafe, we moil devoutly
wiiho

We have now gone over a good deal
-of ground, and probably from our
manner, as well as our matter, have tired
^our reader. All we can fay is that we

meant

190 Improvement af the

meant wel], aud fhall be extremely
happy if any thing we have faid will
be found ufeful. The truth we have
made our ftandard ; and in our opinions,
as well as in our details have had regard
to that alone. We fliall conclude with
briefly recapitulating our chief topics.

^"^m^mm^wfk^

RECAPI-

Interior Parts of the lUglland:. i o i

RECAPITULATION

THE PRINCIPAL TOPICS

CONTAIKED IN THE

FOREGOING OBSERVATIONS.

FinsT, we have argued, That there is
already as much encouragement given
to the Rerring Fifhery, as, in the pre-
fent confined fale of that fifh, is con-
fident with the fafety of the trace :
That before much farther encou-
ragement be given, new markets muil
be found out, or thofe already l:ncv n
fecured to us by the fuperiority of cur
fifli: That our herrings, being at
prefent inferior to cur great rivals the
Dutch,— therefore, the /r,/?, and almcft

R only

192 Ohfervations upon

only encouragement to be given the
Fiiliery for them, is, to bring over
Dutch curers into this country, to teach
our people their method. This is our
opinion as to the Herring- Fifhery.

With regard to the improvement of
the inland parts of the Highlands, we
think it very practicable, and that it is an
objed well worthy of public attention:
That the introdudion of fome ufeful
manufadlure would be the bell means
of attaining that delirable purpofe ; and
that the woollen manufacture is the one
bed adapted to the inland parts of the
Highlands, in the prefent ilate of that
■country.

We have in the foregoing paper faid

little about the Fifliery for cod, ling,

and

The Scotch FiJJjerie^, l^c. 193,

atid other grav.fifli: The people of
Scotland can cure thefe kinds of fifli, at
leaft equally well with any foreigners ;,
but there are fuch prodigious quantities
caught by the Dutch, Danes, Swede^-^
See. that the markets are generally glut-
ted ; and beiides, thefe nations un-
derfell us \ which they are enabled to
do, from the cheap way in which they
condudl every thing about the Fifher} .
There is, however, great room yet to
profecute the Gray Fillicry to a confide-
rable extent ; for we have a very good
market for thefe fifli in the Britilht
capital: The encouragements given^
through the hands of the truilees for
Fiilieries and manufactures in Scotland,
to that trade, we think are very liberal,
as well as the bounty paid by Govern-
ment upon the exportation of fuch fifh ;
R 2 and

104 Ohjcrvations upon

and both ought to ftimulatc adventu-
rers in that way.

CONCLUSION.

We take leave of the whole fubjedl, by
candidly confefung, that the FiJJjcry
itfelf, unconneded with the circum-
fiances of its being a nurfery for fea-
nien, is by no means fo confiderable
an objecl as has been imagined. A
great deal has been faid about our ex-
cellent fituation for fifhing \ and there
is no body^ can doubt but our fliorcs
are frequented by all kinds of fifli. The
enthufiafis upon this fubjecl have how-
ever forgot, that a great many countries
in Europe, efpecially upon the coafls of
the Baltic, are nearly equally well fltu-
ated for lifliing. Thefe . people have

argued

The Scotch Fi/J:feries, i^c. 195

argued in faA^ours of unHmitedly puflv
ing the Fiilieiy, in fame manner as if
there were not a fifli to be fomid upon
any of the coafts of Europe, except thofe
of GreatBritain. But the egregious folly
of fuch advice is apparent, when it is
well known, that the coafis of great part
of Europe are as well frequented by lilh
as ours, and that the natives there can
meet us at market, fome of them Vv^itli
better cured, and ail of them withcheap-
er hill than ours, to the almoil total e»
clunonof us from any fhare of the trade

The truth feem& to be, that the mat*

ter has not been fo well digeiled or un--
derilood as was neceiTary, before it was-
publicly embarked in : This was ow-
ing to too much confidence having been
put in the plaufible averments, contain-
ed in certaia writings with vvhich the
R 3 public

Tg6' Ohfervations upon-

public were entertained, fome time be-
fore the bufinefs of the Fifheries was
taken up by Parliament : who thefe wri-
tings came from, every one knows, as well
as how much the fplendid conclufions
therein drawn, and tlie mighty things
there promiled, have, by experience,
lince that time been found to fall Ihort,

If therefore thofe virtuous individuals,
who have, from the befl of motives, llept
forward in this bulinefs, wifli to avoid
mi (lake and difappointment, they will
read every line of thofe romantic fcrib-
blers, who have propofed numbers of Fijh-
ingTowns, (nay, fome of them, Fishing
Cities !) with caution; and, without re-
garding their clofet- reveries, judge for
themfelves, and bellow that pains and
expence upon, the Fifnery which it
iliall have a good claim to, and no more.

The Scotch Fifieriesy Is'c. 197

We fliould be wanting to the inten-
tion which we have profeiTed, of giving
our lincere and undilguifed opinion up-
on the matters in hand, if we jQiould
finally conclude thefe our obfervations,
without recalling to the attention of the
Joint-itock Company, what we have
faid concerning the neceffity, which, in
our opinion, there is, for that Society
endeavouring to find out fome other
employment belides fiihing, for the
people who may fettle at their new vil-
lages upon the Well coait. Without
this point is attended to, what has been
fo nobly and generouily done by them
for that country will be loft : A few
years of ill fuccefs. in the fiiliing would
defolate thefe villages. This evil
llrikes at the very root of the Company's
good purpofes -.Indeed, for our part, we
do not fee how the poor people, who may

come

19 3 Ohftrvafions upon

come to refide in thefe villages, and who
have no ether means of fubfiftence but
by the Fiflicry, can remain there even
during the yearly intervals of the fifli.-
ing feafuns : We took the liberty, in a
former part of thefe flieets, to propofe a
remedy for this inconveniency : It was^
that the Company ihould endeavour to
efiabliih fome kind of manufacture in
thofe villages : It has been an objedlion,
(and we think it a good one) that upon
the Weft coaft, the Mier and the farmer
are often one and the fame perfon,. by
"vvliich means juilice is not done to either
of the profeiTions : But no cbjedion of
that fort can be made againft the plan
of fetting up a manufadure in each of
the new villages ; becaufe, if it is a
woollen one, (as we formerly propofed
it ihould be) the work at it would fall
to the fiiare of the women of the fami-

l7>

"The Scotch FiJJjcrkSy bV. 199

ly, and not to the men. By means of
the money fo earned by the women,
and the occalional fiihing and induftry
of the men, the families of the fettlers
would be fabfiiled during the intervals
of the herring- feafon, — be enabled to
live in comfort, — and at lafh becom.e at-
tached to the village, as a place where
they would be always lure of a living,-
In fkort, if the Joint-It ock Company are
to look for fuccefs in their laudable en-
deavours, it is our moil fmcere opinion,,
that they muil have a very tender care
of their new eilabliHiments at their out-
fet : All will depend on this. To what
purpofe will it tend, if the Company
fnould lay out ever fo much money, or
occupy ever fo large an extent of
ground, in theerecvtion of buildings? To
be furc, a town will be foon produced in
that way \ but a town, without inhabit-

tants,

200 Ohfervations upon

tants, will make but a woeful appear-
ance, and do little good to its neigh-
bourhood, or to the country at large.
But if the Company fliall proceed up-
on rational principles, and extend its
foftering hand to its new eiVabiifhments ;,
that is to fay, take fuch fteps^ and make
fuch proyilion'Sj as that no poor man, who
fhall come to relide in thefe villages^
will ever be obliged to leave them foe
want of employment and fubfiftence,.
the Company will foon fee tliefe efla-
blifhments ftand upon their own legs,
even totally independent of the Fifhery.
In proportion as the true intereil of the
new villages is attended to at their
commencement, in proportion will they
the fooner relieve the Company of the
tafk of providing for them: A col-
lected fociety is what is wanted up-
on the Weft coaft above all things,

T(

The Scotch Tlffjeries^ Iffc, 201

To effed: this purpofe, the Companv
have taken the firil natural Hep, mz.
The laying out and encouraging the
building of a town. But furely it re-
quires little penetration, to fee that
this is only doing 'the one half of the
bulinefs ; and it requires as little fore-
light to pronounce, that if the other
part {yi%. Finding employment for the
people who may come to refide in the
-towns) does not ihortly accompany the
iirfl, what is already done will be loll.
But if meafures are taken to hold out
advantages to poor people to fettle at
ihefe villages, by alluring them of con-
flant employment, the confequence will
be, that thefe fettlements will foon be
populous enough. — A Society once col-
leded, will tend to draw more people
there to fupply its wants : mutual wants,
and mutual dependencies, will unite,

mix.

202 Ohjcrvatlons upon

mix, and increafe this fociety * In ^'i
iliort time, individuals will ftep in, to
iliare with the Company the benefit of
the people's labour, by eilablifhing ma-
nufadlories upon their own account •, and
at lad, the Comp>any, and the people of
-this country, may, even in our own
•times, have the ine^prelTible fatisfa^ion
-ofv feeing thefe eftablifaments {landing
.upon their own bottom, the Company
relievedof their charge, and their aim of
ciylUzing, fettling, rmd improving the
•Weit Highland coail, fairly attained, to
the comfort and bleffrng of thoufands,
and to the everlafting honour of thole
whofe patriotiGii and virtue firft led
them to undertake the glorious talk of
.exciting their fellow- fubjedls, and fel-
low-men, to activity, and relieving thein
from the pre "ure ci want.

F I N I s.

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