Page images
PDF
EPUB

perienced in their profession, who agreed to the rate of the license on the gallon, supposed to be equivalent to the former duties, declared themselves, from experience, satisfied that the time for working stills with benefit was limited to an extent perfectly well known; and that whoever exceeded these limits would infallibly lose upon his materials, and the quality of the goods, what he gained in point of time; and in conformity to their opinion, the duty was, in the year 1786, settled upon the supposition that stills could be discharged about seven times a week."

:

Two years after this, in a memorial presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, the same men alleged that the Scottish distillers had, by the ingenuity of their contrivances, found means to discharge their stills upwards of forty times a week and we since know, from a Report made to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, in the year 1799, that a fortythree-gallon still was brought to such a degree of perfection as to be discharged at the rate of once in two minutes and three quarters, which is almost twenty-two times in an hour. It appears from this Report, that the operation of distillation was capable of being performed in a still shorter time; and that the quality of the spirit was no wise injured by the rapidity of the operation."

The ingenuity of the Scotch could not be applied to the improvement of an art more pernicious and deleterious, and of one which presents, in a moral and physical point of view, a more shocking and efficacious check to the improvement of the lower classes of the people. The different effects of Whisky and Ale upon the soldiers of militia regiments have frequently been observed. Whisky generally produces anger with intoxication; but Ale as generally good humour. However, I saw but few instances, during my stay in Edinburgh, of any one who might be considered as foo, or full. The low Scotch say, when they have made a man tipsy, "I filled him drunk." Happy would it be could these manufacturers of public poison be every where checked, and breweries of wholesome ale encouraged in their room: if the duty on spirits was increased, and that on malt liquor reduced, much might be hoped.

1

Upon my return from Leith, I could not help stopping and admiring a very handsome display of Scottish carriages, at a coach-builder's of the name of Crichton, a person of great respectability and ingenuity, a Lieutenant-Colonel of a battalion of volunteers, and the inventor of a machine for the speedy con

L

veyance of troops, and the easy carriages for wounded soldiers. This house is near the city, the approach to which, in this direction, is very beautiful. The carriages appeared to be extremely well built, and to unite lightness to elegance; and were more than one-third cheaper than in England. Many of them are exported to the West Indies; and before the blockade there was a great demand for them in the north of Europe.

The subject naturally leads to a concise comparative view of the introduction of coaches into Scotland, and the number of stage and hackney coaches belonging to Edinburgh. The first mention of a coach coming to Scotland was in 1598, in the suite of the English Ambassador, and they since became general in 1610. At that period, Henry Anderson, of Stralsund, in Pomerania, offered to bring coaches and waggons, with horses to draw, and servants to attend them, provided he had the exclusive privilege of keeping these carriages, which was accordingly secured to him by a royal patent for fifteen years; during which he run coaches between Edinburgh and Leith, at a fare of 2d. each person. In 1705, upon the approach of the King's Commissioner to Edinburgh, he was met eight miles from the city by a train of forty coaches, most of which were drawn by six horses. In 1763, two stage-coaches, with three horses, a coachman, and postillion, to each coach, ran to and from Leith, and went every hour from eight in the morning till eight at night, consuming a full hour on the road, in travelling a distance of, as I have mentioned, only one mile and a half. At this time there were no other stage-coaches in Scotland except one, which set out once a month for London, in performing. which, a distance of 400 miles, it was sixteen or eighteen days; although, now, any one setting out on a Sunday afternoon from Edinburgh to London may remain a whole day there, and be back in Edinburgh on the Saturday following at six o'clock. There were last year 6 coaches, which ran every hour to Leith; to Newhaven, 1; to Musselburgh, 4; to and from Dalkeith, 3; to and from Prestonpans, 1; to Haddington, 2; and to Haddington and Dunbar, 1; to Aberdeen, 1, a mail-coach; to Aberdeen and Perth, 1; to Glasgow, 5; to Lanark, 1; to and from Queensferry, 2; to Stirling, 3; to Dumfries, 2; to Carlisle, 1; to Kelso, 2; to Peebles, 1, a caravan; to and from Linlithgow and Falkirk, 1; to Jedburgh, 1; to London, 3, a mail and two coaches: in all, forty-two stage-coaches, of different descriptions, most of which go every day. When passengers take their place, they have a ticket, with the number of

their seat, according to their priority of application, to prevent any dispute. The same regulation obtains in France, at the Bureaus des Diligences.*

In 1787 there were only 8 hackney-coaches; there are now 86, and most of them preferable to our's in London. Amongst them are included hack-chaises, which are extremely convenient for making excursions to the vicinity. The private carriages built in Edinburgh, of which there are many, are very handsome; and, with the cabinet and upholstery work, as well as with every other art conducive to comfort and luxury which is carried on in Edinburgh, exhibit convincing proofs of the high state of excellence to which they have attained.

Heriot's Hospital, which stands in the southern district of the city, on the rising ground opposite the Castle-hill, is well worthy of notice, as the most distinguished amongst the charitable institutions of Edinburgh. It is a noble monument of the splendid munificence of a person whose name it bears, the jeweller to James VI. a man who, with a fair character, died worth 50,000%. a most immense sum in those days; out of which (leaving no issue) he bequeathed a large sum to the town council and ministers of Edinburgh, for building and endowing an hospital for the maintenance and education of indigent and fatherless children, the sons of burgesses of that city. Heriot not having been paid for the jewels, with which he supplied Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I. when he went to the court of Spain in 1623, upon his ascending the throne, the debt was allowed to the trustees of Heriot, in part of their purchase-money of the barony of Broughton, consisting then of crown lands in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, and which lands form now a part of the foundation of this hospital. The house was commenced in 1628, but owing to the civil wars, and other causes, was not finished till 1660. It is after a design of Inigo Jones, and is considered a fine specimen of Gothic architecture. Cromwell and Monk, at different times, quartered their sick soldiers in it.

*Since writing the above statement of the stage-coach establishment in Edinburgh, I have been favoured with the following account of the mailcoaches in Scotland at present.

FROM EDINBURGH.-One to Berwick, York, and London-One to Perth, and one to Aberdeen-One to Stirling-One to Glasgow--One to Dumfries, from thence to Portpatrick-One to Carlisle by Harwick, from thence to Liverpool-And a mail diligence to Peebles-Ditto to Musselburgh. FROM GLASGOW.-One to Ayr-One to Greenock, through Paisley and Port Glasgow-One to Carlisle, and on to London.

FROM CARLISLE.-One to Portpatrick, and through Dumfries.

It now receives about 130 boys, who are instructed in English, Latin, and French, writing and arithmetic. When a boy leaves the hospital he is entitled to 251. sterling, and 51. more on the expiration of his apprenticeship. Many of the leases granted by the trustees of this hospital will soon expire, when the revenue's of this princely foundation will be greatly increased, and when, unlike the scandalous conduct observed under similar circumstances of increase by the governors and trustees of certain nobly-endowed charitable institutions in England, it is the determination of the trustees of Heriot's Hospital to follow up the intentions of the munificent founder, by taking as many more boys" as the sum should be sufficient for." The other department of this establishment is well managed.

In the neighbourhood of Heriot's Hospital is the Charity Workhouse, for the support of the aged and infirm poor. It was established in 1742. I was informed that it contained about 700 persons, of both sexes, including children, when I visited it. Its funds arise from a tax of two per cent. on the valued rents of the city, collections at the church doors, charitable donations, and voluntary contributions; and there are two other workhouses nearly upon the same plan, which I did not visit. In these establishments the Scotch have departed from their accustomed mode of supporting their poor, by relieving them in the bosom of their own families, as afterwards noticed, and I could not help thinking the departure an unwise one. The poor thus aggregated together are never so clean or so comfortable as when the hand of Charity reaches them in their own homes; more objects of pity may be there maintained, because the expense of a costly establishment is avoided, and the cases of those who are entitled to relief may be more accurately investigated. However, subject to these remarks, the internal arrangements and regulations bespoke much care and humanity.

I was much pleased with the Institution for the Relief of the indigent and industrious Blind. This establishment is very well conducted. The objects of it are taught to make baskets, footmats, &c. They are not boarded in the house, but have a weekly allowance, in proportion to their earnings. Seven persons, who have been instructed here, have commenced business on their own account with considerable success. Their skill and quickness are truly surprising. I have long regarded the blind as objects more entitled to our care than to our commiseration. If we contrast the almost invariably happy gaiety of their tem

per with the ennui which so often depresses those to whom nature has imparted the power of sight, I think the latter are in general more deserving of the compassion of the former. I remember being once much struck with the pleasantry of a blind man upon his own infirmity: he was a petty coal-merchant, and managed his concerns with uncommon punctuality. Upon a bill being tendered to him for payment, he asked how it was drawn. The holder of it replied, that it was drawn upon him at ten days after sight."—" Oh, then," said he, laughing heartily, "my good Sir, you can never expect me to pay it, for do you not perceive that I am stone blind?"

CHAPTER VIII.

The markets of Edinburgh-roses and strawberries-anecdote of abundance-judicial establishment—the court of session-remark upon the judges the court of justiciary—the circuit court-the court of exche"quer the faculty of advocates-writers to the signet-the college of justice-Scottish lawyers distinguished for their genius and learningthe advocates' library-the parliament-house-the tolbooth-anecdoteprivilege of the Scottish executioner.-royal farewell—mortuary monuments few and bad-the Scottish Church-anecdote of John Knoxthe organ-whistling kirks—whimsical spiritual songs-Jews-Catholics.

THE markets of Edinburgh, which are situated on a descending terrace on the north side of the High-street, are abundantly supplied with fish, flesh, and fowl. The vegetables are peculiarly excellent. A sea-weed, called dulse, which grows on the rocks on the coast near Edinburgh, and which is used by the farmers for manure, without undergoing the least preparation, is much eaten and relished by the poor people, to whom a large handful is sold for a penny. The dulse, the water, and the salt sellers, (the latter being women who carry the article about in creels or baskets), are amongst the petty venders who most arrest the attention of a stranger in the streets. In a most abundant supply of roses and strawberries, Edinburgh much

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »