Page:A Companion and Useful Guide to the Beauties of Scotland.djvu/201

Rh poultry of all sorts, are greatly increased in price since the small farms have decreased in number.

As no coal-pits have been worked north of the Eckles, or Oichill Hills, that necessary article is brought by water to Perth; the Tay being navigable for considerable vessels as high as that town: and as many, if not more, of the Newcastle coals are burnt there, than of Scotch coals; because they are procured full as cheap, if not more so, than the coals from Fife and Stirling-shires.

The labourer, at Perth, gets commonly fifteen-pence a day; in harvest, sixteen-pence, with meat and drink.

Masons' wages, twenty-pence a day; their labourers, fourteen-pence.

In the year 1796, I was pleased to find potatoes were so cheap in Scotland. At Cambleton, in Kintire, they sold forty-four pounds for sixpence; and at Crieff, when cheapest, 360 pounds for four shillings.

In the worst street in Perth, part of the old Castle of Gowrie is still remaining; some military men were quartered in it when I was there; notwithstanding, there are very fine barracks