the life of thomas telford-第15章

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

indeed；　until　the　end　of　last　century；　there　was　a　veritable　slave

class　in　Scotlandthe　class　of　colliers　and　salterswho　were

bought　and　sold　with　the　estates　to　which　they　belonged；　as　forming

part　of　the　stook。　　When　they　ran　away；　they　were　advertised　for

as　negroes　were　in　the　American　States　until　within　the　last　few

years。　It　is　curious；　in　turning　over　an　old　volume　of　the　'Scots

Magazine；'　to　find　a　General　Assembly's　petition　to　Parliament　for

the　abolition　of　slavery　in　America　almost　alongside　the　report　of

a　trial　of　some　colliers　who　had　absconded　from　a　mine　near

Stirling　to　which　they　belonged。　But　the　degraded　condition　of　the

home　slaves　then　excited　comparatively　little　interest。　　Indeed；　it

was　not　until　the　very　last　year　of　the　last　century　that　praedial

slavery　was　abolished　in　Scotlandonly　three　short　reigns　ago；

almost　within　the　memory　of　men　still　living。*＇4＇　　The　greatest

resistance　was　offered　to　the　introduction　of　improvements　in

agriculture；　though　it　was　only　at　rare　intervals　that　these　were

attempted。　　There　was　no　class　possessed　of　enterprise　or　wealth。

An　idea　of　the　general　poverty　of　the　country　may　be　inferred　from

the　fact　that　about　the　middle　of　last　century　the　whole　circulating

medium　of　the　two　Edinburgh　banksthe　only　institutions　of　the

kind　then　in　Scotlandamounted　to　only　200；000L。；　which　was

sufficient　for　the　purposes　of　trade；　commerce；　and　industry。

Money　was　then　so　scarce　that　Adam　Smith　says　it　was　not　uncommon

for　workmen；　in　certain　parts　of　Scotland；　to　carry　nails　instead

of　pence　to　the　baker's　or　the　alehouse。　　A　middle　class　could

scarcely　as　yet　be　said　to　exist；　or　any　condition　between　the

starving　cottiers　and　the　impoverished　proprietors；　whose　available

means　were　principally　expended　in　hard　drinking。*＇5＇



The　latter　were；　for　the　most　part；　too　proud　and　too　ignorant　to

interest　themselves　in　the　improvement　of　their　estates；　and　the　few

who　did　so　had　very　little　encouragement　to　persevere。　　Miss　Craig；

in　describing　the　efforts　made　by　her　father；　William　Craig；

laird　of　Arbigland；　in　Kirkcudbright；　says；　〃The　indolent　obstinacy

of　the　lower　class　of　the　people　was　found　to　be　almost

unconquerable。　Amongst　other　instances　of　their　laziness；　I　have

heard　him　say　that；　upon　the　introduction　of　the　mode　of　dressing

the　grain　at　night　which　had　been　thrashed　during　the　day；　all　the

servants　in　the　neighbourhood　refused　to　adopt　the　measure；　and

even　threatened　to　destroy　the　houses　of　their　employers　by　fire　if

they　continued　to　insist　upon　the　business。　　My　father　speedily

perceived　that　a　forcible　remedy　was　required　for　the　evil。

He　gave　his　servants　the　choice　of　removing　the　thrashed　grain　in

the　evening；　or　becoming　inhabitants　of　Kirkcudbright　gaol：　they


preferred　the　former　alternative；　and　open　murmurings　were　no

longer　heard。〃*＇6＇



The　wages　paid　to　the　labouring　classes　were　then　very　low。　　Even

in　East　Lothian；　which　was　probably　in　advance　of　the　other　Scotch

counties；　the　ordinary　day's　wage　of　a　labouring　man　was　only　five

pence　in　winter　and　six　pence　in　summer。　　Their　food　was　wholly

vegetable；　and　was　insufficient　in　quantity　as　well　as　bad　in

quality。　　The　little　butcher's　meat　consumed　by　the　better　class

was　salted　beef　and　mutton；　stored　up　in　Ladner　time　（between

Michaelmas　and　Martinmas）　for　the　year's　consumption。　　Mr。　Buchan

Hepburn　says　the　Sheriff　of　East　Lothian　informed　him　that　he

remembered　when　not　a　bullock　was　slaughtered　in　Haddington　market

for　a　whole　year；　except　at　that　time；　and；　when　Sir　David　Kinloch；

of　Gilmerton　sold　ten　wedders　to　an　Edinburgh　butcher；　he

stipulated　for　three　several　terms　to　take　them　away；　to　prevent

the　Edinburgh　market　from　being　overstocked　with　fresh　butcher's

meat！*＇7＇



The　rest　of　Scotland　was　in　no　better　state：　in　some　parts　it　was

even　worse。　　The　rich　and　fertile　county　of　Ayr；　which　now　glories

in　the　name　of　〃the　garden　of　Scotland；〃　was　for　the　most　part　a

wild　and　dreary　waste；　with　here　and　there　a　poor；　miserable；

comfortless　hut；　where　the　farmer　and　his　family　lodged。　　There

were　no　enclosures　of　land；　except　one　or　two　about　a　proprietor's

residence；　and　black　cattle　roamed　at　large　over　the　face　of　the

country。　　When　an　attempt　was　made　to　enclose　the　lands　for　the

purposes　of　agriculture；　the　fences　were　levelled　by　the

dispossessed　squatters。　　Famines　were　frequent　among　the　poorer

classes；　the　western　counties　not　producing　food　enough　for　the

sustenance　of　the　inhabitants；　few　though　they　were　in　number。

This　was　also　the　case　in　Dumfries；　where　the　chief　part　of　the　grain

required　for　the　population　was　brought　in　〃tumbling…cars〃　from　the

sandbeds　of　Esk；　〃and　when　the　waters　were　high　by　reason　of　spates

＇or　floods＇；　and　there　being　no　bridges；　so　that　the　cars　could　not

come　with　the　meal；　the　tradesmen's　wives　might　be　seen　in　the

streets　of　Dumfries；　crying；　because　there　was　no　food　to　be

had。〃*＇8＇



The　misery　of　the　country　was　enormously　aggravated　by　the　wretched

state　of　the　roads。　　There　were；　indeed；　scarcely　any　made　roads

throughout　the　country。　　Hence　the　communication　between　one　town

and　another　was　always　difficult；　especially　in　winter。　　There　were

only　rough　tracks　across　moors；　and　when　one　track　became　too

deep；　another　alongside　of　it　was　chosen；　and　was　in　its　turn

abandoned；　until　the　whole　became　equally　impassable。　　In　wet

weather　these　tracks　became　〃mere　sloughs；　in　which　the　carts　or

carriages　had　to　slumper　through　in　a　half…swimming　state；　whilst；

in　times　of　drought　it　was　a　continual　jolting　out　of　one　hole　into

another。〃*＇9＇



Such　being　the　state　of　the　highways；　it　will　be　obvious　that　very

little　communication　could　exist　between　one　part　of　the　country

and　another。　　Single…horse　traffickers；　called　cadgers；　plied

between　the　country　towns　and　the　villages；　supplying　the

inhabitants　with　salt；　fish；　earthenware；　and　articles　of　clothing；

which　they　carried　in　sacks　or　creels　hung　across　their　horses'

backs。　　Even　the　trade　between　Edinburgh　and　Glasgow　was　carried　on

in　the　same　primitive　way；　the　principal　route　being　along　the　high

grounds　west　of　Boroughstoness；　near　which　the　remains　of　the　old

pack…horse　road　are　still　to　be　seen。



It　was　long　before　vehicles　of　any　sort　could　be　used　on　the　Scotch

roads。　　Rude　sledges　and　tumbling…cars　were　employed　near　towns；

and　afterwards　carts；　the　wheels　of　which　were　first　made　of

boards。　It　was　long　before　travelling　by　coach　could　be　introduced

in　Scotland。　When　Smollett　travelled　from　Glasgow　to　Edinburgh　on

his　way　to　London；　in　1739；　there　was　neither　coach；　cart；　nor

waggon　on　the　road。　　He　accordingly　accompanied　the　pack…horse

carriers　as　far　as　Newcastle；　〃sitting　upon　a　pack…saddle　between

two　baskets；　one　of　which；〃　he　says；　〃contained　my　goods　in　a

knapsack。〃



In　1743　an　attempt　was　made　by　the　Town　Council　of　Glasgow　to　set

up　a　stage…coach　or　〃lando。〃　　It　was　to　be　drawn　by　six　horses；

carry　six　passengers；　and　run　between　Glasgow　and　Edinburgh；　a

distance　of　forty…four　miles；　once　a　week　in　winter；　and　twice　a

week　in　summer。　The　project；　however；　seems　to　have　been　thought

too　bold　for　the　time；　for　the　〃lando〃　was　never　started。　　It　was

not　until　the　year　1749　that　the　first　public　conveyance；　called

〃The　Glasgow　and　Edinburgh　Caravan；〃　was　started　between　the　two

cities；　and　it　made　the　journey　between　the　one　place　and　the　other

in　two　days。　Ten　years　later　another　vehicle　was　started；　named

〃The　Fly〃　because　of　its　unusual　speed；　and　it　contrived　to　make

the　journey　in　rather　less　than　a　day　and　a　half。



About　the　same　time；　a　coach　with　four　horses　was　started　between

Haddington　and　Edinburgh；　and　it　took　a　full　winter's　day　to

perform　the　journey　of　sixteen　miles：　the　effort　being　to　reach

Musselburgh　in　time　for　din