which the charge of inaccuracy can. not possibly a py. I have mentioned its age and its founder: I have detailed the almost illegible inscriptions (copied on the spot.) importing the grandeur of the owner and the per petuity of the building: I have mentioned its occupation as barracks by Cromwell's soldiers and have read a useful lesson to human arrogance, by announcing the hopeless and irremediable decay of Earl Patrick Stewart's immutable edifice *.

Such are the grounds on which Thule is pleased to declare that P. N.'s extreme deficiency of observation, even on matters the most palpable," must be obvious to every reader! Let every reader judge for himself.

I have now, 4thly, to expose a per. version of my meaning, so barefaced, that it must tend greatly to impeach either Thule's understanding or bis eandour. He alleges, and repeats his allegation, that P. N. has said that "it is for the Shetland landlords' interest that their tenants shall be poor;" and he quaintly, but correctly, adds, that "nothing can be more perfect in its kind than this." Now, the truth is, that the very object of my paper was to prove the erroneousness of the sentiment here held out as being my own. In proof of this, I have only to follow Thule's example in referring the reader to the Magazine for August last, pp. 579,580 I there uniformly speak, not of what is for the landlords' interest, but what has been thought to be so; of practical though not avowed principles of the landholders themselves. Instead of adopting the absurd opinion ascribed to me by Thule, I immediately afterwards (p. 582,) shew, that it would be" for the landholders'

"interest to invite more substantial "tenants, and to grant long leases.”

5. I do not know what to think of Thule's next sentiment. He exultingly remarks, that the poorest Shets land tenants are more independant than substantial tenants possessed of stock. But their independance, he is pleased to argue, lies in their poverty: they have nothing to lose, and

being fishers, they may become "sailors in a moment." This is miserable consolation, surely, to a poor Shetland tenant, with a numerous family!-When Thule thus argus, that the independance of the tenantry consists in their wretchedness and poverty, he exposes more of the cloven foot than his brethren will probably thank him for.

In a subsequent paragraph of the strictures, we are told, that "the ten"ant in Shetland pays for his farm "from one half to two-thirds less "rent than the landlord could obtain "from a tacksman." Now, what is a tacksman? a person from whom the landlord receives a money-rent, and to whom he has no more to say. The opposition here stated, by Thule himself, between a tenant and a tacksman, seems evidently to imply that the Shetland tenant is a dependant creature of the landlord.

6. Whale-fishing exaction.-Thule assures us that he knows of “ many "hundreds of Shetland lads who have "often gone to Greenland, and have "never been fined." But does not Thule see, that his own language at the same time implicitly admits that other hundreds have gone to Greenland and have been fined for going? In my Supplement I have called the exaction a bargain; but the Zetland critic himself here styles it a fine. "A guinea (he says) I should

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suppose a very small fine for a "breach of paction, &c. I do not "believe any thing so small is ac"cepted." What right, I would ask, has a Shetland landlord, more

-

than

than a Lothian one, thus to fine his tenants at discretion?

I have been informed, that this whale-fishing exaction was never before exposed to the public, till the publication of my remarks. If this be the case, the language of Thule, who speaks as if it had been the subject of recently previous discussion, is to me inexplicable.

"The generality of the Shetland"men who have been at the whale. "fishery, do much" (according to Thule) "to corrupt the rest of "their countrymen.' Their ample wages doubtless enable them to buy smuggled gin, when it can be had in the islands: but how the gin is brought thither, I cannot divine, while the landlords (as Thule informs us) are so sedulously engaged in watching over "the morality of the "people!" Honi foit qui mal y pense. 7. Increase of the weight called Lifpound. Thule is pleased repeated ly to allege, that I have " represent.

ed tenants as the sole persons ag"grieved" by this increase; and he anxiously states that the "proprie. "tors whose lands pay teinds are "principally aggrieved." Now, the fact is, that my language does not by any means necessarily imply that tenants are the sole persons aggrie. ved; for I have expressly stated*, that the same increased weight which is demanded in the payment of rent is demanded in the payment of teind, and of "fuperior's duty." It really appears as if Thule had never considered my paper, but had criticized it at random.

8. On the impropriety of levy. ing teind on the shore-fishery, I am fortunate enough to meet with Thule's approbation, though even here he cannot think of allowing me this Consolation, without branding me with the inflammatory name of a

* Magazine for August 1805. P, 581,

"bawler about oppression," and without declaring that it is the “ on ly paragraph in my whole paper in which my information and my judg ment are correct." To prove that this sweeping criticism is nothing but empty declamation, I beg leave to ask him, 1st, If I am not correct in the paragraph which treats of trees, when I affirm that there are none in Shetland, but that the cir cumstance of the shores of Norway being clothed with the silver-fir, shews that there can be nothing in the climate of Shetland incompatible with the growth of timber? 2dly, If I am not correct in my judgment, that one light-house on the east, (at the Skerries of Whalsey,) and another on the west coast of Shetland, (at Papa Stour,) would be of infinite advantage to the shipping? 3dly, E would ask, If I was not correct in my information when I stated that there were no Justices of the Peace in Shetland; and correct in my judg ment that they would be useful in the scattered islands* ? And 4thly,

If

* Justices of the Peace in the different islands might not only greatly promote the improvement of the country, by enforcing the statute-labour, and thus gradually forming some sort of roads; but they might suppress much of the immorality that undeniably prevails in the islands, for example, the pilfering of wrecks. Both in Orkney and Shetland, wrecks are, by the vulgar, considered as God-sends. But, in some late cases, even the lairds themselves have not kept clean hands. proprietor to an officer in his Majesty's "These are my rocks!" said a Shetland naval service, who interfered to protect the cargo of a vessel which was wrecked on them: These are my rocks!" repeated the laird, as if this circumstance gave him an undoubted right to appropriate the cargo to himself. While the landlord avowed such sentiments, what could be expected of the poor te

nantry?

11. Thule denies that the tenants receive unlimited. credit." Yet the truth is, that the circumstance of unlimited credit being allowed by the landlords to their tenants, is expressly stated in the paper given in to the House of Commons on behalf of the Shetland lairds in 1785; where it is candidly confessed that "this "unlimited credit has been attended with the bad effects, of increasing luxury, dissipation, and immorality."

12. He objects to my proposal of the division of employments in Shetland, insisting that an extensive market for the produce must first be acquired. I acknowledge that I proceeded on the supposition that such a market did exist: and I have yet to learn for what article of Shetland produce a market is likely to be wanting. There is a market for its ling and tusk, and for its herring; for its beef, its hides, its oil, and its grease-butter; for the copper ore found in its bowels, and the kelp manufactured on its shores. The landlords have themselves informed me, that, even in the best seasons, the agricultural produce of the country is utterly inadequate to the demand of its own population; and that, in indifferent seasons, the produce cannot meet above four or five months consumption. They have proclaimed aloud the large sums which they annually disburse in importing grain for the aliment of their tenants: And yet I am now coolly told, that a market would be wanting for any additional Shetland produce. Is Thule seriously afraid that, under a different course of management, Shetland would become too productive, and would overstock the market?

13. Villages-Thule's chief objection to the establishment of villages, is, that the inhabitants might feel difficulty in procuring fuel. But the large islands are every where in tersected by voes, or winding gulfs Feb. 1806.

and bays; and villages situated on the banks of these, would, by means of boats, have an easy communication with an extent of peat moss, which could not be exhausted in an age.

14. Rents. Thule explicitly admits that the Shetland landlords "do "not allow the tenants a price for "their fish equal to their full value:" and the reason assigned for this co duct is, that "the rents are exces

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con

sively below the real value of the "lands." But this apology loses much of its plausibility, when we learn, that, though the rents have not been nominally raised for a long period of time, they have in reality been raised: for that, though the tenant pays only the same number of lispounds, the lispound, isstead of being valued by the laird at 5s. as formerly, is now valued at 16s., that is, while the tenant pays only the same number of lispounds as formerly, the landlord now takes more than three times the quantity of produce he formerly took.

15.-Let us now hear the leading improvement proposed by Thule himself. "All the money-rents in "Shetland (he says) ought to be "abolished, and these made payable "wholly in the most common pro

ductions of the country." One would think it a conclusion clear as sunshine, that such a plan would effectually fetter the tenant in the management of his farm. By what standard, further, would the value of the productions be ascertained? for even Thule would not, surely, propose that the landlord should be the sole valuator, or that the te nant should derive no advan. tage from a rise in the market.-What security would the tenant have that his laird would give him a proportionably higher price according to the goodness in quality of his I duce? and without this spur wi at motive would the tenant hove to improve, by care and skill, the various

-pro

processes through which the articles of his produce must pass before being ready for market?

16. The landlords (we are told) "are the exporters of the produce "of their own estates." They are not, it would appear however, necessi tated to be so; for they complain bitterly of what they call gaggers, i. o. pedlars, who surreptitiously pass through the islands, and, by giving a much higher price than the lairds, 'obtain the best articles of produce from the little farmers! It is evident that these yaggers must find their profit in this traffic; and it is equally evident that yaggers of a higher order, or travelling merchants, would regularly visit Shetland, if the lairds did not stipulate with their tenants for the delivery, into their own stores, of their produce of every kind.

To crown all, we are told that the landlord's profit on the fishing is "about 16 per cent." Credat Judaus apella.

Thule has thought fit, as an appen. dix to his strictures, to exhibit a string of absurdities, alleged to have been published as discoveries in political economy, by those whom he accounts his adversaries. Those that are ascribed to me, are one and allofthem unfounded (as I have shewn in the course of the preceding review; they are the inventions of Thule's own prolific brain, to which he has seen fit to foist in my initials. It is not my business to defend Vindicator; and Thule may plume himself on a victory in his absence from the field. Mr Menzies, the worthy clergyman of Lerwick, is indeed slightly known to me; but I never conversed with him on these subjects, and I am confident he can answer for himself*.

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The severity of Thule's animadversions has not, I trust, made me appear to lose temper, though it may just

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managing in Shetland, in terms of de"cided disapprobation." But this seems to imply only the limited extent of Thule's reading: for I am well entitled to retort the converse on Thule, and to

say, that, besides Thule and " A Friend to Zetland," I have seen no publication that decidedly approves of the Shetland management, though, of late, I have endeavoured to acquaint myself with every book that touches on the subject. I know that Mr White, in his prize essay on the Scots Fisheries, gives the Shetland landlords credit for producing well-cured fish ; but this praise he would equally have bestowed, had they employed Negro-slaves, instead of fishingfarmers, in the catching and curing of the fish.

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I beg the reader's particular attention to the conclusion of the Letter addressed by the Shetland Landlords to the Highland Society in 1802. It is concluded with an ardent apostrophe to the shade of PENNANT: " O Pennant! "friend of human kind! had your soft "pencil depicted our country and us, how "pleasing a contrast would have been "produced! Where you could not ap66 prove, you would mildly have mark"ed our errors, and by the suavity of

46

your rebuke, allured us from them. "You would have concluded that even "Shetland was the work of God!"

This Letter was publicly avowed, (in name of "many more,") by "Thomas Bolt, John Mouat, Gideon Gifford of Busta, Robert Robertson of Gossaburgh, and Thomas Mouat of Garth", five of the principal landholders in Shetland. It so happens that Mr Pennant has given his opinion of Shetland and of Shetland lairds, of their country and of them; and I shall lay it before the reader in Mr Pennant's own words: "In these distant "islands the hand of oppression reigns "uncontrolled. The poor vassals, in "defiance of laws still kept in bondage,

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are compelled to slave and hazard "their lives in the capture, to deliver "their fish to their lords for a trifling sum, who sell them to adventurers

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any

" from