the life of thomas telford-第16章

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

Musselburgh　in　time　for　dinner；　and　go　into　town　in　the　evening。

As　late　as　1763　there　was　as　only　one　stage…coach　in　all　Scotland

in　communication　with　London；　and　that　set　out　from　Edinburgh　only

once　a　month。　The　journey　to　London　occupied　from　ten　to　fifteen

days；　according　to　the　state　of　the　weather；　and　those　who

undertook　so　dangerous　a　journey　usually　took　the　precaution　of

making　their　wills　before　starting。



When　carriers'　carts　were　established；　the　time　occupied　by　them　on

the　road　will　now　appear　almost　incredible。　　Thus　the　common

carrier　between　Selkirk　and　Edinburgh；　a　distance　of　only

thirty…eight　miles；　took　about　a　fortnight　to　perform　the　double

journey。　Part　of　the　road　lay　along　Gala　Water；　and　in　summer　time；

when　the　river…bed　was　dry；　the　carrier　used　it　as　a　road。　　The

townsmen　of　this　adventurous　individual；　on　the　morning　of　his

way…going；　were　accustomed　to　turn　out　and　take　leave　of　him；

wishing　him　a　safe　return　from　his　perilous　journey。　　In　winter　the

route　was　simply　impracticable；　and　the　communication　was　suspended

until　the　return　of　dry　weather。



While　such　was　the　state　of　the　communications　in　the　immediate

neighbourhood　of　the　metropolis　of　Scotland；　matters　were；　if

possible；　still　worse　in　the　remoter　parts　of　the　country。　　Down　to

the　middle　of　last　century；　there　were　no　made　roads　of　any　kind　in

the　south…western　counties。　　The　only　inland　trade　was　in　black

cattle；　the　tracks　were　impracticable　for　vehicles；　of　which　there

were　only　a　fewcarts　and　tumbling…carsemployed　in　the　immediate

neighbourhood　of　the　towns。　　When　the　Marquis　of　Downshire

attempted　to　make　a　journey　through　Galloway　in　his　coach；　about

the　year　1760；　a　party　of　labourers　with　tools　attended　him；　to

lift　the　vehicle　out　of　the　ruts　and　put　on　the　wheels　when　it　got

dismounted。　Even　with　this　assistance；　however；　his　Lordship

occasionally　stuck　fast；　and　when　within　about　three　miles　of　the

village　of　Creetown；　near　Wigton；　he　was　obliged　to　send　away　the

attendants；　and　pass　the　night　in　his　coach　on　the　Corse　of　Slakes

with　his　family。



Matters　were；　of　course；　still　worse　in　the　Highlands；　where　the

rugged　character　of　the　country　offered　formidable　difficulties　to

the　formation　of　practicable　roads；　and　where　none　existed　save

those　made　through　the　rebel　districts　by　General　Wade　shortly

after　the　rebellion　of　1715。　　The　people　were　also　more　lawless

and；　if　possible；　more　idle；　than　those　of　the　Lowland　districts

about　the　same　period。　　The　latter　regarded　their　northern

neighbours　as　the　settlers　in　America　did　the　Red　Indians　round

their　borderslike　so　many　savages　always　ready　to　burst　in　upon

them；　fire　their　buildings；　and　carry　off　their　cattle。*＇10＇



Very　little　corn　was　grown　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Highlands；

on　account　of　its　being　liable　to　be　reaped　and　carried　off　by　the

caterans；　and　that　before　it　was　ripe。　　The　only　method　by　which

security　of　a　certain　sort　could　be　obtained　was　by　the　payment　of

blackmail　to　some　of　the　principal　chiefs；　though　this　was　not

sufficient　to　protect　them　against　the　lesser　marauders。　　Regular

contracts　were　drawn　up　between　proprietors　in　the　counties　of

Perth；　Stirling；　and　Dumbarton；　and　the　Macgregors；　in　which　it　was

stipulated　that　if　less　than　seven　cattle　were　stolenwhich

peccadillo　was　known　as　pickingno　redress　should　be　required；　but

if　the　number　stolen　exceeded　sevensuch　amount　of　theft　being

raised　to　the　dignity　of　liftingthen　the　Macgregors　were　bound　to

recover。　　This　blackmail　was　regularly　levied　as　far　south　as

Campsiethen　within　six　miles　of　Glasgow；　but　now　almost　forming

part　of　itdown　to　within　a　few　months　of　the　outbreak　of　the

Rebellion　of　1745。*＇11＇



Under　such　circumstances；　agricultural　improvement　was　altogether

impossible。　　The　most　fertile　tracts　were　allowed　to　lie　waste；　for

men　would　not　plough　or　sow　where　they　had　not　the　certain　prospect

of　gathering　in　the　crop。　　Another　serious　evil　was；　that　the

lawless　habits　of　their　neighbours　tended　to　make　the　Lowland

borderers　almost　as　ferocious　as　the　Higlanders　themselves。　　Feuds

were　of　constant　occurrence　between　neighbouring　baronies；　and　even

contiguous　parishes；　and　the　country　fairs；　which　were　tacitly

recognised　as　the　occasions　for　settling　quarrels；　were　the　scenes

of　as　bloody　faction　fights　as　were　ever　known　in　Ireland　even　in

its　worst　days。　　When　such　was　the　state　of　Scotland　only　a　century

ago；　what　may　we　not　hope　for　from　Ireland　when　the　civilizing

influences　of　roads；　schools；　and　industry　have　made　more　general

progress　amongst　her　people？



Yet　Scotland　had　not　always　been　in　this　miserable　condition。　　There

is　good　reason　to　believe　that　as　early　as　the　thirteenth　century；

agriculture　was　in　a　much　more　advanced　state　than　we　find　it　to

have　been　the　eighteenth。　　It　would　appear　from　the　extant

chartularies　of　monastic　establishments；　which　then　existed　all

over　the　Lowlands；　that　a　considerable　portion　of　their　revenue　was

derived　from　wheat；　which　also　formed　no　inconsiderable　part　of

their　living。　The　remarkable　fact　is　mentioned　by　Walter　de

Hemingford；　the　English　historian；　that　when　the　castle　of

Dirleton；　in　East　Lothian；　was　besieged　by　the　army　of　Edward　I。；

in　the　beginning　of　July；　1298；　the　men；　being　reduced　to　great

extremities　for　provisions；　were　fain　to　subsist　on　the　pease　and

beans　which　they　gathered　in　the　fields。*＇12＇　　This　statement　is　all

the　more　remarkable　on　two　accounts：　first；　that　pease　and　beans

should　then　have　been　so　plentiful　as　to　afford　anything　like

sustenance　for　an　army；　and　second；　that　they　should　have　been　fit

for　use　so　early　in　the　season；　even　allowing　for　the　difference

between　the　old　and　new　styles　in　the　reckoning　of　time。

The　magnificent　old　abbeys　and　churches　of　Scotland　in　early　times

also　indicate　that　at　some　remote　period　a　degree　of　civilization

and　prosperity　prevailed；　from　which　the　country　had　gradually

fallen。　　The　ruins　of　the　ancient　edifices　of　Melrose；　Kilwinning；

Aberborthwick；　Elgin；　and　other　religious　establishments；　show　that

architecture　must　then　have　made　great　progress　in　the　North；

and　lead　us　to　the　conclusion　that　the　other　arts　had　reached　a　like

stage　of　advancement。　　This　is　borne　out　by　the　fact　of　the　number

of　well…designed　and　well…built　bridges　of　olden　times　which　still

exist　in　different　parts　of　Scotland。　　〃And　when　we　consider；〃　says

Professor　Innes；　〃the　long　and　united　efforts　required　in　the　early

state　of　the　arts　for　throwing　a　bridge　over　any　considerable

river；　the　early　occurrence　of　bridges　may　well　be　admitted　as　one

of　the　best　tests　of　civilization　and　national　prosperity。〃*＇13＇

As　in　England；　so　in　Scotland；　the　reclamation　of　lands；　the

improvement　of　agriculture；　and　the　building　of　bridges　were　mainly

due　to　the　skill　and　industry　of　the　old　churchmen。　　When　their

ecclesiastical　organization　was　destroyed；　the　country　speedily

relapsed　into　the　state　from　which　they　had　raised　it；　and　Scotland

continued　to　lie　in　ruins　almost　till　our　own　day；　when　it　has

again　been　rescued　from　barrenness；　more　effectually　even　than

before；　by　the　combined　influences　of　roads；　education；　and　industry。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　IV。



*＇1＇　'Farmer's　Magazine；'　1803。　　No。　xiii。　p。　101。



*＇2＇　Bad　although　the　condition　of　Scotland　was　at　the　beginning　of

last　century；　there　were　many　who　believed　that　it　would　be　made

worse　by　the　carrying　of　the　Act　of　Union。　　The　Earl　of　Wigton　was

one　of　these。　　Possessing　large　estates　in　the　county　of　Stirling；

and　desirous　of　taking　every　precaution　against　what　he　supposed　to

be　impending　ruin；　he　made　over　to　his　tenants；　on　condition　that

they　continued　to　pay　him　their　then　low　rents；　his　extensive

estates　in　the　parishes　of　Denny；　Kirkintulloch；　and　Cumbernauld；

retaining