the life of thomas telford-第14章

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easy　reach　of　the　capital。　　Hence　the　London　market…gardeners

petitioned　against　the　extension　of　tumpike…roads　about　a　century

ago；　as　they　afterwards　petitioned　against　the　extension　of

railways；　fearing　lest　their　trade　should　be　destroyed　by　the

competition　of　country…grown　cabbages。　　But　the　extension　of　the

roads　had　become　a　matter　of　absolute　necessity；　in　order　to　feed

the　huge　and　ever…increasing　mouth　of　the　Great　Metropolis；　the

population　of　which　has　grown　in　about　two　centuries　from　four

hundred　thousand　to　three　millions。　This　enormous　population　has；

perhaps；　never　at　any　time　more　than　a　fortnight's　supply　of　food

in　stock；　and　most　families　not　more　than　a　few　days；　yet　no　one

ever　entertains　the　slightest　apprehension　of　a　failure　in　the

supply；　or　even　of　a　variation　in　the　price　from　day　to　day　in

consequence　of　any　possible　shortcoming。　　That　this　should　be　so；

would　be　one　of　the　most　surprising　things　in　the　history　of　modern

London；　but　that　it　is　sufficiently　accounted　for　by　the

magnificent　system　of　roads；　canals；　and　railways；　which　connect　it

with　the　remotest　corners　of　the　kingdom。　　Modern　London　is　mainly

fed　by　steam。　　The　Express　Meat…Train；　which　runs　nightly　from

Aberdeen　to　London；　drawn　by　two　engines　and　makes　the　journey　in

twenty…four　hours；　is　but　a　single　illustration　of　the　rapid　and

certain　method　by　which　modem　London　is　fed。　　The　north　Highlands

of　Scotland　have　thus；　by　means　of　railways；　become　grazing…grounds

for　the　metropolis。　　Express　fish　trains　from　Dunbar　and　Eyemouth

（Smeaton's　harbours）；　augmented　by　fish…trucks　from　Cullercoats　and

Tynemouth　on　the　Northumberland　coast；　and　from　Redcar；　Whitby；　and

Scarborough　on　the　Yorkshire　coast；　also　arrive　in　London　every

morning。　　And　what　with　steam…vessels　bearing　cattle；　and　meat　and

fish　arriving　by　sea；　and　canal…boats　laden　with　potatoes　from

inland；　and　railway…vans　laden　with　butter　and　milk　drawn　from　a

wide　circuit　of　country；　and　road…vans　piled　high　with　vegetables

within　easy　drive　of　Covent　Garden；　the　Great　Mouth　is　thus　from

day　to　day　regularly；　satisfactorily；　and　expeditiously　filled。



*＇9＇　The　white　witches　are　kindly　disposed；　the　black　cast　the

〃evil　eye；〃　and　the　grey　are　consulted　for　the　discovery　of　theft；

&c。



*＇10＇　See　'The　Devonshire　Lane'；　above　quoted



*＇11＇　Willow　saplings；　crooked　and　dried　in　the　required　form。





CHAPTER　IV。



ROADS　AND　TRAVELLING　IN　SCOTLAND　IN　THE　LAST　CENTURY。



The　internal　communications　of　Scotland；　which　Telford　did　so　much

in　the　course　of　his　life　to　improve；　were；　if　possible；　even　worse

than　those　of　England　about　the　middle　of　last　century。　　The　land

was　more　sterile；　and　the　people　were　much　poorer。　　Indeed；　nothing

could　be　more　dreary　than　the　aspect　which　Scotland　then　presented。

Her　fields　lay　untilled；　her　mines　unexplored；　and　her　fisheries

uncultivated。　　The　Scotch　towns　were　for　the　most　part　collections

of　thatched　mud　cottages；　giving　scant　shelter　to　a　miserable

population。　The　whole　country　was　desponding；　gaunt；　and　haggard；

like　Ireland　in　its　worst　times。　　The　common　people　were　badly　fed

and　wretchedly　clothed；　those　in　the　country　for　the　most　part

living　in　huts　with　their　cattle。　　Lord　Kaimes　said　of　the　Scotch

tenantry　of　the　early　part　of　last　century；　that　they　were　so

benumbed　by　oppression　and　poverty　that　the　most　able　instructors

in　husbandry　could　have　made　nothing　of　them。　　A　writer　in　the

'Farmer's　Magazine'　sums　up　his　account　of　Scotland　at　that　time　in

these　words：〃Except　in　a　few　instances；　it　was　little　better　than

a　barren　waste。〃*＇1＇





The　modern　traveller　through　the　Lothianswhich　now　exhibit

perhaps　the　finest　agriculture　in　the　worldwill　scarcely　believe

that　less　than　a　century　ago　these　counties　were　mostly　in　the

state　in　which　Nature　had　left　them。　　In　the　interior　there　was

little　to　be　seen　but　bleak　moors　and　quaking　bogs。　　The　chief　part

of　each　farm　consisted　of　〃out…field；〃　or　unenclosed　land；　no

better　than　moorland；　from　which　the　hardy　black　cattle　could

scarcely　gather　herbage　enough　in　winter　to　keep　them　from

starving。　　The　〃in…field〃　was　an　enclosed　patch　of　illcultivated

ground；　on　which　oats　and　〃bear；〃　or　barley；　were　grown；　but　the

principal　crop　was　weeds。



Of　the　small　quantity　of　corn　raised　in　the　country；　nine…tenths

were　grown　within　five　miles　of　the　coast；　and　of　wheat　very　little

was　raisednot　a　blade　north　of　the　Lothians。　　When　the　first　crop

of　that　grain　was　tried　on　a　field　near　Edinburgh；　about　the　middle

of　last　century；　people　flocked　to　it　as　a　wonder。　　Clover；

turnips；　and　potatoes　had　not　yet　been　introduced；　and　no　cattle

were　fattened：　it　was　with　difficulty　they　could　be　kept　alive。



All　loads　were　as　yet　carried　on　horseback；　but　when　the　farm　was

too　small；　or　the　crofter　too　poor　to　keep　a　horse；　his　own　or　his

wife's　back　bore　the　load。　　The　horse　brought　peats　from　the　bog；

carried　the　oats　or　barley　to　market；　and　bore　the　manure　a…field。

But　the　uses　of　manure　were　as　yet　so　little　understood　that；　if　a

stream　were　near；　it　was　usually　thrown　in　and　floated　away；　and　in

summer　it　was　burnt。



What　will　scarcely　be　credited；　now　that　the　industry　of　Scotland

has　become　educated　by　a　century's　discipline　of　work；　was　the

inconceivable　listlessness　and　idleness　of　the　people。　　They　left

the　bog　unreclaimed；　and　the　swamp　undrained。　　They　would　not　be　at

the　trouble　to　enclose　lands　easily　capable　of　cultivation。

There　was；　perhaps；　but　little　inducement　on　the　part　of　the

agricultural　class　to　be　industrious；　for　they　were　too　liable　to

be　robbed　by　those　who　preferred　to　be　idle。　　Andrew　Fletcher；

of　Saltouncommonly　known　as　〃The　Patriot；〃　because　he　was　so

strongly　opposed　to　the　union　of　Scotland　with　England*＇2＇

published　a　pamphlet；　in　1698；　strikingly　illustrative　of　the

lawless　and　uncivilized　state　of　the　country　at　that　time。

After　giving　a　dreadful　picture　of　the　then　state　of　Scotland：

two　hundred　thousand　vagabonds　begging　from　door　to　door　and　robbing

and　plundering　the　poor　people；　〃in　years　of　plenty　many

thousands　of　them　meeting　together　in　the　mountains；　where　they

feast　and　riot　for　many　days；　and　at　country　weddings；　markets；

burials；　and　other　like　public　occasions；　they　are　to　be　seen；　both

men　and　women；　perpetually　drunk；　cursing；　blaspheming；　and

fighting　together；〃he　proceeded　to　urge　that　every　man　of　a

certain　estate　should　be　obliged　to　take　a　proportionate　number　of

these　vagabonds　and　compel　them　to　work　for　him；　and　further；

that　such　serfs；　with　their　wives　and　children；　should　be　incapable

of　alienating　their　service　from　their　master　or　owner　until　he　had

been　reimbursed　for　the　money　he　had　expended　on　them：　in　other

words；　their　owner　was　to　have　the　power　of　selling　them。

〃The　Patriot〃　was；　however；　aware　that　〃great　address；　diligence；

and　severity〃　were　required　to　carry　out　his　scheme；　〃for；〃　said　he；

〃that　sort　of　people　are　so　desperately　wicked；　such　enemies　of　all

work　and　labour；　and；　which　is　yet　more　amazing；　so　proud　in

esteeming　their　own　condition　above　that　which　they　will　be　sure　to

call　Slavery；　that　unless　prevented　by　the　utmost　industry　and

diligence；　upon　the　first　publication　of　any　orders　necessary　for

putting　in　execution　such　a　design；　they　will　rather　die　with

hunger　in　caves　and　dens；　and　murder　their　young　children；　than

appear　abroad　to　have　them　and　themselves　taken　into　such

service。〃*＇3＇



Although　the　recommendations　of　Andrew　Fletcher　of　Saltoun　were

embodied　in　no　Act　of　Parliament；　the　magistrates　of　some　of　the

larger　towns　did　not　hesitate　to　kidnap　and　sell　into　slavery　lads

and　men　found　lurking　in　the　streets；　which　they　continued　to　do

down　to　a　comparatively　recent　period。　　This；　however；　was　not　so

surprising　as　that　at　the　time　of　which　we　are　speaking；　and；

indeed；　until　the　end　of　last　century；　th