But
This Country, However It May Delight The Gazer Or Amuse The
Naturalist, Is Of No Great Advantage To Its Owners.
Our landlord
told us of a gentleman, who possesses lands, eighteen Scotch miles
in length, and three in breadth; a space containing at least a
hundred square English miles.
He has raised his rents, to the
danger of depopulating his farms, and he fells his timber, and by
exerting every art of augmentation, has obtained an yearly revenue
of four hundred pounds, which for a hundred square miles is three
halfpence an acre.
Some time after dinner we were surprised by the entrance of a young
woman, not inelegant either in mien or dress, who asked us whether
we would have tea. We found that she was the daughter of our host,
and desired her to make it. Her conversation, like her appearance,
was gentle and pleasing. We knew that the girls of the Highlands
are all gentlewomen, and treated her with great respect, which she
received as customary and due, and was neither elated by it, nor
confused, but repaid my civilities without embarassment, and told
me how much I honoured her country by coming to survey it.
She had been at Inverness to gain the common female qualifications,
and had, like her father, the English pronunciation. I presented
her with a book, which I happened to have about me, and should not
be pleased to think that she forgets me.
In the evening the soldiers, whom we had passed on the road, came
to spend at our inn the little money that we had given them. They
had the true military impatience of coin in their pockets, and had
marched at least six miles to find the first place where liquor
could be bought. Having never been before in a place so wild and
unfrequented, I was glad of their arrival, because I knew that we
had made them friends, and to gain still more of their good will,
we went to them, where they were carousing in the barn, and added
something to our former gift. All that we gave was not much, but
it detained them in the barn, either merry or quarrelling, the
whole night, and in the morning they went back to their work, with
great indignation at the bad qualities of whisky.
We had gained so much the favour of our host, that, when we left
his house in the morning, he walked by us a great way, and
entertained us with conversation both on his own condition, and
that of the country. His life seemed to be merely pastoral, except
that he differed from some of the ancient Nomades in having a
settled dwelling. His wealth consists of one hundred sheep, as
many goats, twelve milk-cows, and twenty-eight beeves ready for the
drover.
From him we first heard of the general dissatisfaction, which is
now driving the Highlanders into the other hemisphere; and when I
asked him whether they would stay at home, if they were well
treated, he answered with indignation, that no man willingly left
his native country.
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