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large quantities of madder, barilla, soda, soap, olive oil, alum, &c., areemployed, the demand for some of these articles affording a source ofrevenue to our shipowners, and foreign merchants, and also to our hometraders, of which, without this branch of consumpt, they would have con-tinued deprived.
In 1797 and 1798, Mr. Macintosh was also extensively engaged in theherring fishery; and was the sole owner of two herring sloops, or busses,called the Friendship and the Bo’ness. These vessels were employed onthe north-west coast of Scotland , and their rendezvous for delivery ofcargo, and transhipment, was at Greenock . About this time he was alsoprincipal owner of two East Indiamen, the Exeter and the Union, of bothof which his son, Captain John Macintosh, was successively commander.
In 1797, when apprehensions were entertained of a French invasion, Mr.Macintosh made an offer to the Magistrates and Town Council of Glasgow to raise a volunteer corps of 500 highlanders. The Magistrates voted himthe thanks of the municipality, but declined the offer, seemingly underthe impression that it might, if accepted, interfere with the formation ofthe 2d Regiment of Glasgow volunteers, then being raised.
In 1791, Mr. Macintosh established a cotton mill and weaving factory,on the Firth of Dornoch, in Sutherlandshire . There were connected withhim in this undertaking, Mr. George Dempster, of Dunnichen, in Forfar-shire ; the Messrs. Robertson and M‘Kay, of Glasgow ; Mr. Bogle, ofDaldowie; Mr. Gillespie, of Woodside; Mr. Munro, of Achany; Mr.Benjamin Ross, and the well-known Mr. David Dale . The spot selectedfor the site of the works, was upon the estate of Skibo, the property ofCaptain Dempster, the brother of Mr. G. Dempster. Although most con-veniently situated in the vicinage of a fine fall of water, and a commodiousharbour, after a trial of several years, this undertaking did not hold out theprospect of being profitable ; and the whole of the partners, with theexception of Mr. Macintosh, Mr. Dale , and Mr. Ross, retired from theconcern. In a letter to Mr. Telford , the well-known engineer , afterwardsSir Thomas Telford , Mr. Macintosh details Mr. Dale ’s and his own motivesfor continuing to persevere in the business. He says that—
“ They thought that if this attempt were abandoned, it would put afinal stop to all such undertakings in the highlands for a length of time tocome, perhaps for centuries.”
In 1803, these works contained about 6000 spindles, and from 80 to 100weavers were located and employed in the village. At first, the habits ofthe highlanders were found very ill-suited for such occupation, and greatexpense, outlay, and loss, resulted to Messrs. Dale and Macintosh. In1803, Mr. Macintosh was accordingly induced, on the part of Mr. Dale andhimself, to make an offer to government, through Mr. Telford,* to con-tinue the works, provided government, or parliament, would aid the under-taking by the advance of a moderate sum, equal to one-half of their out-lay, and the losses already sustained. About this time, parliament had