Until lately, the great majority of Highland emigrants preferred
British America to any other colony, and at the present day Cape
Breton, Prince Edward’s Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and many
other districts of British North America, contain a large Highland
population, proud of their origin, and in many instances still
maintaining their original Gaelic. One of the earliest Highland
settlements was, however, in Georgia, where in 1738, a Captain
Mackintosh settled along with a considerable number of followers from
Inverness-shire. Hence the settlement was called New Inverness.[93]
The favourite destination, however, of the earlier Highland emigrants
was North Carolina, to which, from about 1760 till the breaking out
of the American war, many hundreds removed from Skye and other of
the Western Islands. During that war these colonists almost to a man
adhered to the British Government, and formed themselves into the
Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment, which did good service, as will
be seen in the account of the Highland Regiments. At the conclusion
of the war, many settled in Carolina, while others removed to
Canada, where land was allotted to them by Government. That the
descendants of these early settlers still cherish the old Highland
spirit, is testified to by all travellers; some interesting notices
of their present condition maybe seen in Mr David Macrae’s _American
Sketches_ (1869). Till quite lately, Gaelic sermons were preached to
them, and the language of their forefathers we believe has not yet
fallen into disuse in the district, being spoken even by some of the
negroes. Those who emigrated to this region seem mostly to have been
tacksmen, while many of the farmers and cottars settled in British
America. Although their fortunes do not seem to have come up to the
expectations of themselves and those who sent them out, still there
is no doubt that their condition after emigration was in almost every
respect far better than it was before, and many of their descendants
now occupy responsible and prominent positions in the colony, while
all seem to be as comfortable as the most well-to-do Scottish farmers
having the advantage of the latter in being proprietors of their
own farms. According to the Earl of Selkirk, who himself took out
and settled several bands of colonists, “the settlers had every
incitement to vigorous exertion from the nature of their tenure. They
were allowed to purchase in fee-simple, and to a certain extent on
credit. From 50 to 100 acres were allotted to each family at a very
moderate price, but none was given gratuitously. To accommodate those
who had no superfluity of capital, they were not required to pay the
price in full, till the third or fourth year of their possession; and
in that time an industrious man may have it in his power to discharge
his debt out of the produce of the land itself.”[94] Those who went
out without capital at all, could, such was the high rate of wages,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account