the life of thomas telford-第13节

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of　each　farm　consisted　of　〃out…field；〃　or　unenclosed　land；　no

better　than　moorland；　from　which　the　hardy　black　cattle　could

scarcely　gather　herbage　enough　in　winter　to　keep　them　from

starving。　　The　〃in…field〃　was　an　enclosed　patch　of　illcultivated

ground；　on　which　oats　and　〃bear；〃　or　barley；　were　grown；　but　the

principal　crop　was　weeds。



Of　the　small　quantity　of　corn　raised　in　the　country；　nine…tenths

were　grown　within　five　miles　of　the　coast；　and　of　wheat　very　little

was　raisednot　a　blade　north　of　the　Lothians。　　When　the　first　crop

of　that　grain　was　tried　on　a　field　near　Edinburgh；　about　the　middle

of　last　century；　people　flocked　to　it　as　a　wonder。　　Clover；

turnips；　and　potatoes　had　not　yet　been　introduced；　and　no　cattle

were　fattened：　it　was　with　difficulty　they　could　be　kept　alive。



All　loads　were　as　yet　carried　on　horseback；　but　when　the　farm　was

too　small；　or　the　crofter　too　poor　to　keep　a　horse；　his　own　or　his

wife's　back　bore　the　load。　　The　horse　brought　peats　from　the　bog；

carried　the　oats　or　barley　to　market；　and　bore　the　manure　a…field。

But　the　uses　of　manure　were　as　yet　so　little　understood　that；　if　a

stream　were　near；　it　was　usually　thrown　in　and　floated　away；　and　in

summer　it　was　burnt。



What　will　scarcely　be　credited；　now　that　the　industry　of　Scotland

has　become　educated　by　a　century's　discipline　of　work；　was　the

inconceivable　listlessness　and　idleness　of　the　people。　　They　left

the　bog　unreclaimed；　and　the　swamp　undrained。　　They　would　not　be　at

the　trouble　to　enclose　lands　easily　capable　of　cultivation。

There　was；　perhaps；　but　little　inducement　on　the　part　of　the

agricultural　class　to　be　industrious；　for　they　were　too　liable　to

be　robbed　by　those　who　preferred　to　be　idle。　　Andrew　Fletcher；

of　Saltouncommonly　known　as　〃The　Patriot；〃　because　he　was　so

strongly　opposed　to　the　union　of　Scotland　with　England*＇2＇

published　a　pamphlet；　in　1698；　strikingly　illustrative　of　the

lawless　and　uncivilized　state　of　the　country　at　that　time。

After　giving　a　dreadful　picture　of　the　then　state　of　Scotland：

two　hundred　thousand　vagabonds　begging　from　door　to　door　and　robbing

and　plundering　the　poor　people；　〃in　years　of　plenty　many

thousands　of　them　meeting　together　in　the　mountains；　where　they

feast　and　riot　for　many　days；　and　at　country　weddings；　markets；

burials；　and　other　like　public　occasions；　they　are　to　be　seen；　both

men　and　women；　perpetually　drunk；　cursing；　blaspheming；　and

fighting　together；〃he　proceeded　to　urge　that　every　man　of　a

certain　estate　should　be　obliged　to　take　a　proportionate　number　of

these　vagabonds　and　compel　them　to　work　for　him；　and　further；

that　such　serfs；　with　their　wives　and　children；　should　be　incapable

of　alienating　their　service　from　their　master　or　owner　until　he　had

been　reimbursed　for　the　money　he　had　expended　on　them：　in　other

words；　their　owner　was　to　have　the　power　of　selling　them。

〃The　Patriot〃　was；　however；　aware　that　〃great　address；　diligence；

and　severity〃　were　required　to　carry　out　his　scheme；　〃for；〃　said　he；

〃that　sort　of　people　are　so　desperately　wicked；　such　enemies　of　all

work　and　labour；　and；　which　is　yet　more　amazing；　so　proud　in

esteeming　their　own　condition　above　that　which　they　will　be　sure　to

call　Slavery；　that　unless　prevented　by　the　utmost　industry　and

diligence；　upon　the　first　publication　of　any　orders　necessary　for

putting　in　execution　such　a　design；　they　will　rather　die　with

hunger　in　caves　and　dens；　and　murder　their　young　children；　than

appear　abroad　to　have　them　and　themselves　taken　into　such

service。〃*＇3＇



Although　the　recommendations　of　Andrew　Fletcher　of　Saltoun　were

embodied　in　no　Act　of　Parliament；　the　magistrates　of　some　of　the

larger　towns　did　not　hesitate　to　kidnap　and　sell　into　slavery　lads

and　men　found　lurking　in　the　streets；　which　they　continued　to　do

down　to　a　comparatively　recent　period。　　This；　however；　was　not　so

surprising　as　that　at　the　time　of　which　we　are　speaking；　and；

indeed；　until　the　end　of　last　century；　there　was　a　veritable　slave

class　in　Scotlandthe　class　of　colliers　and　salterswho　were

bought　and　sold　with　the　estates　to　which　they　belonged；　as　forming

part　of　the　stook。　　When　they　ran　away；　they　were　advertised　for

as　negroes　were　in　the　American　States　until　within　the　last　few

years。　It　is　curious；　in　turning　over　an　old　volume　of　the　'Scots

Magazine；'　to　find　a　General　Assembly's　petition　to　Parliament　for

the　abolition　of　slavery　in　America　almost　alongside　the　report　of

a　trial　of　some　colliers　who　had　absconded　from　a　mine　near

Stirling　to　which　they　belonged。　But　the　degraded　condition　of　the

home　slaves　then　excited　comparatively　little　interest。　　Indeed；　it

was　not　until　the　very　last　year　of　the　last　century　that　praedial

slavery　was　abolished　in　Scotlandonly　three　short　reigns　ago；

almost　within　the　memory　of　men　still　living。*＇4＇　　The　greatest

resistance　was　offered　to　the　introduction　of　improvements　in

agriculture；　though　it　was　only　at　rare　intervals　that　these　were

attempted。　　There　was　no　class　possessed　of　enterprise　or　wealth。

An　idea　of　the　general　poverty　of　the　country　may　be　inferred　from

the　fact　that　about　the　middle　of　last　century　the　whole　circulating

medium　of　the　two　Edinburgh　banksthe　only　institutions　of　the

kind　then　in　Scotlandamounted　to　only　200；000L。；　which　was

sufficient　for　the　purposes　of　trade；　commerce；　and　industry。

Money　was　then　so　scarce　that　Adam　Smith　says　it　was　not　uncommon

for　workmen；　in　certain　parts　of　Scotland；　to　carry　nails　instead

of　pence　to　the　baker's　or　the　alehouse。　　A　middle　class　could

scarcely　as　yet　be　said　to　exist；　or　any　condition　between　the

starving　cottiers　and　the　impoverished　proprietors；　whose　available

means　were　principally　expended　in　hard　drinking。*＇5＇



The　latter　were；　for　the　most　part；　too　proud　and　too　ignorant　to

interest　themselves　in　the　improvement　of　their　estates；　and　the　few

who　did　so　had　very　little　encouragement　to　persevere。　　Miss　Craig；

in　describing　the　efforts　made　by　her　father；　William　Craig；

laird　of　Arbigland；　in　Kirkcudbright；　says；　〃The　indolent　obstinacy

of　the　lower　class　of　the　people　was　found　to　be　almost

unconquerable。　Amongst　other　instances　of　their　laziness；　I　have

heard　him　say　that；　upon　the　introduction　of　the　mode　of　dressing

the　grain　at　night　which　had　been　thrashed　during　the　day；　all　the

servants　in　the　neighbourhood　refused　to　adopt　the　measure；　and

even　threatened　to　destroy　the　houses　of　their　employers　by　fire　if

they　continued　to　insist　upon　the　business。　　My　father　speedily

perceived　that　a　forcible　remedy　was　required　for　the　evil。

He　gave　his　servants　the　choice　of　removing　the　thrashed　grain　in

the　evening；　or　becoming　inhabitants　of　Kirkcudbright　gaol：　they


preferred　the　former　alternative；　and　open　murmurings　were　no

longer　heard。〃*＇6＇



The　wages　paid　to　the　labouring　classes　were　then　very　low。　　Even

in　East　Lothian；　which　was　probably　in　advance　of　the　other　Scotch

counties；　the　ordinary　day's　wage　of　a　labouring　man　was　only　five

pence　in　winter　and　six　pence　in　summer。　　Their　food　was　wholly

vegetable；　and　was　insufficient　in　quantity　as　well　as　bad　in

quality。　　The　little　butcher's　meat　consumed　by　the　better　class

was　salted　beef　and　mutton；　stored　up　in　Ladner　time　（between

Michaelmas　and　Martinmas）　for　the　year's　consumption。　　Mr。　Buchan

Hepburn　says　the　Sheriff　of　East　Lothian　informed　him　that　he

remembered　when　not　a　bullock　was　slaughtered　in　Haddington　market

for　a　whole　year；　except　at　that　time；　and；　when　Sir　David　Kinloch；

of　Gilmerton　sold　ten　wedders　to　an　Edinburgh　butcher；　he

stipulated　for　three　several　terms　to　take　them　away；　to　prevent

the　Edinburgh　market　from　being　overstocked　with　fresh　butcher's

meat！*＇7＇



The　rest　of　Scotland　was　in　no　better　state：　in　some　parts　it　was

even　worse。　　The　rich　and　fertile　county　of　Ayr；　which　now　glories

in　the　name　of　〃the　garden　of　Scotland；〃　was　for　the　most　part　a

wild　and　dreary　waste；　with　here　and　there　a　poor；　miserable；

comfortless　hut；　where　the　farmer　and　his　family　lodged。　　There

were　no　enclosures　of　land；　except　one　or　two　about　a　proprietor's

residence；　and　black　cattle　roamed　at　large　over　the　face　of　the

country。　　When　an　attempt　was　made　to　enclose　the　lands　for　the

purposes　of　agriculture；　the　fences　were　levelled　by　the

dispossessed　squatters。　　Famines　were　frequent　among　the　poorer

classes；　the　western　counties　not　producing　food　enough　for　the

sustenance　of　the　inhabitants；　few　though　they　were　in　number。

This　was　also　the　case　in　Dumfries；　where　the　chief　part　of　the　grain

required　for　the　population　was　brought　in　〃tumbling…cars〃　from　the

sandbeds　of　Esk；　〃and　when　the　waters　were　high　by　reason　of　spates

＇or　floods＇；　and　there　being　no　bridges；　so　that　the　cars　could　not

come　with　the　meal；　the　tradesmen's　wives　might　be　seen　in　the

streets　of　Dumfries；　crying；　because　there　was　no　food　to　be

had。〃*＇8＇