the life of thomas telford- 第38部分

l8th　March；　1795。



*＇6＇　Douglas　was　first　mentioned　to　Telford；　in　a　letter　from

Mr。　Pasley；　as　a　young　man；　a　native　of　Bigholmes；　Eskdale；　who　had；

after　serving　his　time　there　as　a　mechanic；　emigrated　to　America；

where　he　showed　such　proofs　of　mechanical　genius　that　he　attracted

the　notice　of　Mr。　Liston；　the　British　Minister；　who　paid　his

expenses　home　to　England；　that　his　services　might　not　be　lost　to

his　country；　and　at　the　same　time　gave　him　a　letter　of　introduction

to　the　Society　of　Arts　in　London。　　Telford；　in　a　letter　to　Andrew

Little；　dated　4th　December；　1797；　expressed　a　desire　〃to　know　more

of　this　Eskdale　Archimedes。〃　　Shortly　after；　we　find　Douglas

mentioned　as　having　invented　a　brick　machine；　a　shearing…machine；

and　a　ball　for　destroying　the　rigging　of　ships；　for　the　two　former

of　which　he　secured　patents。　　He　afterwards　settled　in　France；　where

he　introduced　machinery　for　the　improved　manufacture　of　woollen

cloth；　and　being　patronised　by　the　Government；　he　succeeded　in

realising　considerable　wealth；　which；　how　ever；　he　did　not　live　to

enjoy。



*＇7＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　London；　l3th　May；

1800。



*＇8＇　The　evidence　is　fairly　set　forth　in　'Cresy's　Encyclopedia　of

Civil　Engineering；'　p。　475。



*＇9＇　Article　on　Iron　Bridges；　in　the　'Encyclopedia　Britannica；'

Edinburgh；　1857。



*＇10＇　His　foreman　of　masons　at　Bewdley　Bridge；　and　afterwards　his

assistant　in　numerous　important　works。



*＇11＇　The　work　is　thus　described　in　Robert　Chambers's　'　Picture　of

Scotland'：〃Opposite　Compston　there　is　a　magnificent　new　bridge

over　the　Dee。　　It　consists　of　a　single　web；　the　span　of　which　is　112

feet；　and　it　is　built　of　vast　blocks　of　freestone　brought　from　the

isle　of　Arran。　　The　cost　of　this　work　was　somewhere　about　7000L。

sterling；　and　it　may　be　mentioned；　to　the　honour　of　the　Stewartry；

that　this　sum　was　raised　by　the　private　contributions　of　the

gentlemen　of　the　district。　　From　Tongueland　Hill；　in　the　immediate

vicinity　of　the　bridge；　there　is　a　view　well　worthy　of　a　painter's

eye；　and　which　is　not　inferior　in　beauty　and　magnificence　to　any　in

Scotland。〃



*＇12＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Salop；

13th　July；　1799。



*＇13＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Liverpool；

9th　September；　1800。



*＇14＇　Brodie　was　originally　a　blacksmith。　　He　was　a　man　of　much

ingenuity　and　industry；　and　introduced　many　improvements　in　iron

work；　he　invented　stoves　for　chimneys；　ships'　hearths；　&c。　　He　had

above　a　hundred　men　working　in　his　London　shop；　besides　carrying　on

an　iron　work　at　Coalbrookdale。　　He　afterwards　established　a　woollen

manufactory　near　Peebles。



*＇15＇　Dated　London；　l4th　April；　1802。



*＇16＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Salop；

30th　November；　1799。





CHAPTER　VIII。



HIGHLAND　ROADS　AND　BRIDGES。



In　an　early　chapter　of　this　volume　we　have　given　a　rapid　survey　of

the　state　of　Scotland　about　the　middle　of　last　century。　　We　found　a

country　without　roads；　fields　lying　uncultivated；　mines　unexplored；

and　all　branches　of　industry　languishing；　in　the　midst　of　an　idle；

miserable；　and　haggard　population。　　Fifty　years　passed；　and　the

state　of　the　Lowlands　had　become　completely　changed。　　Roads　had　been

made；　canals　dug；　coal…mines　opened　up；　ironworks　established；

manufactures　were　extending　in　all　directions；　and　Scotch

agriculture；　instead　of　being　the　worst；　was　admitted　to　be　the

best　in　the　island。



〃I　have　been　perfectly　astonished；〃　wrote　Romilly　from　Stirling；

in　1793；　〃at　the　richness　and　high　cultivation　of　all　the　tract　of

this　calumniated　country　through　which　I　have　passed；　and　which

extends　quite　from　Edinburgh　to　the　mountains　where　I　now　am。

It　is　true；　however；　that　almost　everything　which　one　sees　to　admire

in　the　way　of　cultivation　is　due　to　modem　improvements；　and　now　and

then　one　observes　a　few　acres　of　brown　moss；　contrasting　admirably

with　the　corn…fieids　to　which　they　are　contiguous；　and　affording　a

specimen　of　the　dreariness　and　desolation　which；　only　half　a　century

ago；　overspread　a　country　now　highly　cultivated；　and　become　a　most

copious　source　of　human　happiness。〃*＇1＇　　It　must；　however；　be

admitted　that　the　industrial　progress　thus　described　was　confined

almost　entirely　to　the　Lowlands；　and　had　scarcely　penetrated　the

mountainous　regions　lying　towards　the　north…west。　　The　rugged

nature　of　that　part　of　the　country　interposed　a　formidable　barrier

to　improvement；　and　the　district　still　remained　very　imperfectly

opened　up。　　The　only　practicable　roads　were　those　which　had　been

made　by　the　soldiery　after　the　rebellions　of　1715　and　'45；　through

counties　which　before　had　been　inaccessible　except　by　dangerous

footpaths　across　high　and　rugged　mountains。　　An　old　epigram　in

vogue　at　the　end　of　last　century　ran　thus：



　　　〃Had　you　seen　these　roads　before　they　were　made；

　　　　You'd　lift　up　your　hands　and　bless　General　Wade！〃



Being　constructed　by　soldiers　for　military　purposes；　they　were

first　known　as　〃military　roads。〃　　One　was　formed　along　the　Great

Glen　of　Scotland；　in　the　line　of　the　present　Caledonian　Canal；

connected　with　the　Lowlands　by　the　road　through　Glencoe　by　Tyndrum

down　the　western　banks　of　Loch　Lomond；　another；　more　northerly；

connected　Fort　Augustus　with　Dunkeld　by　Blair　Athol；　while　a　third；

still　further　to　the　north　and　east；　connected　Fort　George　with

Cupar…in…Angus　by　Badenoch　and　Braemar。



The　military　roads　were　about　eight　hundred　miles　in　extent；

and　maintained　at　the　public　expense。　　But　they　were　laid　out　for

purposes　of　military　occupation　rather　than　for　the　convenience　of

the　districts　which　they　traversed。　　Hence　they　were　comparatively

little　used；　and　the　Highlanders；　in　passing　from　one　place　to

another；　for　the　most　part　continued　to　travel　by　the　old　cattle

tracks　along　the　mountains。　　But　the　population　were　as　yet　so　poor

and　so　spiritless；　and　industry　was　in　so　backward　a　state　all　over

the　Highlands；　that　the　want　of　more　convenient　communications　was

scarcely　felt。



Though　there　was　plenty　of　good　timber　in　certain　districts；　the

bark　was　the　only　part　that　could　be　sent　to　market；　on　the　backs

of　ponies；　while　the　timber　itself　was　left　to　rot　upon　the　ground。

Agriculture　was　in　a　surprisingly　backward　state。　　In　the　remoter

districts　only　a　little　oats　or　barley　was　grown；　the　chief　part　of

which　was　required　for　the　sustenance　of　the　cattle　during　winter。

The　Rev。　Mr。　Macdougall；　minister　of　the　parishes　of　Lochgoilhead

and　Kilmorich；　in　Argyleshire；　described　the　people　of　that　part　of

the　country；　about　the　year　1760；　as　miserable　beyond　description。

He　says；　〃Indolence　was　almost　the　only　comfort　they　enjoyed。

There　was　scarcely　any　variety　of　wretchedness　with　which　they　were

not　obliged　to　struggle；　or　rather　to　which　they　were　not　obliged　to

submit。　　They　often　felt　what　it　was　to　want　food。。。。　　To　such　an

extremity　were　they　frequently　reduced；　that　they　were　obliged　to

bleed　their　cattle；　in　order　to　subsist　some　time　on　the　blood

（boiled）；　and　even　the　inhabitants　of　the　glens　and　valleys

repaired　in　crowds　to　the　shore；　at　the　distance　of　three　or　four

miles；　to　pick　up　the　scanty　provision　which　the　shell…fish

afforded　them。〃*＇2＇



The　plough　had　not　yet　penetrated　into　the　Highlands；　an　instrument

called　the　cas…chrom*＇3＇



＇Image＇　The　Cas…Chrom。



literally　the　〃crooked　foot〃the　use　of　which　had　been　forgotten

for　hundreds　of　years　in　every　other　country　in　Europe；　was　almost

the　only　tool　employed　in　tillage　in　those　parts　of　the　Highlands

which　were　separated　by　almost　impassable　mountains　from　the　rest

of　the　United　Kingdom。



The　native　population　were　by　necessity　peaceful。　　Old　feuds　were

restrained　by　the　strong　arm　of　the　law；　if　indeed　the　spirit　of

the　clans　had　not　been　completely　broken　by　the　severe　repressive

measures　which　followed　the　rebellion　of　Forty…five。　　But　the　people

had　hot　yet　learnt　to　bend　their　backs；　like　the　Sassenach；　to　the

stubborn　soil；　and　they　sat　gloomily　by　their　turf…fires　at　home；

or　wandered　away　to　settle　in　other　lands　beyond　the　seas。　　It　even

began　to　be　feared　that　the　country　would　so　on　be　entirely

depopulated；　and　it　became　a　matter　of　national　concern　to　devise

methods　of　opening　up　the　district　so　as　to　develope　its　industry

and　afford　improved　means　of　sustenance　for　its　population。

The　poverty　of　the　inhabitants　rendered　the　attempt　to　construct

roadseven　had　they　desired　thembeyond　their　scanty　means；　but

the　ministry　of　the　day　entertained　the　opinion　that；　by　contributing

a　certain　proportion　of　the　necessary　expense；　the　proprietors　of

Highland　estates　might　be　induced　to　advance　the　remainder；　and　on

this　principle　the　construction　of　the　new　roads　in　those　districts

was　undertaken。



The　country　lying　to　the　west　of　the　Great　Glen　was　absolutely

without　a　road　of　any　kind。　　The　only　district　through　which

travellers　passed　was　that　penetrated　by　the　great　Highland　road　by

Badenoch；　between　Perth　and　Inverness；　and　for　a　considerable　time

after　the　suppression　of　the　rebellion　of　1745；　it　was　infested　by

gangs　of　desperate　robbers。　　So　unsafe　was　the　route　across　the

Grampians；　that　persons　who　had　occasion　to　travel　it　usually　made

their　wills　before　setting　out。　　Garrons；　or　little　Highland　ponies；

were　then　used　by　the　gentry　as　well　as　the　peasantry。　　Inns　were

few　and　bad；　and　even　when　postchaises　were　introduced　at　Inverness；

the　expense　of　hiring　one　was　thought　of　for　weeks；　perhaps　months；

and　arrangements　were　usually　made　for　sharing　it　among　as　many

individuals　as　it　would　contain。　　If　the　harness　and　springs　of　the

vehicle　held　together；　travellers　thought　themselves　fortunate　in

reaching　Edinburgh；　jaded　and　weary；　but　safe　in　purse　and　limb；

on　the　eighth　day　after　leaving　Inverness。*＇4＇　　Very　few　persons

then　trave