the life of thomas telford- 第41部分

employed。　　At　first；　they　could　scarcely　work　at　all：　they　were

totally　unacquainted　with　labour；　they　could　not　use　the　tools。

They　have　since　become　excellent　labourers；　and　of　the　above　number

we　consider　about　one…fourth　left　us　annually；　taught　to　work。

These　undertakings　may；　indeed；　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a

working　academy；　from　which　eight　hundred　men　have　annually　gone

forth　improved　workmen。　　They　have　either　returned　to　their　native

districts　with　the　advantage　of　having　used　the　most　perfect　sort

of　tools　and　utensils　（which　alone　cannot　be　estimated　at　less　than

ten　per　cent。　　on　any　sort　of　labour）；　or　they　have　been　usefully

distributed　through　the　other　parts　of　the　country。　　Since　these

roads　were　made　accessible；　wheelwrights　and　cartwrights　have　been

established；　the　plough　has　been　introduced；　and　improved　tools　and

utensils　are　generally　used。　　The　plough　was　not　previously

employed；　in　the　interior　and　mountainous　parts　they　used　crooked

sticks；　with　iron　on　them；　drawn　or　pushed　along。　　The　moral　habits

of　the　great　masses　of　the　working　classes　are　changed；　they　see

that　they　may　depend　on　their　own　exertions　for　support：　this　goes

on　silently；　and　is　scarcely　perceived　until　apparent　by　the

results。　　I　consider　these　improvements　among　the　greatest

blessings　ever　conferred　on　any　country。　　About　two　hundred　thousand

pounds　has　been　granted　in　fifteen　years。　　It　has　been　the　means　of

advancing　the　country　at　least　a　century。〃



The　progress　made　in　the　Lowland　districts　of　Scotland　since　the

same　period　has　been　no　less　remarkable。　　If　the　state　of　the

country；　as　we　have　above　described　it　from　authentic　documents；

be　compared　with　what　it　is　now；　it　will　be　found　that　there　are　few

countries　which　have　accomplished　so　much　within　so　short　a　period。

It　is　usual　to　cite　the　United　States　as　furnishing　the　most

extraordinary　instance　of　social　progress　in　modem　times。　　But

America　has　had　the　advantage　of　importing　its　civilization　for　the

most　part　ready　made；　whereas　that　of　Scotland　has　been　entirely

her　own　creation。　　By　nature　America　is　rich；　and　of　boundless

extent；　whereas　Scotland　is　by　nature　poor；　the　greater　part　of　her

limited　area　consisting　of　sterile　heath　and　mountain。　　Little　more

than　a　century　ago　Scotland　was　considerably　in　the　rear　of　Ireland。

It　was　a　country　almost　without　agriculture；　without　mines；　without

fisheries；　without　shipping；　without　money；　without　roads。

The　people　were　ill…fed；　half　barbarous；　and　habitually　indolent。

The　colliers　and　salters　were　veritable　slaves；　and　were　subject　to

be　sold　together　with　the　estates　to　which　they　belonged。



What　do　we　find　now？　　Praedial　slavery　completely　abolished；

heritable　jurisdictions　at　an　end；　the　face　of　the　country　entirely

changed；　its　agriculture　acknowledged　to　be　the　first　in　the　world；

its　mines　and　fisheries　productive　in　the　highest　degree；　its

banking　a　model　of　efficiency　and　public　usefulness；　its　roads

equal　to　the　best　roads　in　England　or　in　Europe。　　The　people　are

active　and　energetic；　alike　in　education；　in　trade；　in　manufactures；

in　construction；　in　invention。　　Watt's　invention　of　the　steam

engine；　and　Symington's　invention　of　the　steam…boat；　proved　a

source　of　wealth　and　power；　not　only　to　their　own　country；　but　to

the　world　at　large；　while　Telford；　by　his　roads；　bound　England　and

Scotland；　before　separated；　firmly　into　one；　and　rendered　the　union

a　source　of　wealth　and　strength　to　both。



At　the　same　time；　active　and　powerful　minds　were　occupied　in

extending　the　domain　of　knowledge；Adam　Smith　in　Political

Economy；　Reid　and　Dugald　Stewart　in　Moral　Philosophy；　and　Black　and

Robison　in　Physical　Science。　　And　thus　Scotland；　instead　of　being

one　of　the　idlest　and　most　backward　countries　in　Europe；　has；

within　the　compass　of　little　more　than　a　lifetime；　issued　in　one　of

the　most　active；　contented；　and　prosperous；exercising　an　amount

of　influence　upon　the　literature；　science；　political　economy；　and

industry　of　modern　times；　out　of　all　proportion　to　the　natural

resources　of　its　soil　or　the　amount　of　its　population。



If　we　look　for　the　causes　of　this　extraordinary　social　progress；

we　shall　probably　find　the　principal　to　consist　in　the　fact　that

Scotland；　though　originally　poor　as　a　country；　was　rich　in　Parish

schools；　founded　under　the　provisions　of　an　Act　passed　by　the

Scottish　Parliament　in　the　year　1696。　　It　was　there　ordained

〃that　there　be　a　school　settled　and　established；　and　a　schoolmaster

appointed；　in　every　parish　not　already　provided；　by　advice　of　the

heritors　and　minister　of　the　parish。〃　　Common　day…schools　were

accordingly　provided　and　maintained　throughout　the　country　for　the

education　of　children　of　all　ranks　and　conditions。　　The　consequence

was；　that　in　the　course　of　a　few　generations；　these　schools；

working　steadily　upon　the　minds　of　the　young；　all　of　whom　passed

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