the life of thomas telford-第46节

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under　the　hands　of　the　teachers；　educated　the　population　into　a

state　of　intelligence　and　aptitude　greatly　in　advance　of　their

material　well…being；　and　it　is　in　this　circumstance；　we　apprehend；

that　the　explanation　is　to　be　found　of　the　rapid　start　forward

which　the　whole　country　took；　dating　more　particularly　from　the

year　1745。　　Agriculture　was　naturally　the　first　branch　of　industry

to　exhibit　signs　of　decided　improvement；　to　be　speedily　followed　by

like　advances　in　trade；　commerce；　and　manufactures。　　Indeed；　from

that　time　the　country　never　looked　back；　but　her　progress　went　on

at　a　constantly　accelerated　rate；　issuing　in　results　as　marvellous

as　they　have　probably　been　unprecedented。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　VIII。



*＇1＇　Romilly's　Autobiography；'　ii。　22。



*＇2＇　Statistical　Account　of　Scotland；'　iii。　185。



*＇3＇　The　cas…chrom　was　a　rude　combination　of　a　lever　for　the

removal　of　rocks；　a　spade　to　cut　the　earth；　and　a　foot…plough　to

turn　it。　　We　annex　an　illustration　of　this　curious　and　now　obsolete

instrument。　　It　weighed　about　eighteen　pounds。　　In　working　it；　the〃

upper　part　of　the　handle；　to　which　the　left　hand　was　applied；

reached　the　workman's　shoulder；　and　being　slightly　elevated；　the

point；　shod　with　iron；　was　pushed　into　the　ground　horizontally；　the

soil　being　turned　over　by　inclining　the　handle　to　the　furrow　side；

at　the　same　time　making　the　heel　act　as　a　fulcrum　to　raise　the

point　of　the　instrument。　　In　turning　up　unbroken　ground；　it　was

first　employed　with　the　heel　uppermost；　with　pushing　strokes　to　cut

the　breadth　of　the　sward　to　be　turned　over；　after　which；　it　was

used　horizontally　as　above　described。　　We　are　indebted　to　a

Parliamentary　Blue　Book　for　the　following　representation　of　this

interesting　relic　of　ancient　agriculture。　　It　is　given　in　the

appendix　to　the　'Ninth　Report　of　the　Commissioners　for　Highland

Roads　and　Bridges；'　ordered　by　the　House　of　Commons　to　be　printed；

19th　April；　1821。



*＇4＇　Anderson's　'Guide　to　the　Highlands　and　Islands　of　Scotland；'

3rd　ed。　p。48。



*＇5＇　He　was　accompanied　on　this　tour　by　Colonel　Dirom；　with　whom　he

returned　to　his　house　at　Mount　Annan；　in　Dumfries。　　Telford　says　of

him：　〃The　Colonel　seems　to　have　roused　the　county　of　Dumfries　from

the　lethargy　in　which　it　has　slumbered　for　centuries。　　The　map　of

the　county；　the　mineralogical　survey；　the　new　roads；　the　opening　of


lime　works；　the　competition　of　ploughing；　the　improving　harbours；

the　building　of　bridges；　are　works　which　bespeak　the　exertions　of

no　common　man。〃Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew。　　Little；　dated　Shrewsbury；

30th　November；　1801。



*＇6＇　Ordered　to　be　printed　5th　of　April；　1803。



*＇7＇　'Memorials　of　his　Time；〃　by　Henry　Cockburn；　pp。　341…3。



*＇8＇　'Memoirs　of　the　Life　and　Writings　of　Sir　John　Sinclair；　Barb；'

vol。　i。；　p。　339。



*＇9＇　Extract　of　a　letter　from　a　gentleman　residing　in　Sunderland；

quoted　in　'Life　of　Telford；'　p。　465。



*＇10＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Salop；　18th

February；　1803。



*＇11＇　The　names　of　Celtic　places　are　highly　descriptive。

Thus　Craig…Ellachie　literally　means；　the　rock　of　separation；　Badenoch；

bushy　or　woody；　Cairngorm；　the　blue　cairn；　Lochinet；　the　lake　of　nests；

Balknockan；　the　town　of　knolls；　Dalnasealg；　the　hunting　dale；

Alt'n　dater；　the　burn　of　the　horn…blower；　and　so　on。



*＇12＇　Sir　Thomas　Dick　Lauder　has　vividly　described　the　destructive

character　of　the　Spey…side　inundations　in　his　capital　book　on　the

'Morayshire　Floods。'



*＇13＇　'Report　of　the　Commissioners　on　Highland　Roads　and　Bridges。'

Appendix　to　'Life　of　Telford；'　p。　400。





CHAPTER　IX。



TELFORD'S　SCOTCH　HARBOURS。



No　sooner　were　the　Highland　roads　and　bridges　in　full　progress；

than　attention　was　directed　to　the　improvement　of　the　harbours

round　the　coast。　　Very　little　had　as　yet　been　done　for　them　beyond

what　nature　had　effected。　　Happily；　there　was　a　public　fund　at

disposalthe　accumulation　of　rents　and　profits　derived　from　the

estates　forfeited　at　the　rebellion　of　1745which　was　available　for

the　purpose。　　　The　suppression　of　the　rebellion　did　good　in　many　ways。

It　broke　the　feudal　spirit；　which　lingered　in　the　Highlands　long

after　it　had　ceased　in　every　other　part　of　Britain；　it　led　to　the

effectual　opening　up　of　the　country　by　a　system　of　good　roads；

and　now　the　accumulated　rents　of　the　defeated　Jacobite　chiefs　were

about　to　be　applied　to　the　improvement　of　the　Highland　harbours　for

the　benefit　of　the　general　population。



The　harbour　of　Wick　was　one　of　the　first　to　which　Mr。　Telford's

attention　was　directed。　　Mr。　Rennie　had　reported　on　the　subject　of

its　improvement　as　early　as　the　year　1793；　but　his　plans　were　not

adopted　because　their　execution　was　beyond　the　means　of　the

locality　at　that　time。　　The　place　had　now；　however；　become　of

considerable　importance。　　It　was　largely　frequented　by　Dutch

fishermen　during　the　herring　season；　and　it　was　hoped　that；　if　they

could　be　induced　to　form　a　settlement　at　the　place；　their　example

might　exercise　a　beneficial　influence　upon　the　population。



Mr。　Telford　reported　that；　by　the　expenditure　of　about　5890L。；　a

capacious　and　well…protected　tidal　basin　might　be　formed；　capable

of　containing　about　two　hundred　herring…busses。　　The　Commission

adopted　his　plan；　and　voted　the　requisite　funds　for　carrying　out

the　works；　which　were　begun　in　1808。　　The　new　station　was　named

Pulteney　Town；　in　compliment　to　Sir　William　Pulteney；　the　Governor

of　the　Fishery　Society；　and　the　harbour　was　built　at　a　cost　of

about　12；000L。；　of　which　8500L。　was　granted　from　the　Forfeited

Estates　Fund。　　A　handsome　stone　bridge；　erected　over　the　River　Wick

in　1805；　after　the　design　of　our　engineer；　connect's　these

improvements　with　the　older　town：　it　is　formed　of　three　arches；

having　a　clear　waterway　of　156　feet。



The　money　was　well　expended；　as　the　result　proved；　and　Wick　is　now；

we　believe；　the　greatest　fishing　station　in　the　world。　　The　place

has　increased　from　a　little　poverty…stricken　village　to　a　large　and

thriving　town；　which　swarms　during　the　fishing　season　with　lowland

Scotchmen；　fair　Northmen；　broad…built　Dutchmen；　and　kilted

Highlanders。　The　bay　is　at　that　time　frequented　by　upwards　of　a

thousand　fishing…boats　and　the　take　of　herrings　in　some　years

amounts　to　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　barrels。　　The　harbour　has

of　late　years　been　considerably　improved　to　meet　the　growing

requirements　of　the　herring　trade；　the　principal　additions　having

been　carried　out；　in　1823；　by　Mr。　Bremner；*＇1＇　a　native　engineer

of　great　ability。



＇Image＇　Folkestone　Harbour。



Improvements　of　a　similar　kind　were　carried　out　by　the　Fishery

Board　at　other　parts　of　the　coast；　and　many　snug　and　convenient

harbours　were　provided　at　the　principal　fishing　stations　in　the

Highlands　and　Western　Islands。　　Where　the　local　proprietors　were

themselves　found　expending　money　in　carrying　out　piers　and　harbours；

the　Board　assisted　them　with　grants　to　enable　the　works　to　be

constructed　in　the　most　substantial　manner　and　after　the　most

approved　plans。　Thus；　along　that　part　of　the　bold　northern　coast　of

the　mainland　of　Scotland　which　projects　into　the　German　Ocean；　many

old　harbours　were　improved　or　new　ones　constructedas　at　Peterhead；

Frazerburgh；　Banff；　Cullen；　Burgh　Head；　and　Nairn。　　At　Fortrose；

in　the　Murray　Frith；　at　Dingwall；　in　the　Cromarty　Frith；

at　Portmaholmac；　within　Tarbet　Ness；　the　remarkable　headland　of　the

Frith　of　Dornoch；　at　Kirkwall；　the　principal　town　and　place　of

resort　in　the　Orkney　Islands；　so　well　known　from　Sir　Walter　Scott's

description　of　it　in　the　'Pirate；'　at　Tobermory；　in　the　island　of

Mull；　and　at　other　points　of　the　coast；　piers　were　erected　and

other　improvements　carried　out　to　suit　the　convenience　of　the

growing　traffic　and　trade　of　the　country。



The　principal　works　were　those　connected　with　the　harbours　situated

upon　the　line　of　coast　extending　from　the　harbour　of　Peterhead；

in　the　county　of　Aberdeen；　round　to　the　head　of　the　Murray　Frith。

The　shores　there　are　exposed　to　the　full　force　of　the　seas　rolling　in

from　the　Northern　Ocean；　and　safe　harbours　were　especially　needed

for　the　protection　of　the　shipping　passing　from　north　to　south。

Wrecks　had　become　increasingly　frequent；　and　harbours　of　refuge

were　loudly　called　for。　　At　one　part　of　the　coast；　as　many　as

thirty　wrecks　had　occurred　within　a　very　short　time；　chiefly　for

want　of　shelter。



The　situation　of　Peterhead　peculiarly　well　adapted　it　for　a　haven

of　refuge；　and　the　improvement　of　the　port　was　early　regarded　as　a

matter　of　national　importance。　　Not　far　from　it；　on　the　south；　are

the　famous　Bullars　or　Boilers　of　Buchanbold　rugged　rocks；　some

200　feet　high；　against　which　the　sea　beats　with　great　fury；　boiling

and　churning　in　the　deep　caves　and　recesses　with　which　they　are

perforated。　　Peterhead　stands　on　the　most　easterly　part　of　the

mainland　of　Scotland；　occupying　the　north…east　si