Solitude and Peace reign here undifturbed, except by the rattling Tourift, who excites envy and falfe ideas of happinefs among the peacefull inhabitants; for now it ceases to excite laughter or contempt, when the ruddy lafs forgets her dialect, and appears at church in a tall bonnet fluttering with ribbands. Turnpike roads have deftroyed provincial manners and provincial dialects; for, as GOLDSMITH fays, “Fafhions now not only travel to the exteriours of the Kingdom in ftage coaches, but in the very bafket.” Every place in this Ifland is now only London out of town.
A Walker. Observations Natural, Oeconomical and Literary Made in a Tour from London to the Lakes in the Summer of 1791
CHAPTER 52 THE SUMMER OF 1719
“I hope your no a crew of pirates, mad on Ferintosh, come to despoil Strath Saltire,” said the tall man.
“No Sir. We are all Kings Men, and I believe we prefer rum. I am myself Midshipman Kirk, come here from The Enterprize.”
“Aye well, ye have the look all the same as buccaneers. Flamboyant cut-throats. I had thought 'twas Blackbeard himself, come from America to throw in wi the Jacobites. But I see two of you are in the colours of King Billy.”
“The two men in orange coats are Marines.” said Kirk “Soldiers who go to sea. The latest idea to defend our realm. Not only Redcoats Sir, but Orangecoats as well.
“Aye. Orange coats is it. There's something new under the Sun every day now. The bairns a' say ye come from Enterprize. Since ye anchored before Cromarty, there’s talk o’ little else. I see you have brought a black slave with you as well.”
“I be no slave Zir.” said the Black Man. “T'were Blackbeard Teach his self freed I on Queen Ann's Revenge Zir. He taught I proper. Bristol fashion. Then I takes up King Georges Pardon. I be a Kings man now Zir. They say I be Holder, cos what I az I holds, an what I holds I keeps.” He gripped the handle of his cutlass.
“Thank you Holder.” said Kirk “ Now Sir. Perhaps you would be good enough to direct me to the Saltire school house?”
“This is Saltire School,” said the tall man.
“I’m sorry Sir? This is the school?” It's walls were stone and peat. No windows, no chimney, smoke seeping through the turf and bracken roof, and round boards that blocked the entrance. “This is the school?”
“Aye of course.” The man adjusted his threadbare wig.
“Sir. Are you the Tutor Campbell?”
“Aye. Sent here by The SSPCK. The Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge. And I’ll thank ye not to burn me out.”
Tutor Campbell watched the sailors, white and black, settle on the bank where he gave lessons. Their clothes patched and re sewn, cutlasses dulled from age and use, pistol barrels dark and long.
“Sir. We burn the houses of Jacobites as punishment for rising against the Government of the United Kingdom,” said Kirk watching a few raged children who had followed them up the lane.
“Aye. The United Kingdom is it. This Act of Union may enrich the Merchants o’ Glasgow, but its done aught for folks here. Folk that earned an honest living wi' tweed and tartans. Now all wear English cloth so cheap it puts them to starvation. Puts money to cotton merchants in India. Puts Scots to rent farms in Ireland. Puts Scots on the road to England. Working for potteries and mines.”
“Sir. I assure you that Highlanders in Glasgow and London wear boots on their feet and live under slate roofs with coals on their fires. The lowest servants there are better fed than any here.”
Kirk looked at the children. Half clothed, half starved, just staring dumbly back. Now an old woman, hunched up in soil coloured woollen petticoats and shawls hobbled up the lane after the children.
“Aye. But Kirk is a guid Scots name. Though ye’ve the speech of a sasenach. Perhaps your forefathers hailed from Scotland? Do you no feel some sympathy for poor folk hear aboots. Hounded from hame by the Redcoats. Turned oot destitute and starving into freezing nights and…”
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