Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 4

THE CELTIC MAGAZINE.
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the hills contiguous to the proposed canal may contain hidden treasures
that, if discovered, would prove a new source of national wealth ; and
from the state of the loch and river of I^ess never being liable to freeze, it
seems to indicate that theij flow on minerals of a mild tenijjeratme'' This
last statement almost matches the wonderful testimony of Mr Headrick,
the author of the second paper, in regard to the vast accumulations of
shell-marl which could be utilized by means of the canal. " The animals
which produce this substance are very prolific ; and many species of them
seem not to live longer than one season. . I have opened many bivalves
of tliis class of animals in autumn, and often found five nr six younij
shell-fishes, perfectly formed, inclnded loithin their parent. Wlien winter
approaches, these animals retu-e to the deepest part of the pool, out of the
Teach of frost. When the warm season returns, the young animals con-
tinue to grow till they force open the shell of their mother. It would
therefore seem that these animals perish in the act of producing their
young !" p. 380.
The Freeholder of Inverness-shire thus vsums up the argument of his
Letter to Lord Adam Gordon : the opening of the canal would promote
agriculture and manufactures, considerably advance the rents of the land-
holders, increase the revenue of the State, and be " a total check to the
progress of emigration."
Turn we now to the Essay on the same subject by Mr Headrick, This
gentleman, it may be well to observe in the outset, is nothing if not prac-
tical and rigidly scientific. He is especially scientific on the subject of
limestone, which occupies seven pages of his Essay, including tAvo pages of
talndar analysis of various specimens of limestone taken from the lands
Df " .Sir James Grant of Urquhart, Captain Eraser of Fyars, and Mr Mac-
ionnel of Glengarry." It is carefuUy stated that these analyses were made
iccording to " an easy plan of analysing calcareous substances " which Mr
Eeadrick himself had discovered, and which was given to the world in his
Essay on Manures, published by the Board of Agriculture. He is also
profoundly technical on " the salt called Sulphate of Iron, vulgarly Cop-
oeras," and recommends the erection of works for the manufacture of this
substance at Drumnadrochit, where is " a vast store of excellent materials"
for such a work.
On the subject of Iron ores, some of his observations will bear quota-
ion, and the proprietors of the lands indicated might find their interest
ui verifying his references. " Very pure and rich ironstone appears
among the rocks behind Polmaily. What I saw is very porous and cel-
lular, honce has not much specific gravity. This ironstone has been
W^rought to a considerable extent at some remote period, though I coidd
not find that the people have preserved any knowledge of the fact, even
in tradition. The adjoining moors are fuU of the refuse of old iron fur-
aaces. These exhibit a specimen of the first and rudest attempts to con-
cert ironstone into its metallic form. The smelting of iron is so far from
being an obvious process, and is attended with so much difficulty, that
wherever it is practised we are always led to infer a very advanced state
rf the arts. Gold, silver, copper, lead, and other metals, were discovered and
pplied to use long before iron was knoAvn. But a warlike race, like the
ancient Highlanders, as soon as they acquired any knowledge of this art,