While this is done, we can, comparatively speaking, derive but little advantage from our fheep and mountains.

The advantages that might be derived from raifing a manufacturing of flax and hemp, have already been confidered. A bleachfield lately fet up in Kintyre, by aid and encouragement of the Duke of Argyll, will greatly facilitate fuch manufactures in that part of the county. Tanneries have for some time been established in Campbelton and Oban; which fave to the county a great deal of money that used to be fent away for well-dreffed leather. Many other cheap manufactories might be established, fuch as the making of bricks, tiles, pottery ware, &c. especially in Kintyre, where they abound in coals. A falt-work in that part of the county is not only much wanted, but indifpenfably neceffary to the profperity of the county. But this can never take place while the importation of rock falt is prohibited. Our fisheries can never

thrive till the falt laws are altered. As they stand at present, they are oppreffive to the fubject, and unproductive to the government. A revifion of these laws is loudly called for, and anxiously expected. "What is neceflary for nature (fays

Montefquieu), ought not to be taxed at all; what is useful, "to be taxed a little; what is fuperfluous, moft." Salt, in a country which depends fo much upon fishing as this does, falls under the first description, and ought to be free from every reftraint. Might we not at least be allowed, as in Ireland, the liberty of importing rock-falt? Fishing is the occupation of a great number of the people of this county *. On their own fhores, and elsewhere, they catch in fome years from 40 to 50,000l. worth of fish. Thus they add to the national riches, and merit national encouragement, by removing every obftacle in the way of their industry. As a feminary

* In Loch Fine alone there are fometimes 600 fishing boats: in all the county there may be 1500.

for feamen, this business deserves ftill more to be cherished by the public. If it were, the number of seamen, and the quan tity of fish caught on this coast, and along all the coast of the Highlands and ifles, would probably be double to what it is at present.

The richer inhabitants, who can fit out large veffels, and comply with all the customhouse regulations, may be able to follow the fishing business, under the prefent system of laws; but the poor, who make the far greater part of the inhabitants, are effectually excluded from any share in those advantages which their fituation, and the bounty of Providence, place within their reach *. The route of the herring is uncertain, and if the poor man had the ability, it would be imprudent to take the trouble and expence of getting entered salt, until he fees whether he may have any ufe for it. When the herrings start upon the coaft, or in any loch that is near him, while he is thus unprovided, it is idle to think of catching more than he can eat of them. The customhouse may be 50 miles from him, his open boat may be unfit for the voyage, or, should he attempt it, crofs winds and accidents may prevent his returning before the herrings have departed, or his

By act 26. Geo. III. a bounty of 1s. a barrel (afterwards raised to 2s.) was allowed for every barrel caught by boats. But the poor, who fish in boats, owing to the want of falt, are feldom or never able to avail themselves of this bounty, of which many of them are totally ignorant. By the fame act, a bourty of 20s. a ton was allowed to the buffes or larger veffels, befides 4s. a barrel, provided the number did not exceed two and a half for each ton; as also a bounty of 2s. 8d. on every barrel exported; which, as it was commonly fent to Ireland, where it paid a duty of is. Id. was thereby reduced to is. 7d. This act gave the rich a decided advantage over the poor, but more active and laborious race of fishers, whose herrings, to add to their hardships, the owners of buffes were not allowed to buy: A regulation extremely hurtful to both parties. The fishing, with all the aid it gets, is not thriving. The owners of buffes are often ignorant of the business in which they embark, and must truft it to others; while the actual fishers, whofe labours enrich the ftate, and whofe ftrength de fends it, are excluded from the advantages which ought to fall to their share.

falt may be damaged or embezzled, and all the penalties of the law incurred innocently. At any rate, he must go back to the customhouse with his little fish or little falt, though perhaps not altogether worth half the expence and time and trouble which the two voyages must cost him. In short, it is almost impoffible for human ingenuity to devise any law more oppreffive to the industrious poor of these parts, than that by which the falt for curing fish is at present regulated; and it is impoffible to think that a wife and kind government, such as we are under, will continue to fhackle the hands of the industrious poor in these iron fetters *.

almost the only lux Until it is, the poor

Salt, like meal, a neceffary of life, and ury of the poor, fhould be free of duty. must continue to groan, and the fishings in the Highlands to Janguish. All the benevolent schemes of building fishing villages, and other plans for improving these coafts, must for ever be defeated, while the prefent falt laws are in force. Let government abolish these, and landlords give moderate encouragement, and towns and villages, in proper fituations, will rife almost of themselves. Riches will be got from the

*The multiplicity of oaths required by the customhouse regulations refpecting falt, &c. must be confidered as highly injurious to the morals of a people. Oaths fhould be administered as seldom as poffible, and then with all poffible folemnity. When they are adminiftered too frequently, and on frivolous occafions, instead of being confidered with awe, they are lightly thought of, and the confequence is dangerous to fociety. The fame obfervation is applicable to to those baron bailie courts which used to be held, and are not yet entirely given up. To these a whole parish or district was frequently called, and, contrary to law, and to the natural right which every man has not to condemn himself, every man was required to fwear whether he killed any black fish, or felled timber. As the punishment was arbitrary, and frequently no less than being feized as a recruit, the temptation to perjury was ftrong. How came yon to fwear that you cut no timber (faid a man, on one of these occafions, to his neighbour), when I myself saw you cut a beam for your plough? God help me! (anfwered the poor man), I did fo; but I thought it better to put myself in the mercy of God, than in the mercy of

any

deep, lands will be improved, population increase, and emigration cease. The trifling lofs to government will be more than made up by the confequent increase of taxes upon other articles of confumpt. The British government has not in all its dominions a more loyal fet of people than the Highlanders, ever ready to conquer or perifh in its caufe; and had they as much attention paid to them as fome of its diftant colonies, they would have proved of more value to the empire than perhaps any one of them; and the more fo, as they are nearer home.

SECT. VII.-Poor:

In this county, as in moft parts of Scotland, the poor are fupported partly by what they get by begging, and partly by the weekly collections of the church. The number supported in either way is, in general, very inconfiderable; as they have a modesty and spirit'that makes them endure almost abfolute want, before they can bring themfelves to the mortification of receiving any public aid. This innate difpofition keeps them from being almost any where a burden. What they get by begging, cannot be computed with precision; but all that is bestowed on them otherwise, amounts to very little; as will appear by viewing the Statistical Table.

No fund can be more faithfully and economically managed than that under the care of the kirk-feffions; but, in most parishes, it affords but a very inadequate relief to the exigencies, of the poor. Charity and justice both require that fomething fhould be done to make their fituation more comfortable; as is now done in many other parts of the kingdom. Voluntary affeffments would tend to equalize the burden, and could not be grievous, while laid on by those who are themselves to pay them. It will perhaps be faid, that the poor, by this means, will become a greater burden than they are at prefent. So they ought, at leaft to fome, by whom at prefent they are

greatly neglected. When the poor have a legal title to more aid, why should they not have it? The fmall pittance that would then fall to their share, would make them happy, and be little miffed by thofe who would fall to give it; nor can it ever enrich those who unjustly withhold it. Inftead of this, it muft, like a canker-worm, eat up their inheritance. It is the glory of our constitution, that it makes a legal provifion for the poor, the infirm, and the helpless. Let this be given, and the poor, as well as the rich, will feel their intereft in fupporting the conftitution. Policy, as well as juftice and charity, point out the neceffity of this measure. No fubject more loudly calls for the attention of the rich, the juft, the humane, and the wife, than the state of the poor does at prefent. When the Sundays collections are fufficient, nothing can be added to the care, frugality, and difinterestedness of the managers, but a little more attention and encouragement than is usual on the part of the heritors. Where they are not fufficient, the little additional aid which is neceffary, and justly due, ought to be cheerfully and immediately bestowed *.

The establishment of friendly focieties is not yet much known in this county. The failors of Campbelton formed one many years ago, to which every man contributed 2d. per month of his wages; which, for the more effectual payment, was retained and paid by the mafter or owner of the veffel. But owing to fome inattention to the management, the fund has not answered the end which it was certainly well calculated to ferve. Such focieties ought to be formed and encouraged among the labouring poor and fervants in every parish. This would ftrengthen their habits of induftry and frugality, cheer the profpect of old age, and help to relieve the parifh of their burden, when fickness or infirmity would feize them. A trifle which they could eafily fpare out of their wages when

* See Chap. IV. Sec. 4.