NORTHERN DIVISION OF SCOTLAND.

THE Northern Division of Scotland is separated from the Middle by a chain of lakes, stretching from the Moray Frith, to the coast of Lochaber, and which are united by the Caledonian Canal, scarcely equalled in Europe in its wideness or in its depth. This division consists of the counties of Inverness, Cromarty, Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness.

COUNTY OF INVERNESS.

This county, though not the most populous, is among the most extensive of the kingdom; its greatest length, from east to west, being eighty miles, and its greatest breadth nearly fifty. It is bounded on the north by the shire of Ross, and part of the Moray Frith; on the east by Elgin, Moray, and Aberdeen ; on the south by Perth and Argyle; and on the west by the Atlantic ocean. Several of the Hebrides are attached to this county." *

The vale of Glenmore-nahalabin extends through the centre of the county from east to west, having a chain of lakes, Loch Ness, Loch Oich, Loch Lochy, and an arm of the sea called Lochiel, through which is cutting the navigable canal, to unite the eastern and western oceans: on each side of this extensive vale, the surface is wild, barren, and mountainous.

The banks of the lakes, and the vallies, have many tracts of good arable land, and the county is every where intersected by numerous rapid currents, which unite and form rivers, the whole of them abounding with trout and salmon. On the borders of the county

The Isle of Sky, and the islands of Harris, Barra, Eigg, Benbecula, and of North and South Uist, are politically situated within this county: a particular account of which, with all the other islands appertaining to Scotland, has been given in our description of the British Islands.

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are several extensive tracts of fir wood, the evident remains of large forests.

The principal river is the Spey, which rises in a small loch, twelve miles south from Fort Augustus, and crossing a part of the county of Murray in a northeast direction, runs into the Frith of Murray, three miles north from Fochabers; for the last twenty-five miles of its course it separates the county of Murray from that of Bamff.

Among the mountains, Bennevis, near Fort William, is the most lofty, being upwards of 4300 feet above the level of the sea: the summit is always covered with snow; a great part of it is composed of beautiful brown porphyry, among which is found green porphyry mixed with quartz: the red granite found in this mountain is the most beautiful of any known in the world. There are several other mountains adjoining Bennevis, of nearly the same elevation.

Agriculture is conducted on the eastern side of the County, with as much skill, spirit, and success, as in any tract northward of the Grampians. In the interior, and on the western coast, it however languishes, under the obstructions of the soil and climate; for along the whole of the western coast, the climate is much more rainy than on the eastern side of the island; it is seldom fair weather there, with a westerly wind; they do not therefore depend on saving their corn in the open air drying-houses are contrived, where the sheaves hung single, each upon a peg, become fit in a few days, even of rain, to be built in a small stack, to make way on the pegs for the sheaves of another field. The crops, in a great degree uncertain, are inadequate to the support of the people; they are almost, without exception, restricted to the most degenerated species of oats, with the hairy-bearded husk, a light small kind of bear and potatoe, which forms a great proportion of their vegetable diet.

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The principal employment of the farmer is the management of black cattle and sheep, and there are nu

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merous herds of goats; and the mountains and forests re inhabited by immense herds of red deer and roes: Alpine, and the common hares, with a variety of other game, are likewise found in abundance.

The exports of this county may be enumerated under the articles of cattle, wool, corn, the skins of goats, deer, roes, foxes, hares, and rabbits; salmon, herring, some dry and salted fish, some fir timber, with the labours of the hempen and thread manufactures. The spinning of flax and wool is the occupation of the women over the whole county. A small proportion of the wool is manufactured into the homespunstuffs.

Though the Erse is the language of the country, very good English is spoken in the town of Inverness, and its neighbourhood, and also in the vicinity of the forts. The inhabitants were indebted for the introduction of the English, and for several useful arts, to the soldiers under Oliver Cromwell, who were stationary here, for a considerable time.

The military roads through this once impenetrable country, made by the soldiers under General Wade, never fail to excite the astonishment of travellers, being often carried over mountains, and extensive morasses. His object was to open a communication with the other parts of the country, so as to keep the Highlanders in subjection, by connecting the two forts, Fort William and Fort George; for which purpose, he built another in the centre, which he called Fort Augustus.

In the district of Glenelg, are the ruins of some of those circular towers, similar to what is met with in the Western Isles; they are round and tapering like glass-houses within, horizontal galleries go quite round, connected by stairs, which ascend quite to the top, the roof being open. Antiquaries have not decided for what purpose these towers were built; by some, however, they are thought to be Danish forts, by others Druidical temples. The vitrified fort, on

the summit of Craig Phatric, near Inverness, is a very remarkable structure, and has also attracted the notice of the antiquary; some maintaining that the vitrification is the effect of a volcano, others that it is the work of art.

Near Fort William, in the bed of the river Nevis, is a singular vein of marble, of a black ground, with a beautiful white flowering, like needle-work. Here are also veins of lead and iron, and one of silver has been wrought, but unsuccessfully. The want of coal, and indeed the scarcity of fuel of every description, is severely felt in this county.

Inverness-shire comprehends the districts of Ba denoch, Lochaber, and Glenelg, which are subdivided into thirty-one parochial districts; containing 14516 houses, inhabited by 74,292 persons, viz. 33,801 males, and 40,491 females; of which number, 34,068 were returned by the late population act, as being chiefly occupied in agriculture; and 3,864 in various trades, and manufactures. The principal towns are Inverness, Fort William, or Inverlochy, and Fort Augustus.

The parish of AKDERSIER is situated on the Murray Frith, on the western confines of Nairn. It is about two miles and a half square, and contains 241 houses, and 1041 inhabitants, viz. 479 males, and 562 females; of whom 88 were returned in the late population act, as being employed in agriculture, and 115 in trade and manufacture. The surface of this parish is in general level, though a great portion of it remains in its natural state of moorish sterility.

This parish contains the village of Campbeltown, which owes its rise to Fort George; but it scarcely contains three hundred inhabitants.

Fort George is a regular fortification, built since the year 1746, upon fifteen acres of a level point, projecting into the Frith of Murray, the ramparts, on three sides, rising almost out of the sea; it is said to be one of the most regular fortifications in Britain, every member of the work being mutually covered by

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