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 . This valuation was considered to be equal to the half of the real rent at that period, after deducting all public burdens; but in 1798, when the agricultural survey of the County was published, the gross rental had risen to L. 89,000, collected from upwards of 2700 tenants; and in 1811 the rent of the whole County, of which the Islands might produce about a fifth, amounted to L. 192,073, 14s. 2d. for the lands, and for the houses to. L. 5208, 18s. 10d. The frequent transference of landed property, which has taken place in this County within the last fifty years, and the example and encouragement of the Duke of Argyle, the greatest landholder in it, cannot fail to extend a more beneficial system of rural economy.

Cattle were long the principal source of the revenue of the landholders and tenantry of Argyleshire; and the native breed, which has been improved of late by more careful treatment, is well known to be equal, if not superior, to any other race of cattle in the kingdom. Their number in 1798 was computed at upwards of 50,000, and they are understood to have increased since; for though they are now excluded from the more elevated tracts, which are mare profitably occupied by sheep, the improved management of the lower grounds has, upon the whole, enlarged the means of their subsistence. These cattle are sent from the country in a store condition, commonly when about three years old, and fatted on the pastures of the south, the greater number for the consumption of England. The dairy begins to be an object of attention in the peninsula of Kintyre, where there is a large proportion of arable land, but cannot be extended to the inland and more mountainous districts of the county.

Until the middle of last century, the only sheep in Argyleshire (and their number was inconsiderable), were of the small native race, the same that are still to be found in the Hebrides, and in most parts of the Highlands of Scotland and of Wales. About that period coarse woolled heath sheep were introduced into the higher and more barren districts; and as it was soon discovered that the scanty herbage of these gloomy mountains, could be converted into a much greater quantity of mutton than of beef, besides yielding a valuable article of manufacture,—these hardy animals soon spread over extensive regions, upon which cattle could barely subsist in the summer months: and the income of the landed proprietors, and of the public, was accordingly augmented in proportion. Notwithstanding the outcry of ignorance, and the more mischievous speculations of mistaken philanthropy, the introduction of this species of live stock, now increased to about 300,000, has not, as we shall see immediately, had the effect of diminishing the population of Argyleshire.

In this division of the County, there is a considerable extent of natural coppice woods; probably near 40,000 acres, which are cut periodically, commonly every 19 or 20 years, and are understood to return about 20s. per acre annually. Very extensive plantations have been formed by the Duke of Argyle and other proprietors. About 20 years ago, those of his Grace were reckoned to contain 2,000,000 of trees, then worth 4s. each, amounting to the enormous sum of L. 400,000.

Next in importance to its agriculture, are the fisheries, which, from the great extent of sea coast, and the form of the district, penetrated in almost every direction by arms of the sea, and traversed by extensive lakes, ought to furnish food and employment to the inhabitants, to an extent, perhaps, still greater than their barren territory and ungenial climate can supply. Some notion of their great importance may be formed, when we are told that the herrings caught in Lochfine alone, in the years 1794 and 1795, were computed to be worth more than L. 80,000 (Smith’s Survey, 1798). But the regulations of the revenue laws in regard to salt are universally complained of, as an intolerable grievance; forming an insuperable obstruction to the industry of the lower classes, who have not the means, nor even the knowledge, which a strict compliance with these regulations requires. Whole cargoes of herrings have been thrown into the sea in a putrid state, and others used as manure, in consequence of the inability of the fishermen to find surety for the requisite supply of salt, according to law.

The mainland of Argyleshire is principally composed of primitive rocks, which, in some quarters, are skirted and intermixed with those of the transition class; while flœtz rocks occur very sparingly. No volcanic rocks have hitherto been met with in the mainland of Argyleshire, but those of an alluvial nature abound everywhere. The primitive and transition rocks are stratified, and the general direction of the strata is from NE. to SW. The primitive rocks are granite, gneiss, mica slate, clay slate, limestone, porphyry, sienite, trap, and quartz rock. The transition rocks are greywacke, greywacke slate, clay slate, trap, and quartz; and the flœtz rocks are red sandstone, conglomerate, and rocks of the coal formation. The Islands off the coast of Argyleshire afford highly interesting examples of rocks of the different classes; Isla and Jura of the primitive and transition rocks; Mull of flœtz and primitive rocks; Staffa, Rum, and Cannay, of flœtz rocks; and Coll, Tyree, and Iona, of primitive rocks.

Coal has been wrought for many years near Campbelltown in Kintyre, and lead at Strontian in Sunart; and besides the slate quarries of Eisdale, an Island belonging to this County, others have been opened at Ballachelish in Appin.

Manufactures have made little progress in this district, and no attempts to establish them upon a large scale have yet been successful. Mr Dale endeavoured to extend to it some branches of the cotton manufacture, which failed, it is said, from want of water carriage; but a number of weavers in Campbelltown and its neighbourhood, have been employed for some time in working cottons from Glasgow. The late Duke of Argyle, almost 40 years ago, set on foot a woollen manufactory near Inverary, which, notwithstanding very uncommon encouragement given to it by his Grace and the other landed proprietors, has been long in rather a languishing state. There is a bleachfield in Kintyre; tanneries at Campbelltown and Oban; iron works in Upper Lorn and at Rh