Thurso. ber to parliament. The harbour, at present, is quite na tural, and very inconvenient; but several of the proprie tors have it contemplation to erect a new harbour, which, if completed, would not only be of great importance to the town, but also to the kingdom at large, by saving many vessels which are wrecked on this coast; there being no safe harbour between Cromarty Frith and the Orkneys. If this harbour is completed, the town will also receive a considerable addition to its size towards the south, where a new town is to be feued, on a neat and regular plan, on the estate of Sir Benjamin Dunbar. The chief branch of commerce and industry is the fisheries, which are prosecuted with great attention.

Thurso.

The town of Thurso, on the northern side of the coast of Caithness, stands at the extremity of a spacious and beautiful bay, being the western part or branch of the Bay of Dunnet, where the river Thurso falls into the sea. The scenery round the town has considerable natural magnificence. On one side, a spacious bay, formed on the east by the bold and lofty promontory called Dunnet Head, and on the west by Welbrown Head; both which cover the bay from the tremendous waves of the Pentland Frith. These, in storms of wind from the west . or from the north, beat with dreadful violence against these headlands, and present an awful prospect to the eye. On the opposite side of Pentland Frith, in view of Thurso, at the distance of eight leagues, the Hoy Hills in Orkney, rising gradually from the summit of a range of rocks of tremendous height which overhang the sea, rear their majestic heads, and contribute greatly to the grandeur of the prospect.

At the bottom of this beautiful bay, as already noticed, where the river Thurso falls into the sea, the town stands. Between the town and Holburn Head, in the western side

of the bay, is the anchoring ground known by the name of Thurso. Scrabster Road, which is skirted by a beautiful green bank, in form of a crescent, extending from the town to the extremity of the point of Holburn Head. The country, to the west, south, and east of the town, rises by a gentle acclivity to the extent of some miles; and the intermediate space presents a rich prospect of well cultivated fields and pleasant villas, particularly of Thurso East, anciently called Thurso Castle, the seat of Sir John Sinclair; the improvements around which are extensive. The town is irregularly built, containing no edifices of any note except the church, which is an old substantial Gothic building in good repair. A new town, on a regular plan, is beginning to be feued on the banks of the river, in a pleasant elevated situation and such is the spirit of improvement in the neighbourhood, that inclosed lands let as high as L.5, 5s. per acre. Though the ancient history of this town cannot be traced with any degree of certainty, it is probable, from many circumstances, that in former times it was a place of considerable trade and consequence. Indeed, its happy situation, at the mouth of a river possessing a valuable salmon-fishing, and a natural harbour, must have early rendered it a place of note. The town is a borough of barony, holding of Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster, Baronet, as superior. The charter of erection was granted in 1633, by King Charles the First, in favour of John Master of Berrydale, by which it was entitled "to all and sundry privileges, immunities, and jurisdictions, belonging to a free borough of barony of Scotland," and to hold a weekly market and five free fairs yearly; of which only two are kept. It is governed by a magistracy of two bailies and twelve counsellors, elected by the superior, and retained in office during the superior's pleasure. The principal manufacture of the town is coarse

Thurso. linen cloth. There is a bleachfield and a tannery in the

Harbour.

neighbourhood, which promise to succeed. For the convenience of trade, there is here established a branch of the Bank of Scotland, which is of material advantage, not only to the county of Caithness, but also to the Orkneys.

The harbour is about to be improved. An act of parliament for that purpose has been obtained; and it is intended to make the harbour as complete as possible, so as to admit vessels of from 300 to 500 tons, at least in spring-tides; also to have a dock, a regulating weir, and a slip for ship-building. The whole expence will probably exceed L.10,000. Eight vessels, employed in the fisheries or the coasting trade, belong to the town, Corn and meal are exported to the value of L.12,000 Sterling annually, and fish to a larger amount. A great part of the salmon taken in the river is boiled, and sent to London in kits, to the amount, at an average, of 700 or or 800 kits; besides about 250 barrels, taken here and in the neighbourhood, which are pickled and exported. The herring-fishery is sometimes very considerable. Upwards of 7000 barrels are usually cured annually at the port of Thurso for exportation. Of these two-thirds are salted as white herrings, and the remainder are smoked as red herrings. A considerable cod-fishery is also carried on. Before the commencement of the war of the French revolution, a London fishing-vessel or cod-smack was never seen in the Pentland Frith. Being driven from the Dogger Bank by the annoyance of French and Dutch privateers, they ventured to explore the northern coasts of Caithness and Sutherland in search of cod; and now, as a proof of their success, and that they find no danger in the experiment, it is no uncommon thing to see five-and-twenty London smacks at once lying at anchor in Scrabster Roads. They come upon the coast in September, and continue until March ;

and no sooner carry one cargo of live fish to market than Antiquities. they return for another. For the most part they fish in Pentland Frith during the day-time, and in the evenings return to Scrabster Roads to lie during the night; but sometimes they run as far to the westward as Cape Wrath; and when they do not find it convenient to return to Scrabster Roads, they take shelter in Loch Eribol or Erripool, on the northern coast of Sutherland. The native fishermen at first bore the London smacks no good will, complaining that they carried off the fish which the natives should catch; but the strangers, by degrees, found it necessary to employ northern fishermen as extra hands; which they were tempted to do on account of their accepting lower wages and cheaper provisions than were expected by the English seamen.

Of the antiquities of this county, one that is most ex- Antiquities tensively known has already been mentioned, John-o- John-ofGroat's House. The traditional history of John-of-Groat Groat. is this: In the reign of James the Fourth of Scotland, Malcolm, Gavin, and John de Groat (supposed to have been brothers, and originally from Holland), arrived in Caithness from the south of Scotland, bringing with them a letter written in Latin by that prince, recommending them to the countenance and protection of his loving subjects of the county of Caithness. They purchased or got possession of the lands of Warse or Dungis Bay, lying in the parish of Canisby, on the side of the Pentland Frith; and each of them obtained an equal share of the property they acquired. In process of time their families increased, and there came to be eight different proprietors of the name of Groat, who possessed these lands amongst them; but whether the three original settlers split their property among their children, or whether they purchased for them small possessions from one another, does not ap

Antiqiuties. pear. These eight families having lived peaceably and

comfortably in their small possessions for a number of years, established an annual meeting to celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of their ancestors on that coast. In the course of their festivity on one of these occasions, a question arose respecting the right of taking the door, and sitting at the head of the table, and such like points. of precedency (each contending for the seniority and chieftainship of the clan), which increased to such a height as would probably have proved fatal in its consequences to some, if not all of them, had not John de Groat, who was proprietor of the ferry, interposed. He expatiated on the happiness they had hitherto enjoyed since their arrival in that remote corner, owing to the harmony which had subsisted among them. He assured them, that as soon as they began to split and quarrel among themselves, their neighbours, who till then had treated them with respect, would fall upon them, take their property from them, and expel them from the county. He therefore made a proposal to build a house in a particular form, which should be the property of the whole family, and in which every man should find himself the master, and which should satisfy them all with respect to precedency, and prevent the possibility of such disputes among them at their future anniversary meetings. They all acquiesced, and departed in peace. In due time, John de Groat, to fulfil his engagement, built a room, distinct by itself, of an octagon shape, with eight doors and windows in it; and having placed in the middle a table of oak of the same shape, when the next anniversary meeting took place, he desired each of them to enter at his own door, and sit at the head of the table, he taking himself the seat that was left unoccupied. By this ingenious contrivance, any dispute in regard to rank was prevented, as they all found them,