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PRESBYTERY OF ALFORD, SYNOD OF ABERDEEN.
THE REV. ROBERT COOK, A. M. MINISTER.
I.—Topography and Natural History.
Name.—The name Clatt, or, as it was formerly
written, Clet or Clett, is obviously derived from the Gaelic word Cleith,
pronounced Cleit, which signifies concealed. This etymology of
the word is in strict accordance with the locality of the parish. It is
concealed from the view on every side.
Situation.— This parish is situated in the
western extremity of Garioch,—one of the five divisions or districts of
the county of Aberdeen.
Extent.—It is about 4 English miles in length,
and varies from 2 to 3 English miles in breadth, comprehending a space
of nearly 9 square miles.
Boundary.—It is bounded on the west by the parish
of Au-chindoir, in the lower district of Marr; on the north, by the
Water of Bogie, which separates it from the parish of Rhynie; on the
east, by the parishes of Kennethmont and Leslie; and on the south, by
the Suie and Coreen Hills, forming part of a mountain, range that
extends from east to west upwards of twenty miles. With the exception of
those parts which lie on the declivity of the southern boundary, and
some rising grounds on the north-west, the parish of Clatt forms an
uninterrupted plain; and, from the centre, the spectator has a distinct
view of nearly its whole extent.
Climate.—As the parish lies at an elevation of
upwards of 600 feet, and in the northern vicinity of a mountain of at
least 1300 feet above the level of the sea, the climate is colder than
in the lower parishes of the county. In consequence, however, of an
extensive and efficient draining of moss and marshy ground, the climate
has, within the last twenty years, undergone a decidedly favourable
change. There are no diseases peculiar to the parish. Many of the
inhabitants wear a green old age, and, during the incumbency of the
writer, several have died upwards of ninety years of age, and two, with
unimpaired faculties, completed a century.
Springs.—The parish is copiously supplied with
the purest water from perennial springs, which issue from the sides of
the hills and every smaller eminence. Though no river of any note flows
through the parish, the union of several streamlets forms the Gady,
famed in song,* which, in its meandering course, turns twelve
threshing-mills and a meal-mill in this parish, within the short
distance of two miles, and, after passing through a highly cultivated
district, joins the Urie on its way to discharge itself into the Don at
Inverury.
Mineral Springs.—In several places, there are
sulphureous and chalybeate springs, to which some virtue is attached as
diuretics; but they have never been generally frequented for medicinal
purposes. The strongest chalybeate spring rises near the summit of
Coreen, out of an irregular mass of broken rock, richly imbedded with
ironstone. The water has been analyzed, and found to contain nearly the
same ingredients as the celebrated mineral waters of Peterhead.
Minerals.—This parish, though limited in extent,
is not devoid of interest to the mineralogical inquirer. In many parts,
rocks of granite and whinstone, with irregular inclinations, are found
almost immediately below the surface of the ground. From the abundant
supply of outlying stones, there exists little necessity of opening
quarries for erecting buildings and enclosures; and only one quarry of
composite rock, of hornblende, quartz, and felspar, is occasionally
worked. Near the mansion-house of Knockespoch, veins of a species of
variegated marble have been discovered. It is, however, of too splintry
a nature to admit of its application to
* "I wish I were whare Gadie rins,
'Mang fragrant heath and yellow whins;
Or crawlin down the boskie linns
At the back o' Bennachie."—&c. &c.
any useful purpose, and of too soft contexture to
receive the requisite polish.
Vitrification.—On an eminence in the northerly
division of the parish, stones in a vitrified state are thickly
scattered over an extent of about six acres. They are of various
dimensions, though, in general, not exceeding a few inches diameter; but
no mass of vitrified matter has been discovered near the spot. Their
existence in such a situation furnishes an interesting subject of
antiquarian research; but it is apprehended that the best directed
inquiries will lead to no satisfactory result. The stones bear evident
marks of having been in a state of high ignition, and, when broken,
disclose small globules filled with a white pulverized deposit, of a
slightly sulphureous smell. There is no appearance of a crater that
might connect the vitrified matter with volcanic remains, nor are the
least vestiges discovered of a vitrified fort. At a distance of about
four miles is situated the mountain of Noath, with a valley intervening.
On the summit of this mountain, at an elevation of nearly 1800 feet
above the level of the sea, are the remains of a volcano or vitrified
fort, and it is only on the side of the eminence in the parish of Clatt,
opposite to Noath, that the vitrified stones are found. The writer
mentions this singular coincidence without venturing to deduce from it
any inference affecting the merits of the inquiry. He would merely
remark, that the vitrified matter at both places appears to be nearly of
the same consistency, and that, at a similar distance from Noath, in an
easterly direction, stones of the same description are found over a
limited extent.
Botany.—Among the Plant ae
rariores
of the district, the following list,
furnished by the Rev. John Minto, parochial schoolmaster, an accurate
botanist, may not be deemed unworthy of notice:
Plantago maritima, Drosera longifolia, Epilobium
angustifolium, Arenaria verna, Cerastium arvense, Habenaria viridis,
Listera cordata, Goodyera repens, Carduus nutans.
Soil. —This parish exhibits
a considerable diversity of soil. The land, which has been immemorially
in a state of cultivation, consists of a rich, deep, loamy soil, formed
by the repeated application of manure, and the existence of decomposed
vegetables, lying on sand or broken rock, which readily absorbs the
moisture. The basis of a large proportion of the richest soil is clay,
which, by the application of stimulants and manure, has been converted
into a heavy loam. In those grounds, reclaimed by draining or trenching,
the soil is partly alluvial, with a mixture of sand, clay, or peat-moss
on a gravelly bottom ; and, in the more elevated parts of the parish,
the soil is of a light and sandy character on a rocky bed. The remainder
of the surface consists of moorish ground covered with heath, or of
peat-moss of considerable depth.
Plantations.—While the soil in the cultivated
parts of the parish is capable of producing luxuriant crops of grain,
the want of sufficient shelter from the stormy winds presents a powerful
obstacle to the progress of agricultural improvement. From the extent of
peat-moss, and the discovery of large fragments of oak, alder, and fir
trees at a considerable depth below the surface of the ground, there is
just reason for inferring, that this parish, at a remote period,
exhibited an entire contrast to its present appearance. Plantations of
larch and Scotch fir have been recently formed on the hills in the
southern boundary. Towards the summit, the trees are much stunted by the
injury which they sustain from the withering winds and superincumbent
snows ; but, in more sheltered situations, they are progressively
thriving, and have attained to considerable size. The aspect of the
parish, otherwise monotonous, is pleasantly diversified by a few aged
trees of ash, elm, and plane, around almost every farm-steading; and the
village of Clatt is studded by upwards of 100 ash and plane trees of
large dimensions, that have weathered the storms of 100 winters; and, to
the eye of the unexpecting traveller, impart to it in summer, the rich
umbrageous appearance of an English village.
II. — Civil History.
The history of this parish at a remote period is
involved in much obscurity. It appears, however, by the privileges
conferred upon the town and village of Clatt by one of our Scottish
Kings, that it was not deemed unworthy of the exercise of the royal
prerogative. By letters of gift and donation from King James
IV. of Scotland, "the village of Clatt was
erected into a free burgh of barony, with all the rights and privileges
thereof; with power to the proprietor at that time, and in all time
thereafter, to constitute and appoint bailies and other officers
necessary for guiding, governing, and ruling the said burgh; and to
have, hold, and keep therein a cross and market upon Tuesday every week,
and public fairs and markets every year, for the space of eight days,
with the liberties, profits, duties, and commodities thereof, in terms
of the foresaid grant and donation." In virtue of this royal grant,
letters of publication have been issued at different times by warrant of
the Lords of Council and Session in Scotland ; and the powers thereby
conferred have been exercised by successive proprietors for the
improvement of the burgh. Of the nature and extent of some of the
baron's powers in the maintenance of his jurisdiction, there still exist
distinct vestiges. On the summit of a rising ground contiguous to the
village, there is pointed out the site on which the gallows stood, at
the period when justice was summarily executed; and the eminence still
bears the name of the Gallows Knoll.
Proprietors.—The whole parish of Clatt belongs to
two landowners ; James Adam Gordon, Esq. of Knockespoch, who has a
family seat in the parish, but whose principal residence is in England,
where his extensive estates are situated; and Sir Andrew Leith Hay of
Rannes, whose mansion-house is in the neighbouring parish of Kennethmont.
There is no plan of the whole parish extant, but correct surveys, by
professional men, have been made at different times, for the private use
of the landed proprietors.
Parochial Registers.—The parochial registers are
by no means in a perfect state. The register of baptisms only commences
in 1725, and, with slight intermissions, is brought down to the present
time. Previously to 1820, when the present incumbent was appointed,
there is no register of marriages, with the exception of the short
interval between 1784 and 1798, and no record whatsoever of deaths is in
existence.
Feudal Rencontre.— The only historical incident
in this parish, deserving of notice, was a rencontre, in 1572, between
the two rival clans of Forbes and Gordon. To revenge an insult offered
by the Master of Forbes, in repudiating his wife, daughter of the Earl
of Huntly, the Gordons, under the command of two of the Earl's brothers,
attacked their hereditary enemies, the Forbesses, within their rude
entrenchment, on the White Hill of Tillyangus, in the south-west
extremity of this parish, and, after a sanguinary contest, still visibly
marked by a number of graves or cairns, the Gordons carried the
encampment of their opponents, slew Arthur Forbes, son of Lord Forbes,
commonly called Black Arthur, from his dark complexion, and continued
the pursuit to the gates of Castle Forbes, (now Druminnor), the family
seat of the numerous clan Forbes. This skirmish is the subject of
traditionary notice by the aged chroniclers of the parish, and is
recorded in a manuscript memoir of the house of Forbes, now in the
possession of the Honourable Lord Forbes.
Druidical Monuments and Tumuli.— At a period of
very remote antiquity, this parish appears to have been one of the
favoured seats of the Druids. Until within the last thirty years, there
existed in the northern division of the parish, the distinct remains of
a Druidical temple, of which only the supposed altar-stone, and a few of
the upright stones, which were placed in the circumference, now remain.
The stone supposed to have formed the sacrificial altar in the centre,
was of large dimensions, consisting of 10 feet in length, 9 feet in
breadth, and 4 feet in thickness. It was placed at an angle of about 45°
with the dip in the direction of the meridian. At each extremity,
longitudinally, there stood a perpendicular stone of about 6 feet in
height, vulgarly styled "the Horns of the Altar," and in the line of the
circle, of about 25 yards diameter, there were placed, at equal
distances, seven upright stones, from 5 to 6 feet in height. The whole
space within the circumference was rudely paved with stones to the depth
of about three feet. Within the precincts of this heathen temple, no
relic of the olden time has been discovered; but at a distance of about
a quarter of a mile, in different directions, several tumuli have been
opened, some of which contained ornamented earthen jars full of bones in
a calcined state. A few years ago, upwards of twenty of these tumuli,
that had escaped observation from a thick covering of heath and furze,
were discovered in the progress of improving some moorish ground. To
each of the tumuli was allotted a detached circular space of about six
yards diameter. In the line of the circle, there was placed a continued
series of upright stones, which distinctly marked the circular spot, and
in the centre of each, a grave had been dug of the usual dimensions.
Some of them had been cut out of the solid rock to the depth of about
five feet. On opening some of them, small pieces of burnt bones were
found, and, in others, the sides at the bottom were lined in the form of
a coffin with detached blocks of sandstone. On the period to which these
sepulchral monuments refer, tradition is entirely silent. From their
contiguity to the remains of the supposed Druidical temple, there is
ground for conjecture that these formed the cemeteries of the priests of
the Druids, and in a line leading from the site of the temple to some of
these tumuli that were opened a few years ago, there could be distinctly
traced a rude causeway of stone. At a short distance from these tumuli,
there was recently dug up, at the depth of about six feet, a smooth
stone, 4 feet long by 2 feet in breadth, on which is represented the
figure of a salmon above a distinctly described arch. As the salmon was
held sacred by the Druids, it is highly probable that this emblematical
representation was connected with the ceremonies of their worship. A
broad smooth stone, of about 5 feet in length and 3 in breadth, likewise
formed part of the old wall of the burying-ground at Clatt, on which are
engraven several single and concentric circles, and other figures
representing barbed arrows. This stone is similar to many in different
parts of the county, on which are described circles and hieroglyphic
characters, which are generally believed to refer to the ages of
Druidism.
III.—Population.
There exist no data by which the population of this
parish at an early period can be fixed with accuracy. Were we, however,
to form an estimate from the average number of births at two
corresponding periods of the last and present century, we should be led
to conclude that the population is considerably on the decrease.
The decrease of population since the commencement of
the last century may be ascribed to the removal of several families into
the manufacturing districts during the period of commercial prosperity,
and the consolidation of crofts into farms of moderate extent. Where
clusters of cottages at one time flourished, there scarcely now remain
any vestiges to point to their former site. By the present arrangement
of the size of farms, the population has settled into a deficient state,
which does not correspond with the exigencies of the parish, and upwards
of eighty servants from other districts are annually required to supply
the deficiency, and to carry on the cultivation of the soil. The village
of Clatt contains about 90 inhabitants, or above one-sixth of the whole
population of the parish.
There are only two land-owners of the parish, each of
whose property exceeds L.50 Sterling of yearly value, and the only
resident of independent fortune is James Adam Gordon, Esq. of
Knockespoch, principal heritor.
IV. —Industry.
The active and enterprising spirit of the farmers has
shed a benignant influence over the external aspect of the parish, and
nothing but the contour of the surrounding hills, and other permanent
landmarks, could identify it with the subject of the Statistical Account
in 1792. During a period of forty years, agriculture has passed
progressively through the various intervening stages between infancy and
matured improvement, and comparatively little is now left to be achieved
by future enterprise. Within the short period of the last twenty years,
upwards of 300 acres have been reclaimed from their natural state of
moss and moor, and rendered comparatively productive, and neither the
aspect of the times, nor the calculations of a profitable return, could
justify the application of any additional capital in the recovery of the
small residue of about 80 improvable acres within the whole extent of
the parish.
Live-Stock.—As the rearing of cattle forms an
essential branch of profitable husbandry, the attention of the farmer
has been deservedly turned to the improvement of the breed of cattle.
After successive trials, the true native, crossed with the short-horned
or Durham breed, has been found productive of the most approved and
profitable stock. The size and symmetry of the cattle have kept pace
with the improvement in agriculture.
Husbandry.—The husbandry now almost universally
adopted is of the most approved description, and many of the obstacles
that formerly obstructed the progress of agriculture have yielded to the
combined influence of skill, industry, and capital. The abolition of
run-rig, or intermixed allotments of ground occupied by different
tenants; the conversion of crooked and highly raised, into straight and
moderately low riggs; the exclusion of surface water from low-lying
fields; the efficient draining of marshy ground ; the removal of large
surface stones, which were alike unseemly in appearance as detrimental
to productiveness; the application of lime to reclaimed ground, or to
dormant soil, which deep ploughings had brought into contact with
manure; the introduction of early seed from the more genial southerly
counties; the substitution of an improved breed of horses, for the puny
and powerless animals, the native breed of the county; the exchange of
the cumbrous and wasteful machinery of a twelve oxen plough, for the two
horse plough, of a lighter construction; the general prevalence of
drill-turnip husbandry; the adoption of the rotation of cropping best
adapted for the respective soils ; the abolition of servitudes and mill-multures;
these, under the auspices of practical knowledge, and of moderate
capital, have conspired, in bringing the husbandry of the parish into no
distant competition with the boasted agriculture of the finest counties.
It is indeed impossible to subdue the obstacles arising from climate and
local situation, and any attempt to raise wheat and barley often proves
abortive, but the crops of bear and oats are not, in favourable seasons,
exceeded very much in quantity or in weight in almost any part of
Scotland. Enclosures are still much wanted, to enable the farmer to turn
his fields to the best possible advantage. Very few farms have as yet
the benefit of enclosures, though quarries for the purpose might be
opened on almost every farm; and the tedious operation of the entail act
of 10th Geo. III. presents an almost insuperable obstacle to this
desirable species of improvement. To release property from the fetters
of entail would be an act worthy of an enlightened legislature, or were
its restrictions modified, liberal-minded landlords, without incurring
the risk of personal responsibility, yet with permanent advantage to the
property, could render meliorations for improvements, a burden upon
succeeding heirs. It is, however, very gratifying to remark, that,
though both estates in this parish are held under strict entail, the
progress of agriculture has not, as yet, been retarded by its paralyzing
influence. Every reasonable encouragement and accommodation are given by
the respective proprietors, and the farm-buildings are neat and
commodious, constructed of durable materials, agreeably to plans
sanctioned by the proprietors. The expense of erecting farm-steadings
and enclosures, is, in general, defrayed exclusively by the tenant, and
he is entitled to remuneration only at the expiration of his lease. The
duration of leases is for the usual period of nineteen years. Though
this period may be happily chosen to meet a change of circumstances, it
is by no means sufficient to afford any adequate remuneration for
capital invested in extensive improvements.
Draining.—In estimating the relative importance
of the improvements which have taken place in this parish during the
last twenty years, it will readily be admitted that draining has been
one of the most efficient. On each of several farms, of 100 to 150 acres
of total surface, from 4000 to 8000 ells of drains and ditches have been
cut, at the average depth of six feet. Large tracts of moss and marshy
ground, fit only for the wild fowls to nestle on, have thus been
reclaimed at the personal expense of the tenant; and in many parts of
the parish, where neither the foot of man nor of beast could tread,
there,
"In gay luxuriance Ores now is seen,
To crown the valleys with eternal green."
From these improvements, the value of property will
be greatly enhanced to the present and future proprietor; but from the
depressed state of agriculture, there is much reason to fear, that the
chief, if not the only, compensation which the tenant will reap for the
funds which he has irrecoverably sunk, will be the patriotic reflection,
that he has "made corn grow where corn ne'er grew before."
Obstacles.—In effecting beneficial changes in the
agriculture of the parish, the farmer has had to contend with many
disadvantages. The distance to Aberdeen, the principal grain market,
cannot be accomplished in less than three days, and the actual expense
of the delivery of grain, independently of tear and wear, and loss of
time, is at present one-tenth to one-twelfth of the whole value. The
state of the roads is another barrier to the progress of agricultural
improvement. While most parishes enjoy the benefit of turnpike roads, no
provision has been made to facilitate the intercourse with this parish,
besides the scanty pittance of the road assessment. A turnpike road
through the parish, in continuation of the turnpike road, to Premnay
onwards to Rhynie, would be of incalculable advantage to this parish and
surrounding district, and, besides, would furnish a very profitable
investment to the money-lender; and for the toll-duty, the farmer would
receive a more than adequate compensation in the comparative ease to his
horses, and the additional quantity of grain, lime, &c. which they could
convey.
V. —Parochial Economy.
Market-Town.— In virtue of the privileges
conferred upon the town and village of Clatt, as a burgh of barony,
markets were formerly held on the Tuesday of every week, and many of the
inhabitants have a distinct recollection of the market cross. The weekly
markets have, for many years, fallen into desuetude, and have been
substituted by two annual fairs, one in the month of May for the sale of
sheep and cattle, and for engaging servants, and the other in November,
which' is chiefly frequented as a grain and feeing market. Huntly, at a
distance of nine miles, is the nearest market-town, but the village
contains within itself the requisite tradesmen, and furnishes a supply
of the usual mercantile commodities. Though the population of the
village does not exceed 90, yet in that limited number are comprehended,
4 carpenters, 4 blacksmiths, 1 flesher, 1 shoemaker, 1 turner, 1
merchant, 1 tailor, 1 harness-maker, 1 carrier, 1 miller, and 4
weavers.
Means of Communication.-—The parish has not, as
yet, the advantage of a regular post office, but there is a post runner
daily, from Rhynie to Clatt. The parish is intersected by two patent
roads, the one called "the North and South Road," forming part of the
military line of road from Edinburgh to Huntly, &c, and the other a
continuation of the public road from Aberdeen to Rhynie, Cabrach, &c.
Both roads meet at a comfortable inn, Ford of Clatt, established for the
accommodation of travellers, and, after passing through the village
northwards, diverge into different directions. In travelling the
military line from Edinburgh there is a saving of nearly thirty miles;
but, from the intervention of the mountainous district of the Grampians,
the line of road by Aberdeen is generally preferred by travellers.
Ecclesiastical State.— The parish church is
centrically situated, at a distance of not more than three miles from
the most remote parts of the parish. The fabric of the church is
co-existent with Roman Catholic worship, and several Popish relics have
been discovered in the progress of repairing the church. In 1828, the
church was substantially repaired and reseated. It affords accommodation
for 290 persons, or more than one-half of the whole population, besides
52 additional sittings in a gallery erected by the kirk-session for the
benefit of the poor. The manse was built in 1725, and in 1820 it
underwent considerable repair, and received additional accommodation. In
1828, the offices were rebuilt on an enlarged plan, and in the same
year, the church-yard was enclosed with a substantial stone and lime
wall. The glebe and garden consist of nearly 5 Scotch acres, without the
statutory accompaniment of a grass glebe. The teinds were valued and
exhausted in 1812, and the stipend is the legal minimum, besides the
usual allowance for communion elements. There are 20 Dissenters in the
parish, and the average number of communicants at the Established Church
is about 230. Church collections are annually made for the Aberdeen
Infirmary, and occasionally for the Presbyterial Lunatic Fund ; and,
during the last seven years, there has existed a parochial association
for Christian purposes, embracing especially the General Assembly's
Shemes,—the funds of the association amounting from L.10 to L.13 per
annum.
Education.—A very handsome and commodious
school-room, fully adequate to the educational wants of the parish, has
been erected this season. No other school exists, or is required. The
branches of education usually taught are, English reading, writing,
arithmetic, and Latin, and book-keeping, and the higher branches of
mathematics when required. The salary of the schoolmaster is L.25, 13s.
4d., with the legal accommodation; and the amount of the school-fees,
including the interest of L.40, minus legacy duty, mortified by the Rev.
Robert. Findlay, for the education of children of poor householders, may
be stated at from L.12 to L.18 per annum. The
teacher also shares in the Dick Bequest. The rate of school-fees per
quarter, after deduction for harvest vacation, is as follows : English
reading, 2s.; reading and writing, 3s.; arithmetic's.; mensuration, 5s.;
Latin, 5s.; and book-keeping, 10s. 6d. per set. From the facilities of
education there are few or none from six to fifteen years of age who
cannot read, but a considerable number who cannot write. There may be
from twelve to twenty persons upwards of fifteen years of age who cannot
write ; and none who cannot read. To the inestimable benefits of
education the inhabitants are in general zealously alive. The parent who
has felt the disadvantages of ignorance is anxious to remove this
obstruction from his children's future path; and he willingly subjects
himself to much labour, and many privations, in furnishing them with the
means of refining their taste, forming their intellectual character and
forwarding their advancement in society. If he enjoys the benefits of a
well-informed mind, he is fired with the nobler ambition of cultivating
their mental faculties, and thus putting them in possession of the
principle of their future advancement, than in amassing for them
treasures of which they might not know the legitimate use. The diffusion
of the means of education has been productive of its natural effects,
increased intelligence, and exemplary moral deportment. To great
simplicity of manners, which has for ages existed in the parish, there
have been superadded habits of reading; a willingness to relinquish
established prejudices, and to adopt acknowledged improvements; a higher
tone of intellectual character; and an increasing regard to the concerns
of religion.
Poor and Parochial Funds.—The provision for the
poor is comparatively ample; and the Rev. Robert Findlay, writer of the
last Statistical Account of this parish, is held in permanent
remembrance by his liberal mortification to the industrious poor. He
bequeathed the sum of L.300, less legacy duty, for the benefit of aged
persons in reduced circumstances, and the annual interest, in suitable
proportions, is distributed by the kirk-session among the intended
objects of Mr Findlay's bounty. Of these, three only receive regular
parochial aid; but the supply to the others is not more acceptable than
seasonable. In directing the application of this annual provision the
founder evinced much discrimination. There are many necessitous persons
who thankfully receive supply from this source who would rather submit
to severe privations than have their names enrolled in the list of the
regular poor. The funds for the ordinary poor are as follows : Church
collections, proclamations, &c. L.l7; interest of accumulated funds,
L.8; seat rents, L.2, 10s.; total L.27, 10s., which, after deduction of
L.3 per annum as salary to precentor and kirk-officer, leaves a balance
of about L.25 Sterling to be distributed among eight regular poor. The
benefit of parochial aid is a matter not of choice, but of the most
urgent necessity. The spirit of Scottish independence still exists in
all its vigour, and many in a state of indigence have been known to
decline the proffered support, until they were assured that it proceeded
from the mortified fund.
Fuel.— The scarcity of fuel bears hard upon the
comforts of the poor. From extensive draining in the low mossy ground, a
once fertile source of fuel is now nearly dried up, and the scanty
supply of sandy and scarcely inflammable turf from the hilly ground,
accessible only by very bad roads, scarcely repays the expense and
labour of its preparation and delivery. The use of coal as a substitute
for turf has now become very general, though this luxury can only be
obtained by a large pecuniary sacrifice, as the expense of carriage is
not less than the price of the coal at Aberdeen.
August 1842. |
