The lack of population and the paucity of goods apart from agricultural products have handicapped the local railways, which are far from prosperous. The chances of extension in other directions are very remote. Meantime outlying districts, such as Strathdon and Braemar, are served by motors. The holiday and tourist traffic during the summer months and the influx of sportsmen at the shooting season are contributory sources of revenue, but even these show no tendency to grow—a state of affairs due to the prevalent use of private motor-cars. Aberdeenshire has no canals and is never likely to have. Prior to the advent of railways a canal, designed by Telford, the great engineer, was constructed between Aberdeen and Port Elphinstone on the south side of Inverurie. It was opened for passenger and goods traffic in 1806, and continued to serve the district until the steam-engine sounded its knell. For nearly half a century it was a bond between the chief city and the centre of the county and, although it never was remunerative to the promoters, and provided a very slow mode of conveyance, it was of great public service. The railway line to the north runs parallel at certain places to the track of this canal, whose superannuated embankments may still be recognised, after half a century, at various points between Aberdeen and Inverurie. 23. Administration and Divisions. In the twelfth century Scotland was divided into Sheriffdoms, where the Sheriff was the minister of the Crown for trying civil and criminal cases. The office was hereditary until the rebellion of ’45, when its hereditary character was abolished. Aberdeenshire has a non-resident Sheriff-Principal (who is also Sheriff of Banff and Kincardine) besides two resident Sheriff-substitutes. These deal with ordinary civil cases such as debts, as well as with criminal cases involving fine or imprisonment, but not as a rule involving penal servitude, except forgery, robbery and fire-raising.