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estates in the parishes of Denny； Kirkintulloch； and Cumbernauld；
retaining only a few fields round the family mansion ＇'Farmer's
Magazine；' 1808； No。 xxxiv。 p。 193＇。 Fletcher of Saltoun also
feared the ruinous results of the Union； though he was less
precipitate in his conduct than the Earl of Wigton。 We need
scarcely say how entirely such apprehensions were falsified by the
actual results。
*＇3＇ 'Fletcher's Political Works；' London； 1737； p。 149。 As the
population of Scotland was then only about 1；200；000； the beggars
of the country； according to the above account； must have
constituted about one…sixth of the whole community。
*＇4＇ Act 39th George III。 c。 56。 See 'Lord Cockburn's
Memorials；' pp。 76…9。 As not many persons may be aware how recent
has been the abolition of slavery in Britain； the author of this
book may mention the fact that he personally knew a man who had
been 〃born a slave in Scotland；〃 to use his own words； and lived to
tell it。 He had resisted being transferred to another owner on the
sale of the estate to which he was 〃bound；〃 and refused to 〃go below；〃
on which he was imprisoned in Edinburgh gaol； where he lay for a
considerable time。 The case excited much interest； and probably
had some effect in leading to the alteration in the law relating
to colliers and salters which shortly after followed。
*＇5＇ See 'Autobiography of Dr。 Alexander Carlyle；' passim。
*＇6＇ 'Farmer's Magazine。' June。 1811。 No。 xlvi。 p。 155。
*＇7＇ See Buchan Hepburn's 'General View of the Agriculture and
Economy of East Lothian；' 1794； p。 55。
*＇8＇Letter of John Maxwell； in Appendix to Macdiarmid's 'Picture of
Dumfries；' 1823
*＇9＇ Robertson's 'Rural Recollections；' p。 38。
*＇10＇ Very little was known of the geography of the Highlands down
to the beginning of the seventeenth century The principal
information on the subject being derived from Danish materials。
It appears； however； that in 1608； one Timothy Pont； a young man
without fortune or patronage； formed the singular resolution of
travelling over the whole of Scotland； with the sole view of
informing himself as to the geography of the country； and he
persevered to the end of his task through every kind of difficulty；
exploring 'all the islands with the zeal of a missionary； though
often pillaged and stript of everything； by the then barbarous
inhabitant's。 The enterprising youth received no recognition nor
reward for his exertions； and he died in obscurity； leaving his
maps and papers to his heirs。 Fortunately； James I。 heard of the
existence of Pont's papers； and purchased them for public use。 They
lay； however； unused for a long time in the offices of the Scotch
Court of Chancery； until they were at length brought to light by
Mr。 Robert Gordon； of Straloch； who made them the basis of the
first map of Scotland having any pretensions to accuracy that was
ever published。
*＇11＇ Mr。 Grant； of Corrymorry； used to relate that his father；
when speaking of the Rebellion of 1745； always insisted that a
rising in the Highlands was absolutely necessary to give employment
to the numerous bands of lawless and idle young men who infested
every property。Anderson's 'Highlands and Islands of Scotland；'
p。 432。
*＇12＇ 'Lord Hailes Annals；' i。； 379。
*＇13＇ Professor Innes's 'Sketches of Early Scottish History。' The
principal ancient bridges in Scotland were those over the Tay at
Perth （erected in the thirteenth century） over the Esk at Brechin
and Marykirk； over the Bee at Kincardine； O'Neil； and Aberdeen；
over the Don； near the same city； over the Spey at Orkhill； over
the Clyde at Glasgow； over the Forth at Stirling； and over the Tyne
at Haddington。
CHAPTER V。
ROADS AND TRAVELLING IN ENGLAND TOWARDS THE END OF LAST CENTURY。
The progress made in the improvement of the roads throughout
England was exceedingly slow。 Though some of the main throughfares
were mended so as to admit of stage…coach travelling at the rate of
from four to six miles an hour； the less frequented roads continued
to be all but impassable。 Travelling was still difficult； tedious；
and dangerous。 Only those who could not well avoid it ever thought
of undertaking a journey； and travelling for pleasure was out of
the question。 A writer in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' in 1752 says
that a Londoner at that time would no more think of travelling into
the west of England for pleasure than of going to Nubia。
But signs of progress were not awanting。 In 1749 Birmingham
started a stage…coach； which made the journey to London in three
days。*＇1＇ In 1754 some enterprising Manchester men advertised a
〃flying coach〃 for the conveyance of passengers between that town
and the metropolis； and； lest they should be classed with
projectors of the Munchausen kind； they heralded their enterprise
with this statement： 〃However incredible it may appear； this coach
will actually （barring accidents） arrive in London in four days and
a half after leaving Manchester！〃
Fast coaches were also established on several of the northern
roads； though not with very extraordinary results as to speed。
When John Scott； afterwards Lord Chancellor Eldon； travelled from
Newcastle to Oxford in 1766； he mentions that he journeyed in what
was denominated 〃a fly；〃 because of its rapid travelling； yet he
was three or four days and nights on the road。 There was no such
velocity； however； as to endanger overturning or other mischief。
On the panels of the coach were painted the appropriate motto of
Sat cito si sat benequick enough if well enougha motto which
the future Lord Chancellor made his own。*＇2＇
The journey by coach between London and Edinburgh still occupied
six days or more； according to the state of the weather。 Between
Bath or Birmingham and London occupied between two and three days
as late as 1763。 The road across Hounslow Heath was so bad； that
it was stated before a Parliamentary Committee that it was
frequently known to be two feet deep in mud。 The rate of
travelling was about six and a half miles an hour； but the work was
so heavy that it 〃tore the horses' hearts out；〃 as the common
saying went； so that they only lasted two or three years。
When the Bath road became improved； Burke was enabled； in the
summer of 1774； to travel from London to Bristol； to meet the
electors there； in little more than four and twenty hours； but his
biographer takes care to relate that he 〃travelled with incredible
speed。〃 Glasgow was still ten days' distance from the metropolis；
and the arrival of the mail there was so important an event that a
gun was fired to announce its coming in。 Sheffield set up a
〃flying machine on steel springs〃 to London in 1760： it 〃slept〃 the
first night at the Black Man's Head Inn； Nottingham； the second at
the Angel； Northampton； and arrived at the Swan with Two Necks；
Lad…lane； on the evening of the third day。 The fare was 1L。 l7s。；
and 14 lbs。 of luggage was allowed。 But the principal part of the
expense of travelling was for living and lodging on the road； not
to mention the fees to guards and drivers。
Though the Dover road was still one of the best in the kingdom； the
Dover flying…machine； carrying only four passengers； took a long
summer's day to perform the journey。 It set out from Dover at four
o'clock in the morning； breakfasted at the Red Lion； Canterbury；
and the passengers ate their way up to town at various inns on the
road； arriving in London in time for supper。 Smollett complained
of the innkeepers along that route as the greatest set of
extortioners in England。 The deliberate style in which journeys
were performed may be inferred from the circumstance that on one
occasion； when a quarrel took place between the guard and a
passenger； the coach stopped to see them fight it out on the road。
Foreigners who visited England were peculiarly observant of the
defective modes of con