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

1813-1816 191
and I cannot explain our plans better than by troubling your Ladyship
with the inclosed Copy of a letter written to an old friend of mine who
resides near Inverness and who was vexed to hear our plans so much
talked of, perhaps it may be of some use to Sir Humfrey Davie1 who
has so obligingly taken the cause in hand in case he shou’d have to
write more on the subject. Such fellows as the two Brothers2 your
Ladyship alludes to are not worth thinking of and I do not see how
any Gentleman can keep Company with the one here after the anony¬
mous letter written to Mr Cranstoun.
I am glad to find that Government have determined to do away
the Volunteers. If it were not for fear of offence to the officers I shoud
be apt to say that the Local Militia coud be well dispensed with also,
certainly they have not answered the expectations of Government in
proving a nursery for the Army; while it makes the Ballot for the
permanent militia bear hard on a few individuals it materially injures
the Agricultural interest and enables men to avoid the Militia who
have not the smallest intention to become Soldiers. A few thousands
added to the Standing Militia woud surely answer a better purpose.
From it the Men of Scotland are sent to England and Ireland, we
receive the Natives of these Countries in return, a knowledge of each
Country is thereby formed by the Natives of all, and the best possible
result is to be expected, while the Men are usefull in the meantime.
1 have carefully considered of the conversation which your Lady¬
ship has had with Lord Selkirk3 and shoud have been happy indeed
if it had suited His Lordship to send some confidential Agent to offer
an immediate settlement to the Kildonan people in America where I
know they woud have made excellent Labourers. Our road maker
Forsyth says that in Aberdeenshire he woud give a Sutherland Man
sixpence a day more than a Native of that Country while at home he
cannot get many of them to work at all. I cannot however See how
it is possible to keep them on for some years; the Lands which they
now occupy are Set and certainly it woud not answer to Lot others
for their accomodation on which Houses must be built for a shorter
period than nineteen years. Indeed if the people are once Set down
1 Sir Humfrey Davy visited Sutherland in 1812 and studied its geology. He became a
friend of the Leveson-Gower family, and wrote to the press in support of their policies.
2 John Sutherland of Sciberscross and his brother Alexander.
3 See above, i, pp. 142-4.