the life of thomas telford-第52章

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*＇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　example

might　exercise　a　beneficial　influence　upon　the　population。



Mr。　Telford　reported　that；　by　the　expenditure　of　about　5890L。；　a

capacious　and　well…protected　tidal　basin　might　be　formed；　capable

of　containing　about　two　hundred　herring…busses。　　The　Commission

adopted　his　plan；　and　voted　the　requisite　funds　for　carrying　out

the　works；　which　were　begun　in　1808。　　The　new　station　was　named

Pulteney　Town；　in　compliment　to　Sir　William　Pulteney；　the　Governor

of　the　Fishery　Society；　and　the　harbour　was　built　at　a　cost　of

about　12；000L。；　of　which　8500L。　was　granted　from　the　Forfeited

Estates　Fund。　　A　handsome　stone　bridge；　erected　over　the　River　Wick

in　1805；　after　the　design　of　our　engineer；　connect's　these

improvements　with　the　older　town：　it　is　formed　of　three　arches；

having　a　clear　waterway　of　156　feet。



The　money　was　well　expended；　as　the　result　proved；　and　Wick　is　now；

we　believe；　the　greatest　fishing　station　in　the　world。　　The　place

has　increased　from　a　little　poverty…stricken　village　to　a　large　and

thriving　town；　which　swarms　during　the　fishing　season　with　lowland

Scotchmen；　fair　Northmen；　broad…built　Dutchmen；　and　kilted

Highlanders。　The　bay　is　at　that　time　frequented　by　upwards　of　a

thousand　fishing…boats　and　the　take　of　herrings　in　some　years

amounts　to　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　barrels。　　The　harbour　has

of　late　years　been　considerably　improved　to　meet　the　growing

requirements　of　the　herring　trade；　the　principal　additions　having

been　carried　out；　in　1823；　by　Mr。　Bremner；*＇1＇　a　native　engineer

of　great　ability。



＇Image＇　Folkestone　Harbour。



Improvements　of　a　similar　kind　were　carried　out　by　the　Fishery

Board　at　other　parts　of　the　coast；　and　many　snug　and　convenient

harbours　were　provided　at　the　principal　fishing　stations　in　the

Highlands　and　Western　Islands。　　Where　the　local　proprietors　were

themselves　found　expending　money　in　carrying　out　piers　and　harbours；

the　Board　assisted　them　with　grants　to　enable　the　works　to　be

constructed　in　the　most　substantial　manner　and　after　the　most

approved　plans。　Thus；　along　that　part　of　the　bold　northern　coast　of

the　mainland　of　Scotland　which　projects　into　the　German　Ocean；　many

old　harbours　were　improved　or　new　ones　constructedas　at　Peterhead；

Frazerburgh；　Banff；　Cullen；　Burgh　Head；　and　Nairn。　　At　Fortrose；

in　the　Murray　Frith；　at　Dingwall；　in　the　Cromarty　Frith；

at　Portmaholmac；　within　Tarbet　Ness；　the　remarkable　headland　of　the

Frith　of　Dornoch；　at　Kirkwall；　the　principal　town　and　place　of

resort　in　the　Orkney　Islands；　so　well　known　from　Sir　Walter　Scott's

description　of　it　in　the　'Pirate；'　at　Tobermory；　in　the　island　of

Mull；　and　at　other　points　of　the　coast；　piers　were　erected　and

other　improvements　carried　out　to　suit　the　convenience　of　the

growing　traffic　and　trade　of　the　country。



The　principal　works　were　those　connected　with　the　harbours　situated

upon　the　line　of　coast　extending　from　the　harbour　of　Peterhead；

in　the　county　of　Aberdeen；　round　to　the　head　of　the　Murray　Frith。

The　shores　there　are　exposed　to　the　full　force　of　the　seas　rolling　in

from　the　Northern　Ocean；　and　safe　harbours　were　especially　needed

for　the　protection　of　the　shipping　passing　from　north　to　south。

Wrecks　had　become　increasingly　frequent；　and　harbours　of　refuge

were　loudly　called　for。　　At　one　part　of　the　coast；　as　many　as

thirty　wrecks　had　occurred　within　a　very　short　time；　chiefly　for

want　of　shelter。



The　situation　of　Peterhead　peculiarly　well　adapted　it　for　a　haven

of　refuge；　and　the　improvement　of　the　port　was　early　regarded　as　a

matter　of　national　importance。　　Not　far　from　it；　on　the　south；　are

the　famous　Bullars　or　Boilers　of　Buchanbold　rugged　rocks；　some

200　feet　high；　against　which　the　sea　beats　with　great　fury；　boiling

and　churning　in　the　deep　caves　and　recesses　with　which　they　are

perforated。　　Peterhead　stands　on　the　most　easterly　part　of　the

mainland　of　Scotland；　occupying　the　north…east　side　of　the　bay；

and　being　connected　with　the　country　on　the　northwest　by　an　isthmus

only　800　yards　broad。　　In　Cromwell's　time；　the　port　possessed　only

twenty　tons　of　boat　tonnage；　and　its　only　harbour　was　a　small　basin

dug　out　of　the　rock。　　Even　down　to　the　close　of　the　sixteenth

century　the　place　was　but　an　insignificant　fishing　village。　　It　is

now　a　town　bustling　with　trade；　having　long　been　the　principal　seat

of　the　whale　fishery；　1500　men　of　the　port　being　engaged　in　that

pursuit　alone；　and　it　sends　out　ships　of　its　own　building　to　all

parts　of　the　world；　its　handsome　and　commodious　harbours　being

accessible　at　all　winds　to　vessels　of　almost　the　largest　burden。



＇Image＇　Peterhead



It　may　be　mentioned　that　about　sixty　years　since；　the　port　was

formed　by　the　island　called　Keith　Island；　situated　a　small　distance

eastward　from　the　shore；　between　which　and　the　mainland　an　arm　of

the　sea　formerly　passed。　　A　causeway　had；　however；　been　formed

across　this　channel；　thus　dividing　it　into　two　small　bays；　after

which　the　southern　one　had　been　converted　in　to　a　harbour　by　means

of　two　rude　piers　erected　along　either　side　of　it。　　The　north　inlet

remained　without　any　pier；　and　being　very　inconvenient　and　exposed

to　the　north…easterly　winds；　it　was　little　used。



＇Image＇　Peterhead　Harbour。



The　first　works　carried　out　at　Peterhead　were　of　a　comparatively

limited　character；　the　old　piers　of　the　south　harbour　having　been

built　by　Smeaton；　but　improvements　proceeded　apace　with　the

enterprise　and　wealth　of　the　inhabitants。　　Mr。　Rennie；　and　after

him　Mr。　Telford；　fully　reported　as　to　the　capabilities　of　the　port

and　the　best　means　of　improving　it。　　Mr。　Rennie　recommended　the

deepening　of　the　south　harbour　and　the　extension　of　the　jetty　of

the　west　pier；　at　the　same　time　cutting　off　all　projections　of　rock

from　Keith　Island　on　the　eastward；　so　as　to　render　the　access　more

easy。　The　harbour；　when　thus　finishe