Series 4 > Papers on Sutherland Estate Management 1802-1816 > Volume 9

158 SUTHERLAND ESTATE MANAGEMENT: CORRESPONDENCE
it was not promising. However on a trial after a scientifick method
their Opinion changed. They found it to be Coal of a good quality,
though of the soddering kind, and therefore said they should by all
means advise sinking a Shaft for such Coal. This has given Lord
Stafford great satisfaction and he foresees a probability, if the Pitts
also afford Iron Stone, of establishing an Iron work, and it makes
him the more anxious that Mr Young should come as early as
possible in October to see the Lilleshall Iron and Coal works, which
are to the extent of 20 or 30,000^ per annum; and after seeing the
processes there, Bradshaw wishes to see Mr Young and you at
Liverpool etc., where he will let you into some of his secrets and
make you fully acquainted with these very extensive affairs-Coal
to the amount of perhaps ^25,000 per annum etc. I foresee when
Manufactures are established at Pittentrail, that a navigation may be
carried there by the water of Strathflete and so on perhaps to Lairg
and by Loch Shin to the interior of the Country. It will be well to
keep the idea suggested by Pointzfield, in view of purchasing the
Barony of Gruids, if he will listen to any tolerable price.
As to the Fisheries I shall say nothing till we see what Mr Young
thinks from his correspondence with Forbes.1 Lord Stafford desires
you to suggest to him that if the Coal work is established at Brora,
it may save a great deal of trouble and expence to let the coal water
at once run off by the River even though the Brora Salmon fishing
should be spoilt lay it, but that in this case it might be well before¬
hand to know and settle what deduction should be made from the
Fishing rent, did such a circumstance take place; and therefore he
thinks this ought to be in view in a new Tack, that the whole con¬
cern may not be again thrown open by it. If the fishing of Brora
could be separately valued, and in that event by deducting it the
affair would go on, and perhaps some of the Fish driven from thence
would resort to the other rivers and make them more plentiful.
This is all that occurs to him on this affair.
Before I received your Letters, we had signed and sent Sellar’s
Lease2 as made out by Mackenzie. I daresay it will all do very well,
the planting then cannot be an object of very great consequence....
[family news and gossip].
1 Messrs Forbes of Aberdeen, former tenants of the Sutherland salmon fishings.
2 Of Culmaily.