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Old Highland Industries 413
ally treat themselves to a dijune, but this was after the completion
of some public business, tending to the honour and profit of
the common weal.
In 1G97 claret sold at lOd. the mutchkin.
In 1720 the Edinburgh prices were: —Neat claret, lOd. ;
strong claret. Is. 3d. ; and white wine, Is. per bottle.
It has been said no record exists of a honie manufacture of
whisky till 1708, but this does not seem quite correct, and
Inverness seems to have been well ahead of the times, for in the
Town Council books of 1650, the Council ordered three gallons of
the best aqua vita^ to be distilled, and si.\ pairs of the best white
plaids to be made and sent South, to be bestowed, by the Town's
Commissioner in Parliament, on such as he may think proper.
An amusing conversation is recorded between Dr Johnson
and Boswell, when in Skye, regarding the drink of the Scots.
Johnson asserted " That they (the Scots) had hardly any trade,
any money, or any elegance before the Union. AVe have taught
you (said he) and will do the same, in time, to all barbarous
nations." Boswell said— " We had wine before the Union."
Johnson— " No, sir ; you had some stuff, the refuse of France,
which would not make you di'unk." Boswell— " I assure you, sir,
there was a great deal of drunkenness." Johnson— " No, sir
there were people who died of dropsies, which they contracted,
trying to get drunk."
In 1708 about 50,0(iO gallons of whisky were produced, and
the production went up in 1756 to -433,000 gallons. Shortly after
this a demand for Scotch whisky sprang up in England, and in
1776 an import duty of 2s. 6d. per gallon was imposed on all spirits
sent into England. Here, I think, was another cause of smuggling,
and it is stated by a recent writer that in that year 300,000
gallons crossed the Border. Of course, as the restrictions on
licensed distillers were increased, the temptations were greater to
the smuggler, and a bill was passed in 1823, sanctioning legal
distillation at 2s. 6d. per gallon, the Highland proprietors agreeing
to put down illegal manufactures. Since then the practice has
gradually declined. Though we speak of Highland smuggling,
it was by no means confined to the Highlands, though it has
lingered there longest ; for in Edinburgh in 1777 there were 8
licenced stills, and about 800 unlicenced.
Ferintosh smuggling was well known and long practised in
the district, and much more whisky seemed to come from the dis-
rict than could well be made. The privilege arose from the losses
sustained by the Culloden famUy in 1689-90, estimated at
;