The Expedition of Humphry ClinkerSmollett, T. (Tobias)
General
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Epistolary fiction; Great Britain -- Fiction; Travelers -- Fiction
The river Clyde, above Glasgow, is quite pastoral; and the banks of it
are every where adorned with fine villas. From the sea to its source,
we may reckon the seats of many families of the first rank, such as the
duke of Argyle at Roseneath, the earl of Bute in the isle of that name,
the earl of Glencairn at Finlayston, lord Blantyre at Areskine, the
dutchess of Douglas at Bothwell, duke Hamilton at Hamilton, the duke of
Douglas at Douglas, and the earl of Hyndford at Carmichael. Hamilton is
a noble palace, magnificently furnished; and hard by is the village of
that name, one of the neatest little towns I have seen in any country.
The old castle of Douglas being burned to the ground by accident, the
late duke resolved, as head of the first family of Scotland, to have the
largest house in the kingdom, and ordered a plan for this purpose; but
there was only one wing of it finished when he died. It is to be hoped
that his nephew, who is now in possession of his great fortune, will
complete the design of his predecessor--Clydesdale is in general
populous and rich, containing a great number of gentlemen, who
are independent in their fortune; but it produces more cattle than
corn--This is also the case with Tweedale, through part of which
we passed, and Nithsdale, which is generally rough, wild, and
mountainous--These hills are covered with sheep; and this is the small
delicious mutton, so much preferable to that of the London-market. As
their feeding costs so little, the sheep are not killed till five years
old, when their flesh, juices, and flavour are in perfection; but their
fleeces are much damaged by the tar, with which they are smeared to
preserve them from the rot in winter, during which they run wild night
and day, and thousands are lost under huge wreaths of snow--‘Tis pity
the farmers cannot contrive some means to shelter this useful animal
from the inclemencies of a rigorous climate, especially from the
perpetual rains, which are more prejudicial than the greatest extremity
of cold weather.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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