Gazetteer of Scotland

tin INTRODUCTION.
the Atlantic ocean. Clouds of the fea are fraught with vapour, in proportion
to the extent of the fea over 'which they pafs ; becaufe they are continually
abforbing the exhalations from its furface. Hence it follows that the fame
tract of windy weather, and the fame quantity of hoar or fog imported from
the ocean, will not produce fo much rain on the E. as on the W. coafts.
During the fpring months, however, the W. coafts have the advantage ; for
the eafterly winds in that feafon are generally frofty, by which vegetation is
retarded, and the E. coafts are almoft deprived of the moft pleafant feafon of
the year. As Scotland pofTcffes few or fcarcely any marfhy diftridts, the
climate is more falubrious than in the low and fenny counties of England.
Since the greater part of the marlhy grounds have been drained, agues and
other difeafes, arifing from putrid or marfh miafmata y have almoft difappeared.
SOIL.
The foil con nils of every variety, in nature ; but its general character is in-
ferior in point of fertility to that of England. Perhaps the latenefs of the
feafon, owing to a more northern latitude, may have given rife to this idea ;
for there are many valleys and ftraths, as they are called, which, in early
feafons, are as produ&ive as the moft favoured fields of Effex. With regard
to the foil of the hilly country, an author, eminent for his agricultural abi-
lities, makes a comparifon with the muirlands of Yorkfhire, and the hills of
the Highlands, which we fhall give in his own words. " The foil of the hills,
in the Highlands of Scotland, compared with that of the muirlands of York-
fhire, has a decided preference. Unlefs upon the fummitsof the higher moun-
tains, and where the rock breaks out at the furface, or where this is encum-
bered with loofe ftones or fragments of rock, the hills of the Highlands enjoy
fome portion of foil or earthy ftratum, beneath a thin coat of muir ; while on
the Yorkfhire hills, the muiry earth, generally of greater thicknefs, lies on a
dead fand or an unfertile rubble, without any intervening foil. From the fort
of general knowledge which I muft necefTarily have of both diftricls, I am of
opinion that the Highland hills [apart from the fummits of the higher moun-
tains] are three or four times the value of the eaftern muirlands of Yorkfhire ?
more efpecially of the central or fouthern fwells : the narrow tracl: that hangs
to the N., between Gainfborough and Whitby, is of a better quality ; very
Jimilar in foil to the lower hills of the Highlands."* Of late, a great number
of nobility and gentry have formed themfelves into a fociety, named the
* Marshall's Survey of the Central Highlands of Scotland.