the life of thomas telford-第14节

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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＇



The　misery　of　the　country　was　enormously　aggravated　by　the　wretched

state　of　the　roads。　　There　were；　indeed；　scarcely　any　made　roads

throughout　the　country。　　Hence　the　communication　between　one　town

and　another　was　always　difficult；　especially　in　winter。　　There　were

only　rough　tracks　across　moors；　and　when　one　track　became　too

deep；　another　alongside　of　it　was　chosen；　and　was　in　its　turn

abandoned；　until　the　whole　became　equally　impassable。　　In　wet

weather　these　tracks　became　〃mere　sloughs；　in　which　the　carts　or

carriages　had　to　slumper　through　in　a　half…swimming　state；　whilst；

in　times　of　drought　it　was　a　continual　jolting　out　of　one　hole　into

another。〃*＇9＇



Such　being　the　state　of　the　highways；　it　will　be　obvious　that　very

little　communication　could　exist　between　one　part　of　the　country

and　another。　　Single…horse　traffickers；　called　cadgers；　plied

between　the　country　towns　and　the　villages；　supplying　the

inhabitants　with　salt；　fish；　earthenware；　and　articles　of　clothing；

which　they　carried　in　sacks　or　creels　hung　across　their　horses'

backs。　　Even　the　trade　between　Edinburgh　and　Glasgow　was　carried　on

in　the　same　primitive　way；　the　principal　route　being　along　the　high

grounds　west　of　Boroughstoness；　near　which　the　remains　of　the　old

pack…horse　road　are　still　to　be　seen。



It　was　long　before　vehicles　of　any　sort　could　be　used　on　the　Scotch

roads。　　Rude　sledges　and　tumbling…cars　were　employed　near　towns；

and　afterwards　carts；　the　wheels　of　which　were　first　made　of

boards。　It　was　long　before　travelling　by　coach　could　be　introduced

in　Scotland。　When　Smollett　travelled　from　Glasgow　to　Edinburgh　on

his　way　to　London；　in　1739；　there　was　neither　coach；　cart；　nor

waggon　on　the　road。　　He　accordingly　accompanied　the　pack…horse

carriers　as　far　as　Newcastle；　〃sitting　upon　a　pack…saddle　between

two　baskets；　one　of　which；〃　he　says；　〃contained　my　goods　in　a

knapsack。〃



In　1743　an　attempt　was　made　by　the　Town　Council　of　Glasgow　to　set

up　a　stage…coach　or　〃lando。〃　　It　was　to　be　drawn　by　six　horses；

carry　six　passengers；　and　run　between　Glasgow　and　Edinburgh；　a

distance　of　forty…four　miles；　once　a　week　in　winter；　and　twice　a

week　in　summer。　The　project；　however；　seems　to　have　been　thought

too　bold　for　the　time；　for　the　〃lando〃　was　never　started。　　It　was

not　until　the　year　1749　that　the　first　public　conveyance；　called

〃The　Glasgow　and　Edinburgh　Caravan；〃　was　started　between　the　two

cities；　and　it　made　the　journey　between　the　one　place　and　the　other

in　two　days。　Ten　years　later　another　vehicle　was　started；　named

〃The　Fly〃　because　of　its　unusual　speed；　and　it　contrived　to　make

the　journey　in　rather　less　than　a　day　and　a　half。



About　the　same　time；　a　coach　with　four　horses　was　started　between

Haddington　and　Edinburgh；　and　it　took　a　full　winter's　day　to

perform　the　journey　of　sixteen　miles：　the　effort　being　to　reach

Musselburgh　in　time　for　dinner；　and　go　into　town　in　the　evening。

As　late　as　1763　there　was　as　only　one　stage…coach　in　all　Scotland

in　communication　with　London；　and　that　set　out　from　Edinburgh　only

once　a　month。　The　journey　to　London　occupied　from　ten　to　fifteen

days；　according　to　the　state　of　the　weather；　and　those　who

undertook　so　dangerous　a　journey　usually　took　the　precaution　of

making　their　wills　before　starting。



When　carriers'　carts　were　established；　the　time　occupied　by　them　on

the　road　will　now　appear　almost　incredible。　　Thus　the　common

carrier　between　Selkirk　and　Edinburgh；　a　distance　of　only

thirty…eight　miles；　took　about　a　fortnight　to　perform　the　double

journey。　Part　of　the　road　lay　along　Gala　Water；　and　in　summer　time；

when　the　river…bed　was　dry；　the　carrier　used　it　as　a　road。　　The

townsmen　of　this　adventurous　individual；　on　the　morning　of　his

way…going；　were　accustomed　to　turn　out　and　take　leave　of　him；

wishing　him　a　safe　return　from　his　perilous　journey。　　In　winter　the

route　was　simply　impracticable；　and　the　communication　was　suspended

until　the　return　of　dry　weather。



While　such　was　the　state　of　the　communications　in　the　immediate

neighbourhood　of　the　metropolis　of　Scotland；　matters　were；　if

possible；　still　worse　in　the　remoter　parts　of　the　country。　　Down　to

the　middle　of　last　century；　there　were　no　made　roads　of　any　kind　in

the　south…western　counties。　　The　only　inland　trade　was　in　black

cattle；　the　tracks　were　impracticable　for　vehicles；　of　which　there

were　only　a　fewcarts　and　tumbling…carsemployed　in　the　immediate

neighbourhood　of　the　towns。　　When　the　Marquis　of　Downshire

attempted　to　make　a　journey　through　Galloway　in　his　coach；　about

the　year　1760；　a　party　of　labourers　with　tools　attended　him；　to

lift　the　vehicle　out　of　the　ruts　and　put　on　the　wheels　when　it　got

dismounted。　Even　with　this　assistance；　however；　his　Lordship

occasionally　stuck　fast；　and　when　within　about　three　miles　of　the

village　of　Creetown；　near　Wigton；　he　was　obliged　to　send　away　the

attendants；　and　pass　the　night　in　his　coach　on　the　Corse　of　Slakes

with　his　family。



Matters　were；　of　course；　still　worse　in　the　Highlands；　where　the

rugged　character　of　the　country　offered　formidable　difficulties　to

the　formation　of　practicable　roads；　and　where　none　existed　save

those　made　through　the　rebel　districts　by　General　Wade　shortly

after　the　rebellion　of　1715。　　The　people　were　also　more　lawless

and；　if　possible；　more　idle；　than　those　of　the　Lowland　districts

about　the　same　period。　　The　latter　regarded　their　northern

neighbours　as　the　settlers　in　America　did　the　Red　Indians　round

their　borderslike　so　many　savages　always　ready　to　burst　in　upon

them；　fire　their　buildings；　and　carry　off　their　cattle。*＇10＇



Very　little　corn　was　grown　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Highlands；

on　account　of　its　being　liable　to　be　reaped　and　carried　off　by　the

caterans；　and　that　before　it　was　ripe。　　The　only　method　by　which

security　of　a　certain　sort　could　be　obtained　was　by　the　payment　of

blackmail　to　some　of　the　principal　chiefs；　though　this　was　not

sufficient　to　protect　them　against　the　lesser　marauders。　　Regular

contracts　were　drawn　up　between　proprietors　in　the　counties　of

Perth；　Stirling；　and　Dumbarton；　and　the　Macgregors；　in　which　it　was

stipulated　that　if　less　than　seven　cattle　were　stolenwhich

peccadillo　was　known　as　pickingno　redress　should　be　required；　but

if　the　number　stolen　exceeded　sevensuch　amount　of　theft　being

raised　to　the　dignity　of　liftingthen　the　Macgregors　were　bound　to

recover。　　This　blackmail　was　regularly　levied　as　far　south　as

Campsiethen　within　six　miles　of　Glasgow；　but　now　almost　forming

part　of　itdown　to　within　a　few　months　of　the　outbreak　of　the

Rebellion　of　1745。*＇11＇



Under　such　circumstances；　agricultural　improvement　was　altogether

impossible。　　The　most　fertile　tracts　were　allowed　to　lie　waste；　for

men　would　not　plough　or　sow　where　they　had　not　the　certain　prospect

of　gathering　in　the　crop。　　Another　serious　evil　was；　that　the

lawless　habits　of　their　neighbours　tended　to　make　the　Lowland

borderers　almost　as　ferocious　as　the　Higlanders　themselves。　　Feuds

were　of　constant　occurrence　between　neighbouring　baronies；　and　even

contiguous　parishes；　and　the　country　fairs；　which　were　tacitly

recognised　as　the　occasions　for　settling　quarrels；　were　the　scenes

of　as　bloody　faction　fights　as　were　ever　known　in　Ireland　even　in

its　worst　days。　　When　such　was　the　state　of　Scotland　only　a　century

ago；　what　may　we　not　hope　for　from　Ireland　when　the　civilizing

influences　of　roads；　schools；　and　industry　have　made　more　general

progress　amongst　her　people？



Yet　Scotland　had　not　always　been　in　this　miserable　condition。　　There

is　good　reason　to　believe　that　as　early　as　the　thirteenth　century；

agriculture　was　in　a　much　more　advanced　state　than　we　find　it　to

have　been　the　eighteenth。　　It　would　appear　from　the　extant

chartularies　of　monastic　establishments；　which　then　existed　all

over　the　Lowlands；　that　a　considerable　portion　of　their　revenue　was

derived　from　wheat；　which　also　formed　no　inconsiderable　part　of

their　living。　The　remarkable　fact　is　mentioned　by　Walter　de

Hemingford；　the　English　historian；　that　when　the　castle　of

Dirleton；　in　East　Lothian；　was　besieged　by　the　army　of　Edward　I。；

in　the　beginning　of　July；　1298；　the　men；　being　reduced　to　great

extremities　for　provisions；　were　fain　to　subsist　on　the　pease　and

beans　which　they　gathered　in　the　fields。*＇12＇　　This　statement　is　all

the　more　remarkable　on　two　accounts：　first；　that　pease　and　beans

should　then　have　been　so　plentiful　as　to　afford　anything　like

sustenance　for　an　army；　and　second；　that　they　should　have　been　fit

for　use　so　early　in　the　season；　even　allowing　for　the　difference

between　the　old　and　new　styles　in　the　reckoning　of　time。

The　magnificent　old　abbeys　and　churches　of　Scotland　in　early　times

also　indicate　that　at　some　remote　period　a　degree