the life of thomas telford-第42部分

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fishermen　during　the　herring　season；　and　it　was　hoped　that；　if　they

could　be　induced　to　form　a　settlement　at　the　place；　their　example

might　exercise　a　beneficial　influence　upon　the　population。



Mr。　Telford　reported　that；　by　the　expenditure　of　about　5890L。；　a

capacious　and　well…protected　tidal　basin　might　be　formed；　capable

of　containing　about　two　hundred　herring…busses。　　The　Commission

adopted　his　plan；　and　voted　the　requisite　funds　for　carrying　out

the　works；　which　were　begun　in　1808。　　The　new　station　was　named

Pulteney　Town；　in　compliment　to　Sir　William　Pulteney；　the　Governor

of　the　Fishery　Society；　and　the　harbour　was　built　at　a　cost　of

about　12；000L。；　of　which　8500L。　was　granted　from　the　Forfeited

Estates　Fund。　　A　handsome　stone　bridge；　erected　over　the　River　Wick

in　1805；　after　the　design　of　our　engineer；　connect's　these

improvements　with　the　older　town：　it　is　formed　of　three　arches；

having　a　clear　waterway　of　156　feet。



The　money　was　well　expended；　as　the　result　proved；　and　Wick　is　now；

we　believe；　the　greatest　fishing　station　in　the　world。　　The　place

has　increased　from　a　little　poverty…stricken　village　to　a　large　and

thriving　town；　which　swarms　during　the　fishing　season　with　lowland

Scotchmen；　fair　Northmen；　broad…built　Dutchmen；　and　kilted

Highlanders。　The　bay　is　at　that　time　frequented　by　upwards　of　a

thousand　fishing…boats　and　the　take　of　herrings　in　some　years

amounts　to　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　barrels。　　The　harbour　has

of　late　years　been　considerably　improved　to　meet　the　growing

requirements　of　the　herring　trade；　the　principal　additions　having

been　carried　out；　in　1823；　by　Mr。　Bremner；*＇1＇　a　native　engineer

of　great　ability。



＇Image＇　Folkestone　Harbour。



Improvements　of　a　similar　kind　were　carried　out　by　the　Fishery

Board　at　other　parts　of　the　coast；　and　many　snug　and　convenient

harbours　were　provided　at　the　principal　fishing　stations　in　the

Highlands　and　Western　Islands。　　Where　the　local　proprietors　were

themselves　found　expending　money　in　carrying　out　piers　and　harbours；

the　Board　assisted　them　with　grants　to　enable　the　works　to　be

constructed　in　the　most　substantial　manner　and　after　the　most

approved　plans。　Thus；　along　that　part　of　the　bold　northern　coast　of

the　mainland　of　Scotland　which　projects　into　the　German　Ocean；　many

old　harbours　were　improved　or　new　ones　constructedas　at　Peterhead；

Frazerburgh；　Banff；　Cullen；　Burgh　Head；　and　Nairn。　　At　Fortrose；

in　the　Murray　Frith；　at　Dingwall；　in　the　Cromarty　Frith；

at　Portmaholmac；　within　Tarbet　Ness；　the　remarkable　headland　of　the

Frith　of　Dornoch；　at　Kirkwall；　the　principal　town　and　place　of

resort　in　the　Orkney　Islands；　so　well　known　from　Sir　Walter　Scott's

description　of　it　in　the　'Pirate；'　at　Tobermory；　in　the　island　of

Mull；　and　at　other　points　of　the　coast；　piers　were　erected　and

other　improvements　carried　out　to　suit　the　convenience　of　the

growing　traffic　and　trade　of　the　country。



The　principal　works　were　those　connected　with　the　harbours　situated

upon　the　line　of　coast　extending　from　the　harbour　of　Peterhead；

in　the　county　of　Aberdeen；　round　to　the　head　of　the　Murray　Frith。

The　shores　there　are　exposed　to　the　full　force　of　the　seas　rolling　in

from　the　Northern　Ocean；　and　safe　harbours　were　especially　needed

for　the　protection　of　the　shipping　passing　from　north　to　south。

Wrecks　had　become　increasingly　frequent；　and　harbours　of　refuge

were　loudly　called　for。　　At　one　part　of　the　coast；　as　many　as

thirty　wrecks　had　occurred　within　a　very　short　time；　chiefly　for

want　of　shelter。



The　situation　of　Peterhead　peculiarly　well　adapted　it　for　a　haven

of　refuge；　and　the　improvement　of　the　port　was　early　regarded　as　a

matter　of　national　importance。　　Not　far　from　it；　on　the　south；　are

the　famous　Bullars　or　Boilers　of　Buchanbold　rugged　rocks；　some

200　feet　high；　against　which　the　sea　beats　with　great　fury；　boiling

and　churning　in　the　deep　caves　and　recesses　with　which　they　are

perforated。　　Peterhead　stands　on　the　most　easterly　part　of　the

mainland　of　Scotland；　occupying　the　north…east　side　of　the　bay；

and　being　connected　with　the　country　on　the　northwest　by　an　isthmus

only　800　yards　broad。　　In　Cromwell's　time；　the　port　possessed　only

twenty　tons　of　boat　tonnage；　and　its　only　harbour　was　a　small　basin

dug　out　of　the　rock。　　Even　down　to　the　close　of　the　sixteenth

century　the　place　was　but　an　insignificant　fishing　village。　　It　is

now　a　town　bustling　with　trade；　having　long　been　the　principal　seat

of　the　whale　fishery；　1500　men　of　the　port　being　engaged　in　that

pursuit　alone；　and　it　sends　out　ships　of　its　own　building　to　all

parts　of　the　world；　its　handsome　and　commodious　harbours　being

accessible　at　all　winds　to　vessels　of　almost　the　largest　burden。



＇Image＇　Peterhead



It　may　be　mentioned　that　about　sixty　years　since；　the　port　was

formed　by　the　island　called　Keith　Island；　situated　a　small　distance

eastward　from　the　shore；　between　which　and　the　mainland　an　arm　of

the　sea　formerly　passed。　　A　causeway　had；　however；　been　formed

across　this　channel；　thus　dividing　it　into　two　small　bays；　after

which　the　southern　one　had　been　converted　in　to　a　harbour　by　means

of　two　rude　piers　erected　along　either　side　of　it。　　The　north　inlet

remained　without　any　pier；　and　being　very　inconvenient　and　exposed

to　the　north…easterly　winds；　it　was　little　used。



＇Image＇　Peterhead　Harbour。



The　first　works　carried　out　at　Peterhead　were　of　a　comparatively

limited　character；　the　old　piers　of　the　south　harbour　having　been

built　by　Smeaton；　but　improvements　proceeded　apace　with　the

enterprise　and　wealth　of　the　inhabitants。　　Mr。　Rennie；　and　after

him　Mr。　Telford；　fully　reported　as　to　the　capabilities　of　the　port

and　the　best　means　of　improving　it。　　Mr。　Rennie　recommended　the

deepening　of　the　south　harbour　and　the　extension　of　the　jetty　of

the　west　pier；　at　the　same　time　cutting　off　all　projections　of　rock

from　Keith　Island　on　the　eastward；　so　as　to　render　the　access　more

easy。　The　harbour；　when　thus　finished；　would；　he　estimated；　give

about　17　feet　depth　at　high　water　of　spring　tides。　　He　also

proposed　to　open　a　communication　across　the　causeway　between　the

north　and　south　harbours；　and　form　a　wet　dock　between　them；　580

feet　long　and　225　feet　wide；　the　water　being　kept　in　by　gates　at

each　end。　　He　further　proposed　to　provide　an　entirely　new　harbour；

by　constructing　two　extensive　piers　for　the　effectual　protection　of

the　northern　part　of　the　channel；　running　out　one　from　a　rock　north

of　the　Green　Island；　about　680　feet　long；　and　another　from　the　Roan

Head；　450　feet　long；　leaving　an　opening　between　them　of　70　yards。

This　comprehensive　plan　unhappily　could　not　be　carried　out　at　the

time　for　want　of　funds；　but　it　may　be　said　to　have　formed　the

groundwork　of　all　that　has　been　subsequently　done　for　the

improvement　of　the　port　of　Peterhead。



It　was　resolved；　in　the　first　place；　to　commence　operations　by

improving　the　south　harbour；　and　protecting　it　more　effectually

from　south…easterly　winds。　　The　bottom　of　the　harbour　was

accordingly　deepened　by　cutting　out　30；000　cubic　yards　of　rocky

ground；　and　part　of　Mr。　Rennie's　design　was　carried　out　by

extending　the　jetty　of　the　west　pier；　though　only　for　a　distance　of

twenty　yards。　　These　works　were　executed　under　Mr。　Telford's

directions；　they　were　completed　by　the　end　of　the　year　1811；　and

proved　to　be　of　great　public　convenience。



The　trade　of　the　town；　however；　so　much　increased；　and　the　port　was

found　of　such　importance　as　a　place　of　refuge　for　vessels

frequenting　the　north　seas；　that　in　1816　it　was　determined　to

proceed　with　the　formation　of　a　harbour　on　the　northern　part　of　the

old　channel；　and　the　inhabitants　having　agreed　among　themselves　to

contribute　to　the　extent　of　10；000L。　towards　carrying　out　the

necessary　works；　they　applied　for　the　grant　of　a　like　sum　from　the

Forfeited　Estates　Fund；　which　was　eventually　voted　for　the　purpose。

The　plan　adopted　was　on　a　more　limited　scale　than　that　Proposed　by

Mr。　Rennie；　but　in　the　same　direction　and　contrived　with　the　same

object；so　that；　when　completed；　vessels　of　the　largest　burden

employed　in　the　Greenland　fishery　might　be　able　to　enter　one　or

other　of　the　two　harbours　and　find　safe　shelter；　from　whatever

quarter　the　wind　might　blow。



The　works　were　vigorously　proceeded　with；　and　had　made　considerable

progress；　when；　in　October；　1819；　a　violent　hurricane　from　the

north…east；　which　raged　along　the　coast　for　several　days；　and

inflicted　heavy　damage　on　many　of　the　northern　harbours；　destroyed

a　large　part　of　the　unfinished　masonry　and　hurled　the　heaviest

blocks　into　the　sea；　tossing　them　about　as　if　they　had　been

pebbles。　　The　finished　work　had；　however；　stood　well；　and　the

foundations　of　the　piers　under　low　water　were　ascertained　to　have

remained　comparatively　uninjured。　　There　was　no　help　for　it　but　to

repair　the　damaged　work；　though　it　involved　a　heavy　additional

cost；　one…half　of　which　was　borne　by　the　Forfeited　Estates　Fund　and

the　remainder　by　the　inhabitants。　　Increased　strength　was　also

given　to　the　more　exposed　parts　of　the　pierwork；　and　the　slope　at

the　sea　side　of　the　breakwater　was　considerably　extended。*＇2＇

Those　alterations　in　the　design　were　carried　out；　together　with　a

spacious　graving…dock；　as　shown　in　the　preceding　plan；　and　they

proved　completely　successful；　enabling　Peterhead　to　offer　an　amount

of　accommodation　for　shipping　of　a　more　effectual　kind　than　was　at

that　time　to　be　met　with　along　the　whole　eastern　coast　of　Scotland。



The　old　harbour　of　Frazerburgh；　situated　on　a　projecting　point　of

the　coast　at　the　foot　of　Mount　Kennaird；　about　twenty　miles　north

of　Peterhead；　had　become　so　ruinous　that　vessels　lying　within　it

received　almost　as　little　shelter　as　if　they　had　been　exposed　in

the　open　sea。　　Mr。　Rennie　had　prepared　a　plan　for　its　improvement

by　running　out　a　substantial　north…eastern　pier；　and　this　was