ART. XII. A Statistical Account of Scotland. Drawn up from the Communications of the Minifters of the different Parishes. By Sir John Sinclair, Bart. 8vo. Vols. III. IV. V. VI. and VII. 11. 13s. Boards. Cadell, &c. 1793.

THE nature of this laudable undertaking, tending to exhibit

a parochial furvey of all North Britain, having been fufficiently explained in our account of the two former volumes*, we now proceed to obferve that the materials here brought together were collected on the feveral fpots by refpectable inhabitants, who appear to be men of knowlege and obferva. tion; and that they form a most valuable ftock of local circumftances, ready for any political purpofes.

The whole number of parifhes in Scotland is declared by Sir John Sinclair to be about 950; of thefe we are presented with Accounts to the following amount; Vol. I. 53 parithes: II. 50. III. 80. IV. 71. V.40. VI. 57. VII. 55. Total 406. According to which enumeration, the probable extent of the whole undertaking may be computed.

The great obftruction to agricultural improvements in Scotland confifts in the deprefled condition of the inhabitants, which is fummarily exhibited by the Reverend Mr. Anderfon, in his account of the united parifhes of Kinguffie and Inch, in the county of Inverness, the centre of the kingdom: (Vol. iii.)

The parish in general does not raife grain fufficient to supply itfelf. The kinds ufually cultivated, are bear, oats, and rye. I have already ftated my opinion on corn-farming in this climate; and yet, notwithstanding the difadvantages mentioned, were the exertions of the industrious tenant properly directed,-were he inftructed by thofe whose circumstances enable them to make useful experiments,-were he freed from vexatious fervitudes, that are the bane of improvement, and taught to look forward with hope to the period when he fhould enjoy the fruit of his labour fecured to him and his children, by a leafe for a length of years; there is little doubt but the foil could be brought to maintain double the number of its prefent inhabitants. The reverfe of this picture is unfortunately too true.-The lands in many places are only held from year to year, or on very fhort leafes. Graffums (fines) are frequently exacted; additional burdens are impofed without regarding whether they correfpond with the progrefs of improvement; and perfonal fervices are fo often demanded, that the tenant, in many infiances, is more at the disposal of his landiord, han the feudal vaffal was of his fuperior in former times. The rigour of these exactions has of late been in fome degree alleviated; and it is to be hoped that, in an enlightened age, the practice will be difcontinued altogether..

There is no village either in the parish, or in the whole district. This inconvenience is feverely felt. Not only the luxuries, but even

*See Rev. N. S.

vol. viii. p. 285.

Gg 4

many

many of the common neceffaries of life, must be sent for to the dif tance of more than forty miles. Taleimen have no fixed place of refidence where they can be reforted to. There is no centre for the little traffic, or barter, requifite to be carried on in an inland country. The wool that could have been manufactured in the place, must be fent by a long land carriage to buyers invited from another kingdom. The flax that might have proved a fource of wealth to both proprietor and tacksman, has been neglected, because skilful people are not collected in one clofe neighbourhood, to carry it through the whole process.'

Hence it is evident that no exertions can be expected until thefe oppreffions be removed, and the cultivator be left to reap the profits of his labour. The liberal fpirit of the times (where politics are out of the queftion,) will foon effect this happy change; and, among other pleafing inftances of its operation, we felect two; the firft, furnished by the Rev. Mr. Clawfon, of the parish of Dalziel in the county of La

nark:

The late Archibald Hamilton, Efq. the father of the present proprietor, enjoyed the eftate during the courfe of a long life. His father had begun to plant a little, and this branch of cultivation he profecuted for a good part of his life, with great judgment and perfeverance, planting all kind of trees known in this country, adapting each to its proper fituation and expofure, and covering and adorning a country which before was fterile and naked, with extenfive forefts. His fuccefs was equal to his attention. His plantations were extended to 150 acres of forest trees, which are the admiration of all who have feen them; to which his fucceffor has added about 10 acres more, beautifying the country, and sheltering the neighbouring fields from the cutting blafts, by which alone the fertility of many of them is greatly increased. He had the good fortune to live to fee trees, which he had planted after he appeared as a lawyer at the bar, grown to 12 feet in girth. He pleafed himself with having the furniture of his dining room made of his own wood. And for several years fince his death, more timber of his planting has been fold in one year, than the value of the yearly rent of the eftate, when he entered into the poffeffion of it; and yet the trees are ftill fo crouded, as to want room to expand their branches.

He was no lefs attentive to the orchard than to the foreft. Upon floping banks by the fides of brooks, &c. he planted apple, pear, and plumb trees, from time to time, to the extent of 20 acres; and for a long time paft, fince thefe have grown up, the fruit has been fuld, in good years, from 100l. to 1671. Of all thefe 20 acres, not 6 were worth 6d. an acre, except for planting foreft trees; but from the variety of expofures which thofe orchards enjoy, and the tall forefts which embofom them, fo many of them are fecured from the injury of blights and mildews, as always to enfure a crop of fruit, if there be fruit any where in the country.

Nor was he iefs fuccefsful in promoting improvement in agriculture, by cherishing and prompting the induftry of his tenants.

He

He convinced them, by the whole of his conduct, that he took an interest in their welfare. He and his family made themselves intimately acquainted with their condition, were ever ready to hear their tale, to take part in their trouble, or to rejoice in their profperity. If any of his husbandmen were borne down with the preffure of incidental misfortunes, he raised them again by his bounty and forbearance, never difmiffing any of them who were willing to continue in their poffeffions; but, at the end of every leafe, preferring them or their posterity to a new one, at a reasonable rent; and this has been fo uniformly the practice of his family, that there are tenants who can reckon their ancestors in the poffeflion of the fame farm, previous to the period at which this family became proprietors. He inclofed the fields with hedges, and fheltered them with planting. He abolished the feudal cuftom of exacting carriages and other fervices from his tenants; and, in fhort, did every thing to turn their attention folely to the cultivation of their own farms. Under this mild and benevolent treatment, the peafantry, finding their industry tended as much to their own and their pofterity's permanent advantage, as to that of an indulgent landlord, profited by every lesson and example. They began to fummer fallow their fields, to ftreight their crooked ridges, to carry lime, and make compofts; and the benevolent fpirit of their landlord fpreading among them, every one is ready to affift his neighbour on all emergencies. And thus has the value of the estate rifen to nearly five times the yearly rent, which it yielded when the fame gentleman firft fucceeded to it; and at the fame time the condition of the tenants, with their moderate farms, and plain manner of life, is perhaps as happy as any to be met with.'

-This parish is indebted to its late proprietor for another important improvement. All along the high ways, he gave leafes and feus of fpots of little value, for building. On these there are now upwards of 50 handfome cottages erected, filled with industrious inhabitants, having neat little kitchen gardens around them; by which he not only improved and beautified his own eftate, but fet an example, which has fince been followed by others.'

The other inftance is cited by the Rev. Mr. Johnfton of the parish of Montquhitter, Aberdeenshire, in the perfon of Jofeph Cumine, late of Auchry: (Vol. vi.)

Nature had endowed Mr. Cumine with an active and vigorous mind. Cool, fagacicus, penetrating, he connected a found judgment and correct tafte, with unfhaken refolution and unwearied application. Slow, but fure in planning, he was prompt and ardent in executing his defigns. When he affumed the management of his eftate, in 1739, it yielded L. 150 fterling of rent, of which he could only call L. 60 his own. The heath extended to the back of his houfe in front, an exhausted mofs and a morafs, fed by the water of Auchry, offended the eye: and the whole of his farm, deftitute of a garden, confifted of a few acres dignified with the title of Place Croft. He gradually banished the heath; -reduced the river to a regular channel; - converted the morafs, when drained, into a neat garden and inclosures; and, at various times, took from the adjoining lands 200 acres, which he converted into an elegant farm,

14

inclofed

inclofed and fubdivided; where the useful and the pleafant, blended by the hand of a mafter, command the refpect of the critic, and excite the delight of the traveller. He accompanted his other improvements by a fuperior breed of cattle, whereof, by judicious maLagement, he greatly encreased the size and the value.

As his eftate was extremely well accommodated with mofs, he gradunily fubdivided large farms. He itrictly prohibited the abfurd practice of paring and burning the molly foils: he made tracts, to improve by water thofe fields that could be commanded by it: he bound his tenants to drive annually from quarries, 7 Scotch miles diftant, a prefcribed quantity of linellone, which he taught them to break, burn, and apply: he obliged them to fow a certain proportion of their land with turnip, fax, and grafs feeds: he encouraged them to rear their own cattle, infead of watting their money in buying expenfive fets: he fequently walked or rode through his eftate, freely converfing with his tenants, routing them to induftry by motives fuited to their respective tempers, and particularly distinguishing the fagacious and active: and, by the united energy of popular virtues and folid fenfe, he triumphed over every oppofition from foil, climate, and prejudice, gradually introducing the principles of rational farming, and laying the foundation of progreflive improve

ment.

Obferving that his tenants were frequently at a lefs for a market, he determined to establish a permanent one on his own eftate. For this purpofe, he planned a regular village, contiguous to the church, upon the moorish part of a farm, which in whole yielded only L. 11 a year. For a while, he felt in filence the fneers of his neighbours, who reprobated this fcheme as wild and impracticable; but thefe temporary fneers foon gave way to lafting esteem. He prevailed on a few to take feus: he affifted the indelrious with money;-obtained premiums for the manufacturer ;-decided every difference by his arbitration, and animated all to their utmost exertion by his countenance and counfel. Settlers annually flocked to Cumineftown, (the name affigned to the chief of the clan,) and the village, built of freeftone, foon allumed a flourishing appearance. In connection with fome neighbouring gentlemen, he cftablished in his village a linen manufacture; and though, for particular reafons, the fcheme was dropt, yet, by introducing the fpinning of linen yarn, and fixing the refidence of fome capable weavers, its confequences continue to operate for the public good. In fhort, a fcries of fenfible management fixed upon Monquhitter 75 feus, occupied by a fet of honeft, induftrious, and active feuars and their tenants, who, inftead of L. 11 fterling, the original rent, produced him annually from L. 120 to L. 150 a year. Mr. Cumine, during life, was an object of general efleem; and, at his death, had the pleasure of leaving to his heirs an annual revenue of more than L600.

While fenators acquire popular characters by oftentatioufly hiranguing on public virtue, and heroes gain fame by manuring the earth with the blood and mangled carcafes of their fellowcreatures, fuch men as thofe above mentioned are the true friends of their country and the human race!

On

On a general philofophical view, however, we discover one difagreeable truth, fufficient to check all exultations on the rapid progress of agriculture, and efpecially of manufactures and trade: for though a vigorous attention to thefe fpecious advantages quickens the faculties of a people, and increafes their accommodations and fubftance, it has a fatal effect on manners: their primitive fimplicity and economy giving way' under thele alterat ons to extravagance and diffoluteness of all kinds This is a truth acknowleged by many of the prefent reporters; who, while they relate the improvements which are taking place in thefe parishes, remark the attendant decline of fobriety and morals,--ftrongly exemplified in the growing luxury of the city of Glafgow.

Not only a decline of morals, but, alfo, paradoxical as it may appear, an alarming increafe of deftitute poor generally follows improvements in a country. In remote parishes, where there is little or no trade, and the natives are all fimple hufbandmen and fifhermen, the weekly contributions at the church doors, though fometimes ftated not to amount to more than ten, fifteen, or twenty pounds yearly, are often more than fufficient to fatisfy all the calls of diftrefs; fo that, in fome inftances, the favings form a fund to anfwer extraordinary occafions: but it is far otherwife where manufactures and trade are brifk.

The information and the fentiments, which are to be collected from this great and valuable mafs of parochial me-" moirs, have the merit of not being the work of one man, fhaped according to one fet of opinions: they are the reprefentations of refidents in all corners of the nation; and if the judgments of intelligent gentlemen, in very different fituations, hould be found fometimes to vary on particular points, as refpecting inclofures, the fize of farms, the perfonal services of tenants, management of the poor, tithes and glebes, &c. the reader will have the fatisfaction of comparing them with the data on which they are founded, and with each other, and then of deciding for himself.

It is to be regretted that, in fo voluminous an affemblage of detached materials, fome mode of local arrangement had not been adopted, to preferve a degree of order and connection among them: but if the cafual receipt of the materials, and the occafional mode of communicating them to the public, as early as the quantities will warrant, forbid the expectation of fo much attention to regularity; we at leaft recommend it to the worthy compiler, at the clofe of his patriotic labours, to allift his readers with an index to the parishes, claffed under the refpeétive counties in which they are fituated.

ART.