The chief produce of the island consists of barley, oats, and potatoes ; also turnips, and artificial grasses, which flourish here uncommonly well. They have a ready market at Greenock and Glasgow for cattle and grain of every kind ; and packets are continually passing between these places and Rothsay. Excellent banks for white fishing arc to be found all round the island, which are completely neglected for the sake of the herrings ; and though there are also abundance of lobsters, crabs, and oysters, yet it is seldom they arc to be procured. Bute is well stocked with hares, partridges, snipes, green and grey plovers. It has likewise plenty of ducks, teal, and other sea-lbwl common to the western coast of Scot land ; and in some winters a great abundance of wood cocks.
The property of this island belongs entirely to the Marquis of Bute, with the exception of the estate or Kaims, and three or four small properties worth from 1501. to 2001. a-year each. Mount-Stuart, his lordship's country-seat, is an elegant mansion, surrounded with a forest of fine trees, and commanding a beautiful view of the Frith of Clyde, and the shipping which enters that river. The Marquis is admiral of the county, by com mission from his majesty ; and his power is entirely in dependent of the lord high admiral of Scotland.
At Langal-chorid are the remains of a Druidical cir cle ; and at Kingarth, the ruins of a church, of which two ceinctcries only remain, and near it a circular en closure called the Devil's cauldron. This building co vers an area of thirty feet in diameter, and the walls, which are about ten feet in thickness, and seven feet high, are formed of stones piled together without mor tar, but trimmed in the inside in a smooth and regular manner.
Considerable hopes were once entertained, that a seam of coal might be found in this island, and several at tempts were made for that purpose, but unfortunately without success. This want of proper fuel is one of the greatest inconveniences under which the inhabitants pre sently labour, as all their coals must be brought from Glasgow, and at a great expense.
The whole of the north part of this island is composed of primitive and transition rocks, which, in some places, as at Kaims Castle, the seat of Lord Bannantyne, rise into hills of considerable height. The rocks are mica
slate, clay. slate, and chlorite slate. These strata are traversed by numerous veins of quartz, and also of trap, which are from a few inches to several feet in breadth. Near to Kaims Castle there are several slate quarries ; but the slate is inferior to that of Eisdale. The north side of Rothsay bay is composed of slate ; so also is the north side of Scalpa bay, which is situated upon the west side of the island, and nearly in a line with Rothsay ; but the south sides of these bays are composed of the first flxtz, or red sandstone. The country between Rothsay and Cel-Chattan bay, which is the lowest, most beautiful, and best cultivated part of the island, is composed of red sandstone, belonging to the first flxtz formation, which is traversed by many veins of trap. From Cel-Chattan bay to the southern extremity of the island, called Gu• roch-head, the country becomes nearly as high as in the north end, rising into irregular hills, with abrupt per pendicular crags, as is the case in all countries contain ing considerable portions of trap rocks. This part of the country is composed of sandstone, and various rocks of the trap formation, and these are traversed by numer ous trap veins. We may add, that as thick beds of coal have been found in red sandstone in various countries, this useful mineral may also occur in Bute.
The population of this island in 1801, amounted to 6106. It is now between 7000 and 8000, of whom about 4000 inhabit the royal burgh of Rothsay. Most of the natives speak English very well, but when conversing with one another, they prefer the Gaelic, which is their mother tongue, and which chiefly prevails among the old people.
Bute gives name to a shire, which consists of the islands of Bute and Arran, together with the small isles of Greater and Lesser Cmnbrav, and Inchmarnoch ; and sends a member to parliament alternately with Caith ness. The whole shire, according to a very recent and accurate measurement, contains 153.98 English square miles, or 98,547 English acres, or 78,131 Scotch acres. See Beauties of Scotland, vol. v. p. 536; Pennant's Tour in Scotland, vol. ii. ; Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scot land, vol. i. p. 310 ; and The Farmer's Magazine for 1811, (ft)