Islay also exports considerable numbers of horses. The Irish dealers buy the refuse of them, amounting from one hundred and twenty to OTie hundred and eighty annually, at from 71. to 121. each. The number annually exported amounts to between 250 and 300.
The principal articles of manufacture in Islay are linen yarn and kelp. Besides the quantities manufactured and used in the island, about 50001. worth of linen yarn has been ex poi ted annually during the years between 1797 and 1807. The manufacture and cultivation of flax was also encouraged by Mr. Campbell, who built flax mills for this purpose. As the extent of the coast of Islay is nearly 200 miles, it might have been expected that a great quan tity of kelp would have been raised in the island. Owing, however, to the small height of the tides, and the rugged nature of the coast, only about 200 tons are manufactured annually. All the tenants were permitted to make kelp upon their farms, the proprietor restricting himself to the receipt of one third of the market price when it was sold.
A weekly packet, which is a sloop of 50 or 60 tons, sails from Portascaig to Tarbet in Kintyre, for letters, newspa pers, and passengers ; and two regular packets trade at all seasons between Bowmore and Greenock. The fisher men often carry over to the coast of Ireland cargoes of stenlock, which they sell under the name of wild salmon.
The late Mr. Campbell built the two thriving villages of Bowmore and Portnahaven ; and,by his liberal policy, many hundred acres round these villages, which were merely peat mosses, are now regularly subdivided and enclosed, and covered with the finest crops. There is a market for
horses at Bowmore, on the first week of August, which is chiefly frequented by Irish dealers. The population of Bowmore in 1808, was 305 males and 365 females, making in all 670. The number of scholars at the palish school was 124, who were taught Latin, English, alithmetie, book-keeping, navigation, &c. At Portnahavcn, there are 26 families of fishermen.
About 40 years ago there was no carriage road, and only two or three carts on the whole island ; but in 1808 there were 90 miles of carriage road in different directions, and above 500 carts.
The quadrupeds, according to Mr. Pennant, beside the domestic animals, are weasels, otters, and dark coloured hares. The birds are eagles, penguins, falcons, moor-fowl, ptarmigans, red breasted goosanders, wild geese, ducks, herons, &c. and the fish are plaise, smear-dab, large dabs, mullets, ballans, lump-fish, and sometimes the lepadogas ter of M. Gouan.
From the dominion of the Danes, and Norwegians, Islay came into the possesion of the Lords of the Isles, who kept it till the reign of James III. When their powers were abolished, the Macdonalds, their descendants, became the proprietors of it. In consequence of an invasion of the isl and by the Alacicans and Macleods, countenanced by James VI. Sir James Macdonald, the proprietor, was defeated. He escaped to Spain, and, having received a pardon, re turned in 1620. The property of Islay was then transfer red to Sir John Campbell of Calder, a great court favour ite, on condition of his paying L500 per annum of feu duty.