certain parts of the apparatus the construction of which
he keeps in his own hands. These parts are purchased from
him by the contracting engineers for every installation they
individually fit out. At first—ten years ago—this part of
his business was of small account; but as his system became
more and more adopted, it is now of considerable importance,
and gives employment to about three hundred and fifty men.
His original engineering works and business, in which he employed
from six hundred to seven hundred men, he let go in order
to prosecute his present business; but only so far, for he
continues to supply drawings to other engineers for the construction
of his system to the boilers they make, and has a number of
engineer inspectors who regularly visit all the marine engineering
establishments in this country and on the continent to see
that the work is done properly, according to his drawings
and instructions.
Mr Howden has also just completed a new shop for the construction
of special high-speed engines for generating electricity.
CHAPTER XVI.
JOHNNIE MOAT.
Johnnie Moat—The Real and the Mock—How and when did he arrive?—Strange
and various Views—Rocks along Shore; Black Rocks— The Hattles—The
Humlicks—The Slide Aways—Quebec Rocks—Hay's Rocks—Ally Cally
Rocks—Doo's Rock—Ringan's Hole—The Mathie— The Girdle—Canty
Rock—Mackie's Rock—The Skellys—Ox Crag— M'Keenie's Rocks—Gap
Rock—Mitchell's Rock—Robertson's and Cuthill Rocks.
JOHNNIE MOAT was no myth, but a reality, and that he was engaged
at Acheson's Haven some two and a half centuries ago there
is no doubt, but whether he was engaged as harbour master
or excise officer is doubtful. Acheson's Haven was then a
regular custom-house port, and probably Johnnie Moat combined
both of these offices.
The Johnnie Moat we have to deal with here, however, is not
of flesh and blood, but a stone. Whether the real Johnnie
Moat was a man of extraordinary proportions we cannot say,
but we know that his namesake is a whinstone boulder of very
extraordinary dimensions.
Johnnie lies on what is known as the Girdle Rock, and almost
directly at the back of Aldhammer House. He is fully nine
feet long, a little over six feet in height, and a little
over six feet in breadth. His surface is rough as an elephant's
hide, with beautiful carmine veins running through him. Altogether
he is a wonderful monster of a boulder. On beholding him from
the west, with the waters gently rising and falling around
him, only that he is minus the trunk, the tusks, and the great
flapping ears, a better model of an elephant lying on his
haunches it is hardly possible to conceive.
In glancing over Johnnie from the eastward, other two stones
of a similar nature may be observed; they are smaller, but
it is curious to find the triplets lying in a direct line
with each other. |
