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1

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Statistical account

OP

SCOTLAND.

THE

STATISTICAL ACCOUNT

SCOTLAND.

PRAWN UP FROM THE COMMUNiqATIONS '

OFTHf

MINISTERS

OF TBI

PIFFERENT PARISHES,

Bt Sn JOHN SINCLAIR, Bart.

VOLUME EIGHTH.

^ Aicuffiluim if rtfublka Jamban^ a^ eft m^e reapuUiem^

I Cicmo, de Orat. lib. iL

I

EDINBURGH:

niKTED AVB SOLD )IT WILLIAM CRBECH;

AN!) ALSO SOLD BT J. DONALDSOM| A. QUTVOJU^ W* LAIMO/AND JO. ANO

J A. FAIR BAIRN, U>INBURGfi> T. CAOBLL, J. DXBRXTT, AMD J.

SBWALL| LONOON^ DUNLOt AMD WILSON, GLASGOW ;

ANGUS AND SON, ABBROKIM.

IfOCCiZCUZ.

- « Kpnu Name of the parifii«

> ' \

nt % Dornoch,

I a Eckford,

D 3 Gigha and Cara,

4 Ladykirk, - •

5 Douglas, . - -

6 Tiwcedfmuir,

7 Kilmaitin, - • ^ Auchtcrtoid,

9 Carluke, 10 Catjlibay, il Newbnrghy • *

1 2 Dundee, . • •

13 Cr^'mdale,

J4 Touffh, • ' -

XS .StiiUng, - -

X6 Keicoa, ...

X7 4pple|^b» 7

xS Bcith, . 1 •

X9 Guthrie, . . «

^o Glenorchy and Imlhail,

^x Cricch, - - -

4:| Dnffus, . » •

JI3 Dumbaroyt

^4 Kiimalie,

%S Torryburn,

9i Ferry-Port-on-Cnig,

ay Logic, ...

a8 Cadder, ...

99 Muthi), ...

30 Moy and Dalaroffici

3X Lefly, . - -

3» Hawidc,

33 CUtt, ...

34 Drymen, 3j EdenkeilHe,

36 Monxyaird and Strowaiit

37 Kilbride, in Arran,

38 14oonsie,

39 Symington,

40 Alloa, ...

CONTENTS.

Population in X755, Increafe,

7»,948

Ditto

jlncreafe

Dec.

ini79>3

aj4i

- -

439

95»

- -

?3«

614

XOO

500

104

- -

Ii7i5

- -

«94

aa7

- .

X70

x»537

387

334

- -

5S

i,730

171

-

1.950

469

•

1,^64

317

- -

»3.500

11,013

-

3,oco

- -

63

560

. .

xo

4,698

747

•

X.600

789

. -

741

X56

a,87»

'808

571

. •

13

1,669

15

1.730

ft5

-

X^JOO

179

i,»3«

'486

4,03X

938

•

X,6oo

35

'87^

a54

4*5

XI

.

1.767

619

4,948

"46

. •

x,8i3

xio

•

392

fi

•

1,918

fti5

- -

4»5

«34

1,607

• •

X,i8i

x,8oo

357

. .

1,015

- •

4J5

A»545

1,176

X7I

. .

" 78

3©7

43

-

4.801

. .

tfiU

87,006

18,875

4,8x7

7».948

4,817

M,0i8

I4,«58

^g«

X 16

37

7* 7* 86

9*

no

X41

X70 X9» 15 X i6x

a7{ 19) 310 3x4 1^9 ZIS 36^ 384 Aoi

407 448 456

47<2^ 474 485 499 511 /»? 51S 546 553 565^ 578 583 585 5i^

* Doubts are entertained how far the parifh of Alloa contained fo great % number, as 58x6 fouls, in X755< but the reader will eafily perceive, that no fair companion can be made, between the population in X755, and at prcfent, but by a flria adhercoce to Dr. Webfter's account of the p^TpuhtioD at the former period.

STATISTICAL ACCOUNT

OF

SCOTLAND.

PART VIII.

N U M B t R I.

iPARlSH OF DORNOCH.

{^County of Sutherland — Pre/bytery of Dornoeb — Synod of Sutherland and Caitbnefs.')

By the Rev. Mr. JoHH B£TBtTN£.

Origin of the Naffu.

THE town and pariih of Dornoeb derive th^ir name from the Gaelic words Dom-Eicb^ which fignifies a borfe\ Jbt>t or bo^s concerning which the current tradition is as fol« lows: About the year iaj9i t^e Danes and Norwegians^ hav- ing made a defcent on this coaft» were attacked by William, Thane or Earl of Sfutherland, a quarter of a mile to the eaft* ward of this town. Here the Daniih general was flain, and his army beaten, and forced to retire to their ikipsi which were not far diflant. The Thane of Sutherland greatly figna« lized himfelf upon this occaiion ; and appears, by his perfonal valour and exertion, to have contributed very much to deter« mine the fate of the day. While he fingled out the Daniih general, and gallantly fought his way onward, the Thane beiog, by fome accident, difarmed, felzed the leg of a horfe, which lay on the ground, and with that difpatchcd his ad« Vol, VIII. A vcrfary.

ir Statijlical Account

verfary.' In honour rf this exploit, and of the weapon with which it was atchieved, this phce received the name oi Dom^ eicbf or Dornoch, as it is now called *•

Situation^ Extent^ Surface^ Scfil^ CUf7ia^e^&ic. — Dornoch is the prefbjtery feat ; and, alternately with Thurfo in Caithnefs, that of the fynod. The burgh of Tain, in Rofsfliire, flands on the fouth fide of the frith, dire6^1y oppofite to Dornoch ; and three computed miles to the weft ward of both, where the frith becomes pretty narrow, is the Meikle Ferry^ fo called in- con tradiftin ft ion to another arm of th6 fea, called the Little Ferry ^ On each fide of the former, there is a large boat for tranfporiing carriages, horfcs, and other cattle ; as alfo a yawl for the accommodation of foot paflengers ; but at the Little Ferry thefe arc found o© the caft fide only. At this ferry, four hands fexve \ and the fame number at each fide of the Meikle Ferry. Frequent complaints are heard of both ; an evil Hot peculiar to thefe ferries, nor likely to be remedied, until -tliopropv-rty and difpofal of fcch be vefted in the public, in- flead of private proprietors, whofe ehief ann,' naturally, is to •have as high a rent as poffible. This parifh extends 9 miles •fi-om E. to W. along the coaft of the frith of Dornoch | and »from S. to N. or N. W. about 15 meafured miles. It has a 'confiderable extent of fea caaft, not only upon- the frith of 'Dornoch, but alfo on that of the Little Ferry, which runs -about 4 juiles up the country on the eaft fide of* the parilhi, The Diores produce fhellfifh, particularly cockles andmufcles;

but

♦ TfiSs traaition is countenanced by the Urfe-Jb^^ which is ftill retained in the fiTTtts. of thchurgh. In mqjnory of the. fame event, a ftonc pillar was ereiftcd on the fpot, fuppQrting at the top a crofs, cncompafled by a' circle, which went lindc'r the name of the Ead^s Cr»fs. Standing on a fandy hillock, it was gradoalfy undermined by the winds : fcvcral years ago it tumbled down, and was.broko to pieces; at prcfcnt, only fcattered fragments of it remain.

-of Dornoch %

bot yield little other benefit to the inhabitants. The fea- ' ware is of little value. There is only one boat's crew of lifhermeny who are neither Ikilful nor adventurous : they are therefore wretchedly poor, and of little or no advantage to the place; while others from Murray and BanfF-fbire, catch fifli on this coad, and make money, by carrying away the oody haddocks, fcate, flounders, &c. At the Little Ferry, •there is an excellent harbour, where ihips lie in perfed fecu« -rity, after having got over a bar, which runs acrofs the en- trance. At high water, veiTels of 509 tons burthen may enter here. At the ihore of Dornoch, too, fmall veflels lie in fafety, with tolerable weather, as well as near the Meikle Ferry ; but a formidable bar flretches from the eaftern point :of the coaft of }3ornoch, almoft quite over to the fouth fide of the frith, called (from their incefiant noife) the Gizzing Briggi* The banks forming this bar, are not, however, fo <;lofely conncded, but ^hat velTels of confiderable burthen ^perhaps 300 tons) may enter, under the dire£tion of a pilot. The fhores are flat and fandy, and the lands contiguous to •thena generally level ; but gradually elevated as they approach the hilly diftri£l$ to the north. The foil is fandy \ the pre- valence of that quality decreafing in proportion to the diflance from the ibore. The higher grounds in culture, partake of mofs ; of the clay kind, there is little in the parifh* The air here, is pure and falubrious, if we except the immediate vicinity of a large tnorafs, extending from the town of Dor* noch upwards of two miles to the weflward, and lying along the county road. This has been a common. Some years ago, a fcbeme of divifion was formed, under the authority of the Court of Seffion : It was accordingly divided among the pr6« prietors of the adjacent lands, and march ftones fet up ; but llillit lies undrained, and a nuifance, as before. Soine feeble

A % atxempts

4 Statijiical Account

attempts have been made towards culture at the weftem €&« tremity of it.

River^ Laiesp Animals^ Minerals^ &c. — Befides the coin^ mon domeftic animals, foxes, badgers, pole-cats, hares, otters, and rabbits, are found in this pari/h ; alfo eagles, hawks, jnuirfowl, woodcocks, partridges, plovers and fnipes. The % river of Evelicks, which falls into the fea near the Meikle Ferry, affords a few falmon and trouts. The hilly part of the parifli contains 3 or 4 fmall lakes, in which a variety of trouts are found. The largeil of thefe lakes may be about a mile long, and a quarter of a mile broad. One of them produces a fine red trout, which weighs from 4 pound to i^ pound. The pariih is not deilitute of common (lone quarries* At Embo there is one of free.ftone. There is no natural wood of any value. A great quantity of Mofs Fir is found under ground: It ferves for light to the poorer fort ; and logs are fometimes dug up, which are ufed even in building. This fort of timber is remarkably durable. At both the SUbos there are thriving plantations of jfr, though of no great extent. At Evelicks, fome -appearances of coa/ have been obferved ; and about a mile ^to the N. W. of Dornoch is found a very rich clay. It is extremely hard to dig ; the pick muft go be« fore the fpade : It remains hard after expofare to the air ; yet a very ihort carriage makes it run to the codiftency of fitcb. When ufed in building, it takes an equal quantity of fand.

jigAculture and Produce. — The crops raifed here, are oats, bear, peafe, potatoes, and fome beans and rye. About the year 1758, potatoes became a principal article of provifion here. Now, they ferve as the chief fubfiftence of the people ^tiring a third part of the y^r ; with many for one half^ and

with

I

of Dornoch c

with fomc even fot two thirds of the year *. There arc no field turnips cohivated here ; and fcarce any fowo grafs raifed^ ^xc^ept in two or three places, the feats of men of property ; ivhich are alfo the only inclofures in the parifh. Henccp the arable ground is» for the greater part, in conilapt tillage. It is therefore po won4ery that it yields poor crops, in return for jnupH labour and expence* lime is little known here, as a manure* The bene^t of it is not underflgod : nor could it indeed be procured but at a heavy ejcpence ; for though ther^ are (hells, the tenants cannot afford to burn them. Towards the Ihore, the prevailing crops are hear and peafe\ in the more inland farms, oati ; and of the laft, different kinds of white, and of fmall black oats are ufed, according to the va- rious qualities and circumfiances of the foiU The people find that great qats quickly degenerate in poor land ; and while they admit that this is the more fruitful grain, ftill they con- tend, that the other is, on the whole, more produftive, as be« ' ing more numerous^ ^and yielding more firaw. The average returns of bear, may be from 5 to 6 ; of oats and peafe, from 3 to 4. The two laft are fown in April, and reaped, the peq/if in the end of Auguft, and the qatt in September. The bear is fown In May, and ripe in Auguft. After a good crop of potatoes, barley, without any additional manure, is expected, on the coaft ; but no oats, or very bad, after the biarley, which is fucceeded by peafe ; and the following feafon, the land is manured and fown with bear again. In the inland parts, oats are fown after potatoes. Some farms yield three pr more crops of oats in fucceffion ; but the fandy foil along

the

* Many poor families, who rent no land, are accommodated by others with a fpot for this nfeful root, for the fake of the dung, foot, or aihes which they lay upon it; and this, while it contributes eflentially to the fubfifteoce of ihc poorer fort, is alfo the moft prevalent mode pra^ifcd here for improTin^ jgid meliorating the foil.

<? Staftjltcal Account

ihe coaft, produces not, in general, any' tolerable crop of that grain. FaiJowing is not praftifed here, except on the few inclofed farms already alluded to. Scarce any land is plowed in autumn, and but little in winter ; the prevailing opinion being, that early plowing or fowing, anfwers not with the light and open nature of the foil. Some fmall tenants, on the coaft, fow no bear till 'about the 20th of May ; and they are fatisfied if but three weeks intervene betwixt the firft and fecond plowings. In light foil, fiea/e arc fown before tilling, and then turned down by the plough j which feems to anfwer beil, as by that mode, the fcorching impreflions of the fun and wind are moft effeftually refifted, and a greater degree of moifture preferved around the feed, fiven bear is fometimes fown here in the fame manner. This is the moft extenfively cultivated parifli in the country, yet there is not an eight part of it in culture. It raifes not, in ordinary feafons, much more corn than is fufEcient for its in- habitants, including thofe of the burgh. More black cattle ^ liowever, are reared here, than the parilh requires for tli£ pnrpofes of meat and labour 3 but not fo many horfes as tlic ]»eople employ. A few hogs are reared. In the lower parts !of the pariih there is little fheep pafture : in the hilly diftrifts, flocks of th^fe, and here and there, of goats, are kept ; but jftither confiderable. The ardour for fheep farming has hardly yet commenced here. The precife proportions of land, in cul- ture, pafture, &c. is not afcertained. The quantity of pafture grounds has been coniiderably reduced or dellroyed: the former, by the gradual culture of fmall fcttlers ; and the latter, by the general practice of cutting feal and divot^ or

turf*-

Heritors

* This drew "a pleafant fally from an Eoglifli gentleman, feme years ago. ^ferviog a herd of meagre cattle here, gleaning a fcanty fubfiftence on a naked

fpct

6f Dornoch. y

Heritors and jR^«/l^— The bcft arable ground is let at ao u per acre : This is chiefly inclofed, or in the vicinity of the burgh. Inferior ground lets at from 8 s. to las. andthe worft at 4 s. or even lower. The real rent may amount in all to about 1300 1, or 1400 1. Sterling. The Countefs of Suther* land is the principal proprietor \ befides whom there are four beritars, exclufive c^f the proprietors of fmall crofts contigu* ous to die burgh ; of the laft there are fix. None of the firft clafs refides conftantly, and but one has hitherto refided ooca* fionally in the parifli ; another has lately built, and 14 e>cped6(( to fpend fome portion of his time here.

Po/»&rfo«.— Although the rcgifters have not been regular- ly kept here, it is univerfally believed, that the pcpalation' bas increafed within the laft 36 years very confiderably, to the extent, it is fuppofed, of at leaft j'oo. This increafe is not to be afcribed to any addition from trade or manufadures \ for except two whiUcy diftilleries, and fome Jlax fpun by the women, no branch of trade whatever is cultivated here. The increafed population can therefore only be accounted for from thefe caufes -, that the women j^re prolific, and that by the

fubdiviiioa

fpoC, while evex7 cottage was built of feal, and that<:hed with di^ot, he. ikrcaT* tically remarlved, that " though Sutherland was not dcllitute oi fiwa Qt grafts ** the people chole to build their houfcs of the latter, and leave their cattle t^ ** feed on the former !" This was fetting our management in a light abundantly Liughable ; yet, the poor people are not fo much to blame, as it was natural for this faccticiis ftranger to conceive. They arc, in general, very poor, and have but iinall holdings. They never eipcrienced the advantage of fubftantxal^ or the comfort of commodious dwellings; and did they fet a due value oi^rucli, they poflels not the means of conftniding them, and indeed h^ve little en*' conragement* for the undertaking. Small tenants have no leafes here ; little ioi* provement, tfaercfore^of any kind, can be expeded. In juflice to the proprietors*. however, it mvft b«Dddc(1| th»( i\ Ull9t Vbcir pt'a^icQ to remove the tepaact

I Statt/iical Account

fubdivifion of farms, and the advancing culture of fmall cfof^ti and muir ground, the people in general are encouraged t6 marry young. It maj be added, that bj the partial intro* duAion of inoculation for the fmall-poz, and by the int. proved treatment of patients under that difeafe, which has of late years been pretty generally adopted, even by thofe who are not yet reconciled to inoculation itfelf, many lives have been faved, and other fatal diforders prevented. Since the return to Dr. Webfter, however, in 1755, there has been a decreafe upon the whole, as will appear upon infpefling tht following table.

Statistical Table of the Parijb of Dornoch m

Length in Englifli miles, - * • ^

Breadth, - - - • - 6'

Population in 1755, - - - ^ ^780

■ — , anno 1791,* , * « 2541 Decreafe, - - " ^39 Average of births, for five years preceding 17911 • 53

■ of marriages, f * * i* i a

Inhabitants

* There maj be upwards of 20 perfons included lo the above number, be- longing to this parifli, and occafionally refiding in it, who make a prai^ice of going yearly to the fouth of Scotland to work, during, at leaft, the fummcr and autumn. There i« alfo included in the above enumeration, a diftri^l fituated in the bofom of the parilh of Rogart, containing 113 fouls. There is no regifter of burials kept here, nor would it convey any fatisfaAory information if there were, bccaufc many families continue to bury here, though they no longer rdide in the parifh ; while others now refident here, bury elfewhcre.

t AhfraSk o/Baptifms Md Matr'utget^ fur Jive yurs frecedi/t^ 1791. Years.

2786 » , *

J17S7

1788 - - -

1789 - - - 479^ • * -

264 6>

Baptifnu.

Marriages^

70

•

-

19

47

■ •

-

' 11

5^

•

-

10

43

.

-

6

48

S

.

x^

tf DornQck ^

tnhabiunts in the town of Donioch, - 506

I in the countrj, - - ipoS

■ in the diftrid in Rogartt *• X13 Number of families in the town, v. i> 86 ——————— in the countrj, - 466

> ' ■■ ■ ' in Rogart difiri^^ - •24

> — members of the Eftablifhed Church, - 2427 ■ Seceders, - - - I

■ proprietors refiding^ . ^ ( non*reliding, ^ • j

■ ■ - clergymen, *. - ^ x

Sheri£4epute and clerks - ^ • 2

Number of writers or meflengers, "* - z

p ■ * of fchoolmafters, ^ « • C

I ■ ■ of farmers above 39 L per annum^ - 6

I of (hopkeepers in the burgh, « * 4

fc of fmiths ' - - - t

■■ ■ r of mafons, ' ' '■■ - - - i

» • of houfe carpenters ■ - " 3

' ■ " ' * of poor in the pariih, about - - 90

Annual income of the poor, * * L. 9 o o Average of perfons who have fettled in the |Mri(h

from other counties tf ^ - * x^

Number of ploughs, * - - - xSj

Real rent> anno s 791 » iii Sterling monej, about L. 1 460 6 6

Difiafes and Fuil^^Tht difeafes moft prevalent hefe, a« jnong females, feem to be Jlomacb and hyjieric complaints ; .and among m^les* hotbacbif colics^ rheumativy and fctatic complaints. All thefe feem to arife from co/i, poor diit^

Vol. VIIL B comfortlefs

\ Vis. Perth, Aberdeen, Mumy, Roff, and Caithneft.

I a Statijlical Account

cotnfortlefs lodgings^ and fcarcity offuet*. The common modtf of providing for winter firing here, is peculiarlj injuriotM^ to health. During the feafon, in ^rhich the poor people are employed in carrying it out of the^ hills, they go to the xnofs, or fo far in their way to^yards it in the evening ; Ke out in the open air all night, and load their horfes in the morning. The great diflance, badnefs of the roads, weak* nefs of their' horfes, and fcantin^fs of pafture, impofe thia cm* el neceiDty. There is no cart road to the mofs, peat and turf being carried by means of an aukward apparatus, on the backs of fmall, half-flarved horfes. In one or two diftrifis of the parifli, the people begin to fee the abfurdity of this pradice, ^nd have a&ually made fome attempts towards a better within the laft two years \ but nothing like a competent road h^s yet been executed.

Roads and Bridges. — ^Nature has In&de the public roads here paffable : they owe little to induftry or police ; the ftatute labour has occafionally been exa£ted, but it has not been applied with that conftancy and vigour, which would ren- der It efficient. A commutation of it appears to be now in contemplation, among the proprietors of this and fome other fiorthcm counties. This parifli is deftitute of bridges; the want of one is particularly felt at the river of Evelicks, tvhich is often not paffable in winter. A piece of ground, in the vicinity of Dornoch, is f^id to have been deftined by a former public fpirited proprietor, for the purpofe of uphold- ing a bridge on this river, and to have been left by him, uii^. der the adminiftration of the proprietor of a neighbouring eftate. Whether there are any authentic documents extant, to cfta-

blifli

* There are no well authenticated inftanctfs of eXtrSordioary locgCfity.r Some, however, live to the a^e of 80, and fome 90 years.

vf Dornoch* ' .i i

VMtk this fact, IB not known. At prefent, the field alluded to is held in property, ia the fame manner as the reft of the cftate, with which it has been fo long conne6led ; the prefent proprietor having purchafed the whokf without anj refcrva-. tion, from his predeceflbr.

Ecclejiajical State. — ^There arc no feiElaries here, at lead CIO avowed feceders from the eftabliihed church ; one man only, who is not a native of the pariih, declines joining in the public religious fervices. The ftipend is 80 bolls of bear, and 700 merks Scotch, including communion elements. The glebe is confiderably under the legal ftandard. The manfe was built about 16 years ago, but was never fubftantially ex- ecuted, or properly finilhed, and therefore (lands in need of repairs. Three aifles of the ancient cathedral, form the pre-* fent church ; the fourth has been long in ruins. The church has undergone different repairs, and at a confiderable expence. The Countefs of Sutherland*, is patron. Meft of the fanri- lies, of any diftin£lioD, connefted with the pariib, continue to

B % bury

* The family 'burying phce is wlthla the charch. A neat monument has l>een eredted over it to the memory of the lad Earl and Countefs of Suther- land, the parents of the prefent Countefs, who both died in the flower of youth, within ten days of each other, at Bath, and were buried in one grave in the church at Holyrood-houfe, annx) 1766. His Lordihip had only attained the age of 31, and her Ladyfhip that of 26 years. T^is amiable pair were not iefs en- nobled by their fliining virtues, ^than by their high rank. Their humane dif- pofitionsand condefcending manners had greatly endeared them to all orders of ibciety. No wonder, then, that their untimely death was deeply felt, and uni- ^erfally deplored. The monument bears the following infcription, borrowed ^m David's affcdlippate lamentation over Saul and Jonatban : " They were lovely and pleafant

" in their lives, ** And, in their deuth, they were " not divided*

1^ StatifticaJ Account

burj withm the church*. In feme metfure to . remedj fehri sioifaQce, the church was lofted fome years ago, at the heigfal of about feven feet from the ground. To this upper ftorj, which is the prefent pkce of worihip, the aibeot is bj ftatra from without, the open area underneath ftill ferving as a bn^ ijiug ground. Notwithftanding this improvement, which ia a coafiderable one, the church is, from its yaft extlent and ftupenduoBs height, a very incompetent houfe of worfhipi^ being e^treme^ cold^ and beyon4 the powets of an ordinary voicef.

* Afound the citbednl it tbe chv^-yard, wxthont any foce, and in tftie centre of the burgh, h it the market place. The county road runs through it. Some years ago» the heritors of the pariih and magiftrates of the burgh, enter- ed into a refblution to prohibit all farther burying there. A piece of ground^^ without the town, was accordingly marl^ed out for that nfe. A day was fixed, beyond which no perfon wat to be admitted to the old gixmnda ^uxd public in- timations, to that purpofe, repeatedly made. 3ot the prejudicet of the people prevailed, and the projed was relin^uiihed.

t Dornoch wat formerly the feat of the Bifliop of Cattiiufi. The pVeciie time ti theeredion of the fee is not afcertained. Andrew, Biftop of Caithnels, ia witness to a donation by David !. to the monaftery of Dunfermline. He waa biihop here «W0 1150, and is probably the firft of whom there is any authentic account. In the 1%%% was confecrated biihop here, GUiirt Murray; who,, while yet a young man, and a canon of the church of Muray^ greatly diftinguifh-^ cd himfelf in behalf of the independence of the Scottiih church. Attempts ha4 been made to bring the cleigy of that church, under the juriididion of the Arch- biibop of TorL The projed was not only patronized by the King of England, but fayoured by the Pope's legate, .who held a convention on the fubjed at Northampton, in prefence of the Kings of England and Scotland, muu ii;6. Gilbert was one of the inferior clergy, who attended the Scouilh bilhops cited by the legate on this occaiion. After the legate had addreiTed a fpecch to the convention, warmly recommending the meafure in contemplation, a long filence cnfued, the bilhops of Scotland being intimidated by the legate's prefence and authority. At length, Gilbert Murray arofe, and^aiTerted the independence of hu cburcl^i >A tenw ef (uch manly dctennioation, and vigorous eloquence, as at

puce

Jpoor.-^The poor^ rtll of this parifli generally contains from 80 to io« perfotiB. There is too fund for their fuppoft

but

once revived the connge of his afTodatet, and extorted the applaofc of his td« ▼eriaries ; whereupon the legate, apprehending that ht had fpoken the pre- ^aifing ftetitnehtt of has covntry, broke up the aflembly • The yonng orator wasi on his return hornet untverlaUf careflied, and afterwards promoted to the fee of Caithnefs. He built the Cathedral of Dornoch ; died at Scrabfter, in Caithnefs, where the bifhops had alfu a refidence in X145, so<i ^a^ afterwards canonised. A ftatne of him is ftijl ihewn in the church here, under the name of St, ifBkri ; but it istiot entire. The hft bifiiop, Andrew Wood, was tranf* latedlthv froln the |fles» anno x6te ; and remained till the Rerolution in xi^« Writers tell ns,that Dvmocb was aUb the feat of one of themonaAeriesof the Trinity^ fXtRtdFriart^ otherwifc called Mathurinei, from their houfe at Paris dedicated to 8t. Mathurine. The great profeifed objed of the inilttucion of this order ap- pears to have been the redemption of Chriftian captives ; to which purpofc a third part of thdr revenue is ftid to huvt beet) deftined. '* Tnfia vef Part^* iays their conftitiition, " r^er^ttur oi ndgaftimem taptiw/um, qui funt mcanerati^ •< ffjide Chri/li, s P^amu,^* Of 1 3 of thefe, which are liidto have fub'liiled in Gotland at the Reformation, one was at Z>«r/icf£, founded in zi 71 by Sir Patrid; Murray. Not the Imalleft veHige of the building, however, can now be traced; the very fite of it is unknown at this day. The lands belonging to the miniftry of Berwick were giyen to this place, after that city had fallen into the hands of . the EogHih. Here ilaod the ruins of the bilhop*i caftle, which appears to have been a (lately and fumptuous edifice. About the year 1567, Gewgt Earl of Caithnels, who claimed virardibip of iiUxatuUr Earl of Sutherland, then a minor, had got the perfon of the latter into his poflefiion. A tribe of Murrays, inhabit* ing this part of the country, who were fimnly attached to the noble family of Su- therland, and beheld the condud of Caithnels w^th a jealous eye, contrived to get the minor conveyed from Caithnefs, and put under the protedion of the Earl ff Hmntljn Caithnels in revenge invaded this country, by his fon J«hn, who inveftcd the town and CaHle ot Dornoch, of which the Murrays had pofleiTcd themielves. fievcral ikirmiihes took place with various fooceis. The Murrays, no longer able to maintain the ground they had occupied, retired to the caftie. Upon this the mafter of Caithnefs burnt the town and cathedral ; but ftill the befieged defended themfelves in the caHie for a month longer. At length, how- ever, they were obliged to capitulate, having undertaken to depart out of Su- therland within two months, and delivered three hoftages into the hands of the conquerors. The Murray* fulfilled their engagement ; yet the hoilages wcrj treacheroufly murdered,

1 4 Statiftical Account

I

but the Sunday colle£lLons niifed in the church, and fdnall ^nes occafionalljr arifing from delinquencies. Thefe colleftioos fcarce amount to 7 1. Sterling per annum \ and even from that, imall falaries are paid to the feflion-clerk and other pa- rochial officers. Hence it is manifefl, that the poor can derive from this lource but little relief. Thej therefore colled their fubfiftence bj wandering from place to place, and from parifii to pariih *•

Burgh^^-^OTnach was erefted into a royal burgb bj a charter from Charles I. anno i6a8. The council confifts 6i 15, including the provoft, 4 bailies, a dean of guild, and treafurer. Bj the conftitution and pra£tice of the burgh, 4 counfellors are annually changed. This is one of five, which compole what is called the northern diftri^ of burghs. It has no landed property, nor any other fource of revenue, be- iides the cuftoms levied at fix annual fairs held here, and which are on the decline, as indeed the place itfelf is in the laft ilage of decay. There is no other town or village in the parifli, and this hardly deferves the name. It contains only four merchant ihops, fuch as they are. Here, and through-- out the pariih, there are feveral ihoemakers, taylors, weavers and fmiths, fcarce one of whom lives by thefe profeffions. As (}iey excel not, fo are they but occafionally employed in them,

being

• In the year 17S1, a fcrcre dearth was experienced here; no lives, how- ever, were loft from that caufe, though many of the poorer fort endured ex- treme hardfliip. The managers for the Countels of Sutherland exerted them, felves laudably forthe fupply and relief of the people. A great quantity of vidaal was imported into the country by her Ladylhtp's order, and at her cxpencc. Some fupply was alfo obtained from Government. A betievolent gentleman at Glafgow, a native of this country, fent a cargo to be fold, part of it at prime coft, and part of it to be diflributcd gratu among thg

f>f iDornoch. 1 5

f>eing alfo fanners on a fmall fcale. No conclufion there* fore Could be drawn from an accurate enumeration of them. The iheriff-fubfiitute and (heriff -clerk of the county, and a meffenger, alfo refide in the burgh ; which has likewife a poft^ office and parochial fchooL Bat there is oo ph jfician, fur* geon or apothecary in the town or parifh.

Language. — The popular language Is the Gaelics from which alfo almoft all the names of the places are manifeftly derived. In that language, haille fignifies a town. Hence^ T^or-haille^ Kerr-laille^ Eun^baitte^ Skia^haille^* compounded of that word and others, fignifying, mounts rod, fowl^ wing ; anfwering to the figure, fituation, or other eircumftances of thefe places refpe&ively. Some places in the vicinity of the cathedral, are denominated from the offices of thofe who formerly held them; as, Croit '« ^Ejptg, Auchintreafuricb^ jiuchintaunter ; u e, the biJbop\ treafurer^s and chanter's fields. One place, now modernized into Cyderball, was an* ciently, and ftill is, in the Gaelic, called Shierra* This, ac- cording to a Daniih gentleman, who lately vifited this place, fignifies in the language of his country, goat whey quarterfi.

Chara^et.'-^ttx.y frauds and ofience9 againft fociety are prevalent here as well as elfewhere: little difingenuities^ pilferings, and wilful encroachments, are alfo committed ; but the more daring ahd atrocious crimes are rarely heard of in this parifh. The people here, cannot be called induflrious j but they are tenacious and frngalof what they get. If they can but live without much exerti6n, they are content to live fparingly ; and if they relax of their ufual parflmony at fairs and other occafional meetings,, they know how to make a- tnends by habitual economy and abflemioufneis. Upon the whole, they are a quiet, tradable fort of people, and nnder

4 proper

1 6 Statlfiical Account

proper diredion and encouragement, might be emidojed itt manufadures, with advantage to themfelves and to the coua^* trj. Too numerous for the neceffarj purpofes of agricttlture« thej have, at prefent, no other objeft before themi to occupy their attention, or to excite their induflrj. Their itature is rather above the middle fize. lliej are altogether unacquaint** ed with the fea-faring life, nor do the j difcover any great ar« dour for the army, yet, when they do enter that fervice, they prove excellent foldiers. The fencible corp3 raifed at dif- ferent periods, in this country, furnifhed opportunities for af- certaining this fa£l« Every place where they have been quartered* will bear teftimony to their good behaviour. They have approved themfelves to be regular fteady men, patient of difcipline and fubordination ; fober and exemplary in their conduA, as foldiers and as men»

Propofed Improvfrnents, ^^Thek may be comprehended un« der a few heads, viz.«— the abolition of the partial, oppreilive^ and abfurd tax on coals i — the granting of proper leafes and o* ther liberal conditions from land*holders ; — the introduction of manufa&ures,— and the eftablilhment of judicious arrangements for the employment and fupport of the poor. Peats and turf are carried from fo great a diftance, as to occupy the time of thofe who have horfes for the purpofe, during a confiderable portion of the fummer and autumn. This proves a ruinous burthen to the tenants, who are obliged, on that account, to keep many more horfes than the purpofes of agriculture re- quire ; and although the making of roada and the ufe of carts^ might in a good degree alleviate the evil, the remedy would be but partial, efpecially with regard to thofe who are lituat-* ed fartheft off from the hills* Of thefe, fuch as have £tvt horfes, or none, buy their firing at an extravagant rate iron! the others, and fometimes cannot procure it on any terms* A'

»7

tf Dornvcbk ij

Viy manufaAurers fettled here, would (land, in this refped, in the like predicament. The poor, who cannot afford to buy, are in a miferable fitnation. They have to go a great waj tocoIle£k burdens of wbins^ broom^ \ic. ; nor does the drj dang that lies fcattered on the fields efcape them. To meliorate the condition at once of the land and of the tenants, it is tv\»- denty that fuch very ftnall poiTeffions as many of them have, ihoold not be permitted to exift. In the prefient ftate of the country, they would not furnifli a comfortable fabfiftence, if they had them for nothing. There are, indeed, fix large farms in the pariOi, from 30 1. to 90 1. Sterling, rent. There are alfo fome others, of competent fize, under the firft men- lioned fum : Bac m,any fmall tenants are crowded into one •poiTeiEon, and others fettled on fmall detached portions, a}« together inadequate to their fupport. Each of thefe has hia plough, however poorly provided of cattle ; it is but little fervice tbey are fit to perform, and that little they cannot do from the fmallnefs of their holdings. The granting of long leafes^ to poor people, in thefe circumftances, appears not advifable, becaufe they are not in a fituation to avail themfelves of them. Previous to leafes, it would, perhaps, be expedient to pro- vide otherwifc for the fnpernumerary tenants, that the reft might be fuitably accommodated : the aged (hould not be dif- turbed, but the younger fupernumeraries (manufadures being firft introduced) might, fome of them, be employed in thefe, and others in the fervice of the tenants* Many of the pre^ fent tenants would make a good exchange by this ; they would, as the hired fervaots of others, be better fed and clothed than they now are, and would at the fame time be .relieved from their prefent folicitude, and refponfibillty to the landlord. In fad, this is' very much the cafe now among the fmall tenants : the fervant lodges and fares in tvcrj refpeft as well as his employer ; the former receives his wages, while Vol. VIII. C the

4S Statifiical Account

the latter is, perhaps, unable to paj his reoti or to furmft cattle for his joke* Hereby, alfo, another difficultj under ivhich the country labours, would probably be removed, viz* the difficulty of procuring fervants ; This is, in a great mea- fure, owing to the endlels diriiion and fubdivifion of farms into trifling poi&ilions, making almoft every man a mailer. An intelligent, adivt, wealthy farmer, from an improved country, fet down here and there, would exhibit an example, at pn«e inftrudive and aaimating. Such a maa^ entering a competent farm, with a long leafe and other fuitaUe eneou* xagements^ would ihew the people how to live, and how to acquire the means of Uving : Meanwhile, they having tlieir |K^efllons enlarged, aad acquiring the ikill, and adopting the praftice of fuch a man, would, as their circumftances» improv- cd, build, inclofe, &c. and being firft taaght and enabled^ would, by and by, a&rd the proprietor a fuitable rent. With regard to maaufa&ures, .the country contains a fufficieaC number of inhabitants, and might forniih proper materials for them. The prices of labour and provifions are, comparatively fpeaking, moderate, though both have advanced confiderably of late years*. Large truds of ground in the neighbourhood, have lately been covered with iheepK Here is a foundation for the woollen manufadure. The foil here too, appears very fa- vourable to the railing of flax. Small quantities are raifed yearly ; it grows well, but from unfl&ilful management im

i^atering,

* The pay ^^ day-labovrers caik hardly ^ afcettained, iht re being few or fiooe of that defcription here* If they were aflured of conftant employment <. they might, perhaps^ be found at 6 d. ptr Jof ; occafionally they demand 8 d. and fometimet I s. In harveft, women get 5 d. Domeftic men fcrvanu have from 30 1. to 40-8. fer anm, of wages, and woohen fervants from ao s. to 30 9. and both are on the rife. Both men and women drefs in a ftyle very dlfierent from what they did 30 years ago ; woollen fhirts, whiqh were then generally worn by the lower chfsi are laid alidc, and various anicles of finery introduced SBUMigbothiexes*

ff Dornoch. \§

vmxenngj the want of a mill, and other difficulties, the proRta mre extremely precarioas, and the whole procefs is fo tedious and lahoriotts, as now conduced, that little benefit is derived ' from it* To give maniifa&ures, of any kiad, a fair chance of fuccefs here, a company, compofed of the proprietors of bnd, and profeffional men,(hould be formed : The latter ealj are fit to condufil: fnch bufinefe ; and without the proteftion^ the faifluence, and co-operation of the former, they would have many ^ebvious and ferious difficulties Co contend with. No where can the poor be on a worfe footing than here. The principal heritors do not refide in the pariih, and therefore contribute nothing towards their fupport : Wandering from one pariih, and from one county to another, the moft needy ate often overlooked from ignorance of their real circumftan- ces, while on the other hand, impoftors and fturdy beggars abufe the generofity and credulity of the public. It is to be wiihed that ihc poor were univerfally confined to their owt& parifhes ; that by aiTeflments upon heritors, tenants, and o* thers, in proportion to their feveral interefts, holdings, and circumftances, a certain provifion were made for their fubfifience; and that employment were furniflied them, fuitable to the meafures of ftren^th and ability, which they may be found ^o poQefs. This laft fug;ge(ls an additional ar- gument in favour of noamufaplures, «.as thereby the poor« at lead many of them, would be made to contribute fome- what to their own fupport, and the public burthens proper* tionaljy alleviated. UpQu fome fuch plan, the condition of the poor would be greatly improved, the public relieved from jnceilant teazing and frequent impoiition, and the burden fair* I J divided among all ranks and charaAers, in place of falling chiefly, or folely upon the humane and benevolent, and oftea Aofc leaft able to bear it.

C z NUMBER

a 6 St at luteal Account

NUMBER 11. PARISH OF ECKFORD,

(County f^ Roxburgh or itiviotda/e — Prejbytery o/y^diurgk'^ Synod of Merfe and itiviotdale.')

By the Rev. William Paton, A. M^

Name^ Situation^ and Extent.

THE ancient name of this parifh, as appears from a p^f<T fage in Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle, was Ackfotth *, or Aiieforibe. In all modern writings it is ftyled Eckfoord and Eckford, the original derivation being from the Gaelic or

Celtic,

* *< In the 13th yetr of King Henry the VIIY. and of Jamci V. of Scotland, ■* Anno Domini X5aa, when the Duke of Albany was eftablifhed goTcmor of ** Scotland, he approached the feathem borders with a^n army of 8000 men, " probably to obferve the motion of the Bngliih upon the confines of Scotland, " but made no invafion into England; while the Marquis of Dorfet, warden of ■< the caft and middle marches, entered TMotdaU with a number of Englifh *< forces, burnt all the towns and villages on every iide as he marched north- ** ward, and amongft others Ackforth^ Grimflay, Sefsfoitbe manor, &c.; and <* upon Good Friday following withdrew back into England with his plunder^ *» amongft which were 4000 head of cattle.**

Baker* s CbromcUfpage 259. Rk^atb*t Border Hi/ory^ page 515 in the note.

Lord Dacres was next year appointed warden general of the borders of Eng- land oppoiite to Scotland. From the above quotation it would appear, that Ackforth, now ftyled Eckford, was at that period a place of lomc confequence \ but no other account can be found of its original date.

ef Eckford. 21

Celtic, the ancient language of the whole ifland* The origi« pal names of manj places in Scotland are ftill retained* with occafional alterations, probably introduced by the Dano^Salon dialed. It is {aid to figaify in the Gaelic the Horfe Ford. A -ford is commonly known to be a (hallow part of a river pro* per for paflage ; accordingly, at no great diftance from tha manfe, there is a very (afe ford acrofs the river Tiviot from S. to N.

The extent of the parilh from N. to S. is fix miles and 3$- furlongs in length, and from £• to W. 4i miles in. breadth. It lies in the latitude of 53^ 32^ and longitude of 10^ 6' weft pf London, according to Mr. Stobie's map of the county^ publiihed in 1770 ; (69^ fiatute miles to a degree). The form is triangular, or nearly approaching to it* It is feparated bj Tiviot, oppofite to the church, from the barony of Ormiftcm* The water Kail runs through it from S. to N. and is emptied into Tiviot, a little to the eaft of the church. It is nearly at fn equal di&ance of 4 j- miles from Jedburgh and Kelfo.

Soilj Surface^ Climate and Difeafes. — ^Upon the banks of the river Tiviot (which runs from weft to eaft through the county, and empties itfelf into the Tweed at Keifo), the foil is generally light loam, rifing in gentle eminences fouthward. It has been originally covered with heath, but by proper cul- tivation, is now rendered green and fit for pafture. There are no remarkable hills in this diftrift, nQr any waftc lands, except Cavertoun Edge, which has been of late chiefly devoted to the annual horfe races ; although even fome part of that fpot is in cultivation. Part of Woodend Hill has been lately planted with firs, and within a few years will afford a beau- tiful landfcape. The air here is dry and falubrious. Seldom any epidemics^l difeafcs prevail, excepting the ague, which

yi&tai

22 Statiftical Jlcctmnt

vifits this neighbourhood in the fpriag, occafioned bj the moift exhalations from the fens, and the eafterly winds from the Cheviot Hills, at the diftance of a few miles fouthward. The people are in general health j ; but no inftances of remarkable longevity have occurred during the ineumbencj of the pre* fent minifter*

Cultivation and Produce. — A confiderable change in the mode of agriculture has been introduced within thefe few years. The Englifli plough univerfally prevails, and % horfes inftead of 4 oxea and a horfies are now adopted. Raifing tamips, with the preparation for that crop, fuperfedes fummer fallowing entirely. They fucceed remarkably well in a dry and light foil through the whole country. Oats and bafley are the grains moft commonly fown. Wheat, however, is now more frequent than formerly, after fallow, turnips and potatoes ; which laft is much and juftly encouraged for family ufe, as well as for horfes, cattle and fwine. Peafe, by many judicious farmers, is not confidered as a profitable crop, fince broad clover and rye-gra£s have been introduced \ but they are continued to be fown in fmaUer quantities, to mix with barley, for the bread of labouring people and cottagers of all delcriptioDS. The raifing of hemp is dropt here ; but ^hat of lint is continued, although not in fuch quantities as formerly, both for family ufe and the public market. It is fold on an average at ix s. or izs.fer fiooe *• An early kind of oats

waS)

* That which grew at the Wefier Mofs was 1x1 the hlgheft repuution, for the bluifli caft which it acquired, from the quality of that ftagnated water in which it wai fteepcd. It fold at about Zj u or z6 s. the ibone. Bat fince that mo& wai drained (for the purpofe of digging a feam of marie found there), it has loft that peculiar colonr which enhanced its value. Steeping lint in running water i$ found prejudicial to flax, defhnidive to fi(h in rivers, and otherwife a great nnliince„ and accordingly it under very fevere prohibitions bj the juiUces of pescc.

\

of Eckford. 2 j

WaSy in 1776, introdaced bj Mr. James Church, tenant in Mofs-tower, on part of the Duke of Buccleugh's eftate in this pariih. He raifed them from 60 grains of Poliih oat9» vrbich he obtained from % friend, and planted in a corner of one of bis fields about the 14th of June that jear. Thetr produce turned out very confidexable. Thej have been fown on bis farm every year fince without degenerating. The foil inclines to gravel or light loam ; and bj experience thev are found to anfwer beft on dry land in good heart. Th^ ripen by a month earlier than common oats, although fown at the fame time aod upon the fame ground. They muft be cut down fooner, and not allowed to continue growing until per*. fedly ripe, as they are more eaiily fhaken than any other grain* They commonly yield between xi and la ^one of meal to the boll of oats, which in this country is 5 fulh or firlots for oats and barley, and 4 firlots for wheat, rye, and peafe ; fe that upon weighing a boll of thefe oats (including the weight of the fack), the whole amounted to 2& ftone by the Kelfo ftandard. The reputation of thefe oats has increafed fo rapidly, that they are now generally ibwn in this country, as well as through moft other parts of Scotland, feveral partg of England, and they have even found their way acrods the Atlantic to America. The grain of every fort commonly fown here, is fufRcieot for the confumption of the inhabitants* Quantities are fold by fample in the weekly markets of Kelfo and Jedburgh, at the prices then current. * Horfes have of

lat^

♦ Wheat it fown in September, and mofe freqoetitly hi Odof>ef; ryfc mncK about the fame time ; oats in March and beginning of Aptil ; peafe about the middle of that month ; barlej froi^ the middle of April to the middle of May \ tuiiupi from the beginning of June to tlie middle of July; harveft conunencei^ in favourable feafons, about the end of Auguft, and generally through the month of September. The prices of grain and proTifions vary according to cii^ mmftancei and the ftate of the preceding crops ; wheat, at an ayerage^ felU

at

24 Statijiical Account

late years advanced in price, cfpecially fUch as are fit for buf- bandrj and carting. Black cattle are generally of a good fize, being bred from large Englilh bulls. Althougb there are not any llock. farms, properly fo denominated, in the paiiih, ■particular attention has been paid to the breed of (beep within thefe few years. Their wool is much finer, and conftquently is rifing in price, which is from 15 s. to 168. at an average per ftone. There are 16 lb. of 24 oz. to the pound in the ilone. Thefale has been very quick, and the demand dill con- tinues. The inclofing of land with hedge and ditch is now prevalent, and meets the inclination of the farmer, who finds his profit and convenience thereby. They allow their land- lords

at 30 s. the boll nfed in tliis country ; barley from 15 s. to iSs. ; oats, rjs* j pcafe and rye at i6s. The demand from other pbces frequently makes a con<- fiderable Mteration in (he market. Oatmeal is always fold by the flone weight, 'tbe f;tme as butcher meat, the medium price about I s. 6d. 16 ftones to » boil ; .beef ufually 3^ d. the pound; veal, mutton, and lamb, at 3 d.; pork 4d.; geefe X 8. 6d. ftript of their feathers and ready for ufe ; ducks and hens 8 d ; turkeys %% 6 d.; all at an average. The wages paid to domeftic fenrants haveincreafed much Unce the improvements in agriculture took place ; a. man receives annually 7 1. «nd a woman 50 s. with maintenance ; day labourers 8d.; women 6 d.; wrtghts* 'lod.; mafons Is. in fummer, and lod. in winter ; taylors 8d.; turnip hoers and iiay makers, 8d.; a man for harveft work is., and a woman 9 d., with their diet. Hinds, who provide their own diet, are allowed a free houfc, grafs fof "their cow in fummcr, and fodder during winter and fpring, 8 bolls of oats for tncal, 4 bolls of barley, I boll of peafe for family bread, and i firlot of potatoes |>knted. £very cottager pays the rent of the houfe by harveft labour, has a fmall fpot of ground adjoining to the habitation, for furnifbing cabbage and {>ot-hcxbs, fome potatoes planted in the field, lint fowo, and fometimes potatoes iDit barley, as far as their dung covers the fur face. Thcic cottagers, with their Xamilie^ are eagerly dcfired by the farmers, ready at a call upon every emer« ^cncy, employment being given to their children from the age of 8 or 10 years and upwards^ according to their zefpeiSlive abilities. Since the cultivation of lurnips became fo uhiverful, thefe cottages are valued at one guinea rent through ^ the year : The family arc provided with turf brought home by their madcn Tlurfe houfcs arc never left unocc'.:picd, althouj^h reared at the cxpcnce of the iarmcr.

oj Eckford. 25

lords intereft for fach fums of money as may be neceiTary for inclofing. Every farm has feveral upon it, generally in a thriving condition. The rent is from 10 s. to 20 s, per acre. The numbers of tenants has of late years diminilhed by the union of feveral fmall polTeflions into one. But to carry oa the bilfinefs in thefe large farms, a greater number of fervants is required j fo that this has not had fo much influence in de« populating the parifli as might have been expef^ed. Accord- ing to the report of the molt judicious farmers, one half of their land is laid out in tillage, one four h in turnips, and the reft in paflure. buch fields as ar« fown with red or broad clover, and rye-grafs, for hay, continue in that date for one year, and then are plowed for other crops.

Manure. — ^Two feams of marl, deeply impregnated with flicUs, were opened, about the year 1777, *^ Eckford Wetter Mofs, upon the Duke of Buccleugh's eftate, the upper one of about 8 feet thick, covered with 9 feet of mofs ; the feam bdow it 7 feet at an average, feparated from the other with a flratum of clay of 4 feet, without any other intermixture. The marl is found to fait a light foil, when well fpread on the furfice, in proportion of 60 or 70 bolls to the Englifh acre: a ftrong loam requires a larger quantity. All green crops, fuch as peafe, grafs, clover, &c. receive be- nefit from it ; and when fpread on pafture ground, in the be- ginning of winter, and allowed to mellow by frofl, it proves of very great advantage to the enfuing crop. 1 he meafure for the boll is a cube, containing 8 cubic feet : it is fold to the Duke's tenants for 3 d., and to others for 4 d. ; at the dif* tance of 3 miles for a J d. ; at 5 miles, and all above that, for a d. the boll. Its excellent quality increafes the demand ; for it fully gratifies the moft fanguine expc&nions of the farmer end imprever of land. Lime is alfo much ufed, and with great advantage, although tranfported from Northumberland,

Vou VIII. P at

26 Stati/iical Account

at the diftance of upwards of 20 miles. A qnarry of lime^ ftone has lately been wrought at about half that diftance« The experiment has not as yet been fo extenfive as fully tq afcertain its excellence for the purpofe of hufbandry. The proprietor (by its demand) has been encouraged to ereft a draw kiln ; and as it feems to increafe, another kiln is pro* pofed to be built next feafon.

Proprietors and Rent. — Property has not undergqne any confiderable change of late in this diftrid, excepting Marle^ field, purchafcd by the Marquis of Tuecddale from William Nilbet of Dirleton, Efq. along with the eftate of Grubbet. There are 8 heritors in all : Ouly one refides conilantly, and another occafionally during part of the fummer feafon. The valued rent of the diftri^ by the commiffioners of .fupply, anno 11^2^ is 11130 1. 13 s. 4d. Scotch. The prefent real rent is 3699 1. 4 s. x d. Sterlmg.

Church — The prefent church was built about the year 1663. It \tas completely repaired and new feated in 1774 and i775f and is now rendered exceedingly convenient. The manfe was rebuilt in 1775* and is equally commodious. The o/Eces have been lately repaired. The glebe is ratlier ivoflX\^ even including the pafture gro\ind. Water for the family ufe is tranfported from the river Tiviot in a water carriage, there being no fpring in the immediate neighbourhood of the houfe. Of late, pump wells have been dug in the villages of Eckford, Wefter Mofs, and Mofs Tower, and fome other places, which fupply the inhabitants plentifully with that nc- ceflary article. The living confifls of 35 bolls 3 firlots z peck and 1 lippies of barley (oi the meafure commonly ufed in this county, viz. 5 firlots to the boll) \ 23 bolls and 4 (tones of oatmeal (16 fiones to the boll); )2l. 18 s* 7iVd. Sterlings in money ; j 1, for communion elements j 4alb. of cheefe,

frota

fif Eckford. 27

from a farm in the pariih, of vicarage tithes, paid regularly every year, not having be^n commuted ; with a piece of muirland for the exclufive right of turf, which the minifter generally occupies yearly, at the diftance of above a mile* By the late additional expence of livings the prefent incum-' bent found it neceffaiy. to commence a procefs of augmenta- tion of ftipend before the Lords Commi (Boners for plantation of kirks and valuation of temds. Having met with no oppo- iition therein from his heritors, a decrett of modification was pronounced ; but as the procefs is not quite finifhed, the a-* mount of the augmentation cannot as yet be afcertained. The King is patron. Eckford, from ancient records, feems to have been a vicarage dependent upon the Abbey of Jedwortb, commonly called Jedburgh.

Poor. — ^There are no parochial funds, or mortified money for the poor. Their maintenance arifes from afieffments every half year^ at what is called a pariih meeting for that purpofe ; ' the one half upon the heritors according to their valued rent, and the other half upon their tenants according to their prefent rents, refpeftively. The fum affelTed is levied by a colle&or appointed for that purpofe, who is allowed, fome gratuity for making the caft, and levying the money. It is put into the hands of overfeers for the poor, who diitribute it to thofe per- fons admitted upon the roll of penfioners, according to the weekly allowance paid, which varies in proportion to the rifo and fall of grain* Ferfons claiming this charity, muft have refided in the pariih for 3 years, without interruption, before the application is made ; and they are required to fubfcribe a bond or deed of conveyance, bequeathing their effects to the heritors at their deceafe, as a check to prevent concealed pro^ perty, or alienating this charity, and to hinder the interfer- ence of relations in that event. Thefe effeds are feldom es« afted, and therefore turn out of fmall account to the pariih.

D a ITie

^8 Statifiical Account

The funerals of fuch perfons are commonty ordered ta be dd^ frajed by the meeting. When difeafe or misfortune attacks any perfon, as during the high price of oatmeal in 178a, and proper application is made to the meeting for charity, what is called an interim fupply is granted. There ^re no begging poor in this diftrifl. The weekly coUeftions in the church, which are but fmall, are alfo applied to alleviate the wants of the mod needy as they occur* The number of paupers at laft inrolment was 24.

5^ioo/.— There is a public fchool, and dwelling houfe for accommodating the fchoolmafter, kept in repair by the heri- tors ; the falary was lately augmented, and is at prefent 81. 6 s.. 8 d. yearly. He has a fmall piece of grbund inclofed for a garden, contiguous to the houfe : his other emoluments are, 30 s. for coUe&ing poor's rates yearly, fchool-fees for Engliih, i s. ; i s. 6 d. for writing, 2 s. 6 d ; for arithmetic, ^^f' quarter each 5 for regiilration of each baptifm, 4 d. ; proi- clamation of a marriage, 1 s. ; eztra£t of a teftimonial for a fingle perfen, 4 d. ; for a family, 6 d. ; as clerk to the kirk feilion, I OS. yearly ; befides fome cafual articles. The num- ber of feholars is from 40 to jcf at an average ; but as the fchool is not centrical, being towards the weftern limits of the parifh, fcmie infirm perfons are generally employed to teach young childien at adiftance (in Caverton and Cefsford) the Xlngliih language, and the elementary principles of religion from the catechifm. They are furnifhed with a houfe gratis from the farmers, and fatisfied for their pains with what the parents can afford.

Ji/tf/— The fuel commonly nfed in families is coals, whicli are brought from a diftance of about 20 miles, and feme from Northumberland. Although in fome parts of the county there is the appearance of fmall feamsi none of the trials hitherto nadebave fucceededi nor is it probable they willy without con^

fideraUe

of Telford*

29

fideraUe ezpence and perfeverance. The common people make ufe of turf, broom and furze > but thefe two laR have becsme fcarce, through cultivation of the land that formerly produced them. Feats are not plentiful, there being no mofTea but in places where the marl is got ; and this being nearly exhaufled, the poorer inhabitants muft fufier confiderablj very foon by the want of this article : and indeed the diftance from coal is one great reafon that maoufadures have not been eftablifiied in this country, though wool is in great abundance, and the neceflaries of life may be obtained for the mod part at moderate rates*

Pofulation*''^The population in 1756 was about 890 fouk above the age of 8. It has often varied according to circum- fiances. An atcurate (late of baptifms cannot be obtained, as diifenters from the eftablifliment feldom order the names of their children to be engrofTed ; and the regifter of births, marriages and burials is not regularly kept, as the pariih clerk has no allowance for that purpofe. The dues to govern- ment for thefe are paid on the firft of O&ober yearly ; of thefe he preferves a memorandum, and afterwards enters them on the records, according to which the annexed abftrafi* will

fumilh fome idea of the population for ten years paft.

Statif.

f dhjhaB rf Bapajmt^ MarriagS and DtOhi^ during the lajl ten years*

BAPTISMS.

\

MAR.

BORIALS. 1

Tears.

Males, Fern.

Total. \

Males.

Fern,

Total.

I781

14

xz

15

7

8

XX

1781

10

10

ao

4

X

5

1783

10

17

5

7

1784

5

1%

17

9

8

X785

13

II

44

7

zo

Z7S6

XX

16

5

6

1787

S

14

i 8

9

Z788

10

13

7

10

17

1789

4

9

10

8

1790

6 1 8

X4

7

9

TottJ,

88 t 8x , 169 I

.69

44

46

90

^o Statlftical Account

Statiflical Table (if the Parijb of Relaford.

Length in Engliih miles,* * - . g

Breadth, - - - * " 4^^

Population in 1755, - - - 10S3

■ — , anno 1791, - - "91'^

Decreafe, - ' - - 131 Average of births, for ten years preceding 1 791, nearly - 17

■ ■ -"^ of deaths, for ditto, - - - 9

■ I of marriages, - nearly « 7 Number of males, - - - 436

females, - - - 516

— . — males under 10 years of age, - 71

— — females, under ditto, - - - 67

■ families, - - «* 219 ■ ■ houfes inhabited - - 211

Ml members of the EftabliQied Church, - 742

*^— Seceders and Relievers, - - 210

■ proprietors refiding, * • 2

non-refiding, - .5

— clergymen, - • X -^ eftablilhed fchoolmaftets, - i« z

— farmers, - * - - 25

— keepers of alehoufes, . - - - ^ -^ fmiths, mafons, wrights, &c. * • 34

— millers, • -* - , * • 5

— fervants, * - * - 106 poor, - - - - 24

Valued rent in Scotch money^ -* L. 11,130 13 4

Real rent in Sterling, - « 3^99 4 '

Roadst Bridges^ Rivers, fee—There is a turnpike road from Carlifle to Berwick upon Tweed, Newcaftle, &c. made at the expence of the county, through the parifh, but kept in

repair

ofEckford. 31

repair I^ the tolU. Statute ld>our, by a late ^fi of parlisi* menty is commuted a( the rate of 7 s« 6 d. Sterling, for every joo 1. Scotch of valued rent. Thefe roads are found \o be of eflential fervice for promoting fpcedy communicatioa in an inland country- There is an old bridge of one arch over Kail Water, at Ae Mill of Ecfcford ; the parapet waIIs ar« tfXLt^ It is laid to have been built by the mo.ney arifiog frona vacant ftipcuds about the Revolution. There is another over the fame water, near its conflux with the river Tiviot, built at the expence of the county, on the great turnpike road. The fiib ia th^fe riv^ers aire trout and falmon. The trout in Kail are preferable to thofe in the Tiviot : The falmon come up the Tiviot at all feafons, but in greater numbers in the months of September and OBdbery for the purpoCe of fpawning. The gentlemen of the county have it in agitfitipn to form a (;anal from Berwick to Ancrum Bridge, up the Tweed, and to crofs the Tiviot. A fubfcription for defraying the expence of a furvcy, to be taken by Mr, Whitworth, was lately fet on foot, and the furvey taken accordingly from Ancrum Bridge, and eaftward, in the neighbourhood of this place. The com- mittee appointed for condufting the canal, having abridged jhe former plan, appointed Mr. Whitworth tp furvey and give in an eftimate of their hft plan, which was reported to the meeting of the Michaelmas Head Court on the 14th of Oftober laft, of which they approved, and appointed the famo pomnoittee to circulate fubfgription papers* towards raifing th« neceiTary fund, for carry.bg the work into execution.

Eminent Men. — Sir William Bennet of Grubbet, was born and refided at Marlefield, in this parifh, the greater part of \l\% life. He w?s a gentleman of confiderable genius and learning* It is reported that h^ afforded afiifiance to the lata Allan Ramfay, in compofing the paftoral comedy of the Gen- 3 ^^«

32 Statiftical Account

de Shepherd, and in fome other poetical proda£lions of thofe times. He was very jullly refpefted for integrity and bene- volence ; and indeed the whole family are &id to have been remarkable for hofpitalitv and public fpirit. Their remains lie interred in an aifle, adjoining to the church of Eckford, on the north fide of it, with this infcription over the door :-^ Hoc monumentum Jilt etfuis bene tnerentibus^ ptmendum c^ravii Dominus Gulielmus Bennet^ Eques Auratus^ Anno Salutis 1724.

Antiquities. ^-^On the fouth of the prcfent village of Ccfs- ford, the remains of the ancient caflle of that name*, ate yet to be feen. No date is difcernible to fix the period of its erec* tion 9 but from thofe parts of the walls yet entire, it appears to have been a place of coofiderable firength, both from the

thicknefnK

* Hie firft proprietor of this caftle, mentioned in hiftory, was Andrew Kerr, who obtained the title of Baron of Cefsford, and got a charter of conBrmation from Archibald Earl Douglas, thereafter iUled Duke of Turenne, Douglas an4 J^ongueville. This charter is dated anno 1446; and in the reign of Queen Eli- sabeth and James VI. of Scotland, amif 15-0, the laird of Cefsford was made warden of the Scottifh middle marches * ; it became afterwards one of the titles of the noble family of Jio$ehirgh, which it fliU continues to be. Such was the (U tuation of Se^land before the acceflion of James VI. to the throne of England^ that every Baron's houfe was more or lefs fortified, according to the power an4 confequence of its lord, or fituation of his caftle. Thofe efpecially^ at a diftance from the feat of government, and therefore not under the awe of the law, when the predatory fyftem prevailed, found it neceflary for their habitations, and plar ces of reiidence, to be better defended againil the incurfions of the neighbouring plunderers. Cefsford cafile, therefore, being only at the diftance of 4 or 5 miles from the Englilh confines, was necefiarily rendered a place of fecurity ; and ac- cording tu tradition, there was afubterraneous vault for conce*aling both perfons and goods within its walls, to which acce(s was only got by one aperture, which was opened or ihut as feemed neceflary by a large (lone with an iron ring in it« This ftone and ring have been feen by fome perfens ftill alive i but the cntrapc^ to the peel or dungeon is now chocked up with rubbiih.

f>f Eckford. 53

thkknefii of the walls (which are 12 feet at an average) the ▼efl^ges of the battlements on the top, the embrafleurs on the ' fides, and the remains of a furrounding moat, which was pro- bablj furniihed with water from a fpring above the prefent £urm houfe. The TOof is entirely gone. The area within the walls, difcemible, is 39 feet in length, and 20 in breadth ; the entry to it was probably from the N.£. About 7 or 8 years ago, in digging for Itones on the farm of Hofpital-land, belonging tQ the Duke of Roxburgh, the labourers difcovered a tumplus, in the bottom of which were found two earthen pots ; the one about 3 feet deep, and x 8 wide; the other rather fmaller; both containing blackifh duft, and fmall fragments of human bones : Upon expofure to the external air, thefe veiTels tum- bled down and could not be preferved *• There have alfo been found iilver coins of Queen Mary, in good prefervation, near * the fliephei^d's houfe in Eafier Wooden, where fome faint veftiges of a tower, it is faid, have been traced. Part of the walls of a ftrong building were to be feen feveral years 0go at Mofs Tower f, fo denominated from its ancient iitua- Vol. VIII. E tion

* Near the fite of tlie fcaffoldiog^ ereded on CaTertoD Edfe, for viewing the mmiDal horfe races, and at a gravel pit on the road between Caverton and '^tUo^ ihere was found a copper yeflel, of about 6 inches diameter, enc)ofiDg an exca- vated wooden ball ; and in both thefe laft mentioned places, fimilai- parcels of black duft and fragnoenu of bones were found. Iiy digging for ilones in Wood* en Hill, in the eftate of the Duke of Buccleugh, to form an indofure for a plan- tation of firs, two or throe vcflelf of earthen fubftance, of about a foot deep, were got, containing limiUr duft, and fragments, fuppoled to be of children by their iise ; and about 4 years ago, in the field called the Do/e/, near the village of Eckfind, a ftone cofiu), (or fquare ftones eroded, and covered with another laige one) was feen, containing bones of a large iize.

f From a pa&ge in the Border Hiftory, § it appears, that the Earl of Suflez, anno 1570, with an Englifli army, burnt and razed this tower, belonging to the

j4 Statijlical Account

lion in ^ntarfti: tfaefe walls are fince pulled down. There was a chapel in former times towards the eaft of the village of Cavertoiiy but no veftige remains. A fmall church'-yard is ftill occupied in fepulture by fome families in the parifli/(and probftbjy by fome others), whofe anceftors had privilege there ; and a fpring in the adjacent field, north of the church^yard, bears the defignation of the Hdly Well^ or Priejts Well. A- bout a quarter of a mile fouth from the family houfe of the late Mr. Hall of Haugh-head, fituated on the banks of the Kail, there is an eminence, feemingly artificial, called Haugb-head Kipp (the adjacent fields being kyel), of a circular form. It had formerly been planted round with firs, fome few pt which arjf fiill remaining : Upon the top of it a plain flat

ftone

XaMoi Bacckagl^ and (SR part of his Orace's efta^e in this jdiftriA. > It is re« ported to ha^e been occupied by Hepburm Lord BabwtUx but no inficription or monamental information can bo traced to confirm this tradition. Tho incum- bent has fecn a medal of the EmpreXs Pavfiina^ that was taken from the heart of a peat found at Mofs Tower. It was about the iize of a half crown ; the letters and infcription were very diftind. In Wefler Mofs ol Eckfnrd, nuts, roots, and pieces of large oak, and other trees, have been dug up ; alfo fome liomi of the red deer, very largi;, and the ikull of a biliDn.--^inc6 writing the above, the incumbent Tifited and infpeAtd a place, vulgarly caUed the BlaJk Diiet which, by its elevation above the eontigvovs plowed field, cannot £ul of attraAing obfervatiett. It is on a rifisg ground, about iialf a mile from Kail water, and to the cafl thereof. This tumuhts meafared ay feel over i at its weftern extremity, where it appeared to have been dag for a fmall fpace* froni fide to fide 33 fieet. Its whole length is 34a feet ; and at the caftana extremity k is 42 feet over. It lies in a £red line £. and W. The materiab of which it is compofed, fo far as can be obferved, are fine loofe movid, intcmuBed wilh large ftones, covered over with heath, akhoiigh there it none in iu iaunediatc vicinity. This tumulus, or barrow, is reported to have been a pkce of kfo^ tare in troabkianie times; bat no huaaan bones have as yet bees dug up. In the year 1349, during the reign of Sdwanl the Hi. of EagUuid, and David JBtve§ of Scotland, when the Scotch invaded the Englifh borders, 50CO of their army dropt down dead of the plague, hawjog caught Ae infe&ian> which at that time raged through the realm of England ; bat whf thcr their bodica wer; ^he^ interred is uoccrta^

of Eckfordi 55

ftone of an ell fquarc» bears an inCcriptiony commemorative of fome rencounter the proprietor had, with thofe who had taken ▼iolent poileffion of his eftate, and were plowing his fields. The infcription, fo far as could be talben down on the fpot, is as follows, viz.

• Here Holy Hall boldly mainuin*d his right,

'Oainft Reef ' plain force armed with lawles mights For Tuenty Pkughs hames'd in tU their Oear, Could act his yalient aobl Heart oiakc Fe»i', But with his fword he cat the formoft Soam, In two, Hence drove both Pleoghs and Plcugh-Men home. X6a04

This perhaps may allude to what happened in the reign of James L of Engtandi when uniformitj of religion was pro- jeded for both kingdoms^ and, the Common Prajet Book be- ing intended to be introduced into Scotland, occafioned no fmaU difturbance for a confidetable time.

CharaQtr^^^\i^ people are in general economical, fober, induftrious, and contented with their fituations in life ; main- tain focietj amongCt themfelVes, and with their neighbours ; are hofpitable to ftrangers who accidentallj come amongft them ) and are endowed with a liberal fpirit to relieve the di« ilreffes, and alleviate the miferies of their fellow creatures upon every emergency, according to their abilities. The only means of meliorating their condition, is by a prudent and per« fevering attention to what they can perform ; and, if the pro* jeded canal, from Berwick up the river Tweed, and part of . Tiviot, take place, coals and lime, with foreign commodities, will be obtained at an eaiier rate, and the produce of this country exported conveniently ; which would be a fortunato circumftance, not only to this diitrid, but to the whole coun«

£ % Mifcellanious

36 Statijitcal Account

Mi/ceOanioes OifirvattoHs.^^At the diftance of a few yards from Cefsford Caftle, and to the N« W. of the veftige of the Moat, there ftands a venerable aih tree, called the Crow ?rr/, expanding its branches, and covering a eonfiderable furface with its ihade,! which, though very old, feems as yet in a healthy ftate. It meafures at the bafe 27 feet 8 inches round the girth ; at 6 feet upwards, 15 feet ; and at the clift where the branches (which are thick and ftrong) diverge and fpread, 14 feet 6 inches ; fo that its dianieter, at an average, to the clift, is 5 leet, and is fuppofed to contain 300 feet of wood. This tree is of great antiquity, and has been often vifited and admired by the cUrious-— There are 3 com mills in the dif- trid, two of them on the Kail, the other on the Tiviot ; one of Khefe was lately rebuilt, and the machinery properly adapted for grinding oats, barley and wheat, and for making pot barley. —-There is a faw mill at Marlefield, on the Kail Water, where the planution of firs, fit for dales, paling and other purpofes, are prepscred, and meet with ready fale. There is alfo a fulling mill on the fame river. — In June laft, a neft of thofe camivor* ous birds, ufually called hooded crows^ was difcovered by a ihepherd on the banks of Kail. There were two young ones in it ; one of which was entirely wbite. By fome inattention it died j and its remains (lately in the incumbent's polTeilion), were tranfmitted to a certain virtuofo in Edinburgh, for pre« fervation in his mufaeum, where it may be feen. There are two quarries of good free done, one of them at prefent not occu- pied ; and a fort of grey (late taken from the bed of Kail, now difufed, being apt to dice, and at any Yate found too heavy for roofing.

NUMBER

^ Gigba and Cara. 37

NUMBER IIL

PARISH OF GIGHA AND CARA-

{County of ArgyU-^FuJbyttry of Kintyre-^Synod of Argyll^

By tie Rev. Mr. William Fraser.

Origin of the Names.

IN an account of sm expedition of Haco King of Nor- waj into Scotland, it is mentiooed« that on his waj to Rintjre, he touched at Gubej (now Gigha), where one of the priefts, in his train, died, and was buried with great pomp ; and that fome friars of a certain order at- tended the funeral with a pall. Gudey^ or Gud-ay^ is inter- preted *' the Ifland of God." In the Gaelic language thefe words, <* the Ifland of Gigba^^^ are written EUean Gbia^ and pronounced Eilean Tia. God's Ifland is written, in Gaelic^ Eilean Dbia, and pronounced, as above, Eilean Tia, Now as both dbf and gb^ in this language, found like the con- fonant y in Engliih, people, without attending to the mean- ing, might take the inflefted cafe, Dbia^ as if it were Gbia^ of which the nominative is Gia^ as Dia is the nominative of the other word. This change might alfo have proceeded from religious coniiderations. Though men named, or pointed out, certain places as belonging to the Deitj, they never called fuch X^aces direftlj by his name. Thus Eilean Dbia^ or Goi's Ifland^ might with propriety be applied to a particular iiland confecrated to the Supreme Being \ but it would be reckoned

both 5

•38 Statiftical Account

both abfurd and impious to call it Dia^ u i. God. Therefore fuch people, while thej endeavour to keep the analogy of found, avoided, bj the change of a fingle letter» the charge of abfurdity and profanation. As to the letters gb^ now thrown into the middle of the word {Gigha)^ it is onlj done in imitationi of a particular provincial found, by which fome pronounce it Giga. The origin of Cara is unknown.

Situation and Extent. — ^This parifii, confiding of two iflands, Gigha and Cara, forms a part of the iouthern diftriS of Ar-f gjlUhire, called Kin tyre, from which it is divided by a chan- nel 3i miles broad. It lies along the weft coail of that dif- tria, extending nearly from N. E. to S. W. The ifiand of Oighais about 7 Englifh miles in length, and 2; in breadth. Proprietors, Mr. M'Neill of Gigha, Mr. McNeill of Galhu choillie, and Mr. Stevenfon of Airdglamie. South of Gigha, at the diftance of li mile, lies the ifland of Cara, which ia near i mile long, and i mile broad. Both iflanda are low, having few hills, and thofe hardly fo high as the araUe land on the oppofite coaft of Kintyre. In both^ the foil is fertile, vegetation quick, and the air falubrious.

' GlOHA.

Appearance^ Soil^ and Coaft. — The eaft fide and both ends of Gigha, are for the moft part arable. The weft fide and middle, hilly, but mixed with arable land. The foil in ge«» neral is a rich loam, with a mixture, in fome places, of fand, mo(s or clay. The ihore, on the weft fide, is high, rocky and bold, except near both ends, where there are breakers at fome diftance from the land. On the eaft fide there are feve« ral points jutting into the fea, with a few funk rocks, which render the navigation in fome degree dangerous to ftran- gers, efpecially at night: In day-light the breakers over

the

of Gigba and Car a. 39

the funk rocks are vifible. Between thefe points, arc feveral bays and creeks, where fmall veflels can be fafely moored. In the bay of Airdme'anifii, at the head of which is the church, there is good holding ground in 5 and 7 fathom water. Be- tween Gigha and Cara lies Gignlum, a fmall uninhabited ifland, with a range of breakers and large rocks running S. W, In the found between this ifland and Gigha, there is a good anchoring place for large vefTels, which may be conveniently moored on the Gigulum fide, by means of iron rings fixed in the rock. The entrance from the weft is between the above mentioned range of rocks and the ifland of Gigha, and from ^e eaft between Gigolum and Gigha*

Tides, Sea Ware^ Kelpy gtc— The tide runs north ; but there is no remarkable current near the coaft : nor is it eafy to afcertain at what rate of knots it runs, being a kind of eddy» that ftrikes o£F from the rapid current, which runs between the Mull of Kintyre and the Sound of Hay. It feldom rifes above 5f or 6 feel ; and that only with a north wind, or in calm water. With a fouth wind, there is hardly a foot of dif- ference between high and low water. Tliis is attended with difadvantages in repairing, loading and unloading large veflels* It alfo prevents the manufa&uring of kelp to any great ex- tent; 7 tones, at an average, being the greateft quantity inade in a ieafon •. There is, however, fuch abundance of fea ware thrown afhore in ftormy weather, as fufliciently ferves the inhabitants for the purpofe of manuring their ground. Though fliell fand abounds in feveral parts of the ifland, it is never ufed as a manure, being attended with

more

* Sea ware has not hitherto heen cut annually, but at the end of every 5 years. By gcttiog fo much time to grow, the ^aatity of kdp may be abovt ^% j^m at CTpry cutting of the fea ware.

40 Statiftical Account

znore trouble than fea ware, and having failed the only time it was tried, owing to a millake in the quantity laid on, and the nature of the foil on which it was put. To people who are tenacious of old cuftoms, and averfe to deviate from the pra£lice of their ancefiors, the want of fucceds in fuch a cafe, is a more powerful argument againft it, than any thing that can be advanced in its favour : Therefore it is in vain to maintain, that this valuable kind of manure is preferable to wrack, or more permanent in its effeds. There are inexhauftible banks of another kind of fand, which is ufed in making win- dow glafs. It is white, very fine, and, when clofely exa- mined, the particles have a pellucid appearance. Specimens of the glafs were fent to the proprietor, from the glafs work at Pumbarton, where, in the courfe of three years, they got above 600 tons of this fand* The colour of the glals is greenifh..

Fijb and Fijbing Banim — Shell fi(h are found in great a* ][)undance. They are of a large fize* and excellent quality, confiding of lobfters, crabs, cockles, and razor fifh (common* Jy called Jpout Jljb. About two leagues north of Gigha, there is a hfhing bank lying, N. E. and S. W., near 4 leagues in length. From the beginning of February to the end of March, the N. E. end of this bank is frequented by fine grey cod, weighing, when caught, from 6 to 16 lb. each ; befides fome ling, large haddocks, and a great number of fcate and dog fifh. From March till May the S. W. end is frequented by excellent red cod. This bank had been negleSed for 20 years, till Mr. M'Neill of Gigha, in 1788, fitted out I boat by way of trial. In 1789, 2 boats were employed, and every year fince, from 5 to 8. But their fuccefs has, by no mepns, been fuch as to encourage the people to perfevere ; owmg partly to the want of large &iling boats, which woul^

cnzhlp

rf Gigba and Cora. 4 1

enable tbem to fet and raife their long lilies ia tne month 06 March, which is alwajs fiormj, by reafon of the eaft wind^ that fees in periodicallj at that feafon. Another caufe is, the prefent duty on fait, which is.fo high, and ail the regulations, refpeding it fo numerous and complex, that« till a change be made in this branch of the revenue, it is impoffible to carrjit on the white fiihiiig, in fuch a manner as to becortie extenfive- \j ufeful, to thofe whofe local fituation is mdft favourable for it*. The other fifli taken on this coait, are foal, Ijthe, mac- Vou VIII. F karel,

* There was a g^at fiihtng on this bank formetly, bnt it had been negieded lor upwards of 20 years, till Mr. M*Neiil of Gigha came to the iiland in 1788^ when X boat and 4 o&en were empli>yed by way df trial In X789, % boats and % men were employed : during theie t^o ydurs they had littie fuccefs. In fpring 1 79Q, 5 boats were fitted dut with 4 men in each, befidet fonr addition- •1 men for faiting and curing. By their ioduftry; 40^0 fiih wtre fent to nuu> ket. In fpring 1791, 8 boats, with the fame proportion of men, yfixt em- ployed; and about the fame number of fiih, at the preceding year, were fent to marlcet. A m^n who had the charge of Mt. M'Nelll'i eftate, puithafed the fiih at 4 d. each cod ; but,haTing ufed debenture fait the flril )Eear, was obl'ged tP export the fiih to Ireland, where, after trying different markets, he was at lait under the neceifity of felling the whole at half the price he had paid, be« fides other ezpences. The fecbnd ycar^ in otder to avoid ftf ch inconveniendcs, he pnrchafed fmail fait which paid duty in Scotland, and entitled him to dif- pofe of his fiih for home confumpt. This cargo iie fold ^t Glafgow^ at the a«^ 'ferage price of 6 d. each fiih.

The method ot fiihing the cod is is follows :— They are taken With a long line, 700 fathoms in length, havipg from 400 t« 50x3 large white tinned hooks. The bait ufed is the fifli of a large white wilk, called Busluei «r Dtg^wUt^ which Is foond on a difiereht bank from that whereon the cod is caught. At the beginning of the fiihing, a dog is killed and fingedi and the fleih^ after rotting % little, is cut in imall pieces and put into cr^ii* or b«ficet«, made of- hasel wands» for the pterpofe. I'hefe creels arc fur.k by me^ns of ikones thcown into them. The fleih of the dog, in its putiid ftate, is laid to attrad the wilk, which crawls up round the fides of the bkiketi and gcttiiig in at the top, cannot get out a- , g^, owing to the ihape of it, which is fomethii!g like that of the wire moufe. trip. Afttr the firit day's fiihiog, the heads aad entrails of the cod, with fixate.

4t Stati/Ocal Accwnt

lUrel, firathi, euddies, fock filfa (or fim perch), gimet tntf flounder.

Roaii

aibd <Iog4A, ate ^ into th^ cneb, wbidi an tifited-efierT ixf^ die witki tak- Ai outt and frcih rait M tiMi iamc kind pot in^ there beiB|f no aaofc occanon for dof'tfldh.

71^ other fiik cannon the oaaft of Oigfaa, are Ijthe, nadkarel, rod(-fi(h, (or ica perch) ieath, and coddle. All thefe fireqoene funk rocki near the (hore^ and are taken with a flonC fiflibg-rod* hair line, and a hook, moeoted with cither a goofif or fta gtlTt white feather, ibmetiinet widi a finall piecd of aimed white leather. The mJUrt (or yoang feath), ia takes with m finall rod and line, having a finall hook (or a pio hended in the form of. » heok), aonnted with o feather aa above. They are fiihed from the rocki a* king the fliorc. At certain timea of the year, the cuddle ia taken with the fiflv of the black iknil wiOc, patboiled. The coddk ia taken either with the fly or ^ait all the year. Bvery petibo fifliea for Umfelf o»the rocfci, only the whole ftrty|oiB in pooodiogthebatt,and<aftittgitintothefea,inoiderto celledn greater nnmber of the fiih* Aa foeo aa the pounded bait ia dirown in, thelar heantifiil finall fl(h make their appearance in great numbera^ darting at once from aU diredioni like the radii of a circle. JLythe, dtc. are only kitted froia May to Norembcr. Every boat haa 4 men, andeaehboatcatchealxoa»6oto ioo leatha in as evening* Rock 6ih, or lea perch, are often taken in cieela,rvHiidb^ •refvnkin deep water near the fliore. There are aUb flennden and eelt, bve ahcy art leUoln canght.

At an atvenge, there aic annnaUy abont 60 of the inhabitanuempbyed i» the herring flfliing, from Jane till Januarys all thdr wagea are laid ont in por^^ diafing elothea and other neceflariea for themleWea. hloft of them being in* ttarried,they live all fpring with their paeenta or frienda, which hnrta the inteidb of both partieat ae^ from die habiu diey acfuire o& board, they aro not mock inclined to work hard aihore. Thin inconvenience it increa(ed,in proportion m tfie filhing ia fiicceftfvl ; for, when there ia a good fiAing (m they are paid bf ihe mooth), their w^ea wiH be le&, and dM period of their ina&ivity proloiig- od. Por -inftance, if a -yef^el makea her cargo in a month or fix vreeka, flie im» mediately retnma home, ai^ihe hands are dilcharged, withont any paofpeA oC fliore employnMnt that feafim. Hence die propriety of giving a fmallbonntf to the handa caaployed H killing the herring, according^ to the number of bar« yela, and the time ia which they were takeft; at leaft^ fomedung (honld be done to make op the diflerence of their wages, when the fiihing ia Ihecefifel:^ And if the fiune were extended to the cod-fia»ing,il would be attended with Te«» ry happy effedka. In this caTe, all thofe perfons might be ulbfully cttfloToi torn the beginoing of Febroaryito dM not herring flflung in J«ne»

ff Gigba and Car a. 4}

Rdads Mi Firry^^^Tcm the hartx>ttr of Gignlum lbttn4» there is an excellenc tine of carriage road* finiflied balf«way to the north end of the tfland, which will foon be completed the whole length, to the great convenience of the inhabitants, who are now beginning to nfe carts, of which there are alreadj fix inthettand. The ftatnte labour for making roads is converted into uKMiej at the rate of i s. 6d., or as. for each perfoa annaallj. Befides this fund, there is a QiiXling in the pound, va« lued rent, payable over the whole county, by an aft of Parlia- ment pafled in 1774 ; but the money thus raifed, goes to the great lines of road (particularly fpecified in that aft) on the main land ; and aa thefe are ftill incomplete, nothing of the money exigible by the aft of Parliament, can be applied to o^ dier places ; confequendy the road in Gigba has been carried on at the ezpence of the principal proprietor* Between Gigha and the oppofite coaft of Kintyre, there is a regular ferry and two boats* one in the ifland, and one on the main land. The diCsdvantage attending this ferxy, is, the want of m quay on the Kintyre fide, which is fo much expofed to the ftonu, that in winter it is not eafy to fave a boat^ etherwife than by drawing her up. To diis may be addecl atiother inconvenience, the want of a proper houfe to accom- modate people who wait at the ferry. Both thefe inconveni« encies might be removed at a fmall expeoce, and, if removed* diat ezpence would foon be refunded. It is with regret it muft be obferved, that fuch inattention to public convenience has been, and ftill is, too frequent in the Highlands.

H(M^ and J^«(9m(pj.— Within thefe 4 years, two new public houfes, each confifting of two floreys and garrets, and a malt kiln and granary, all with flated roofs, have been built* iMfides repairs and offices about the old manfe, which die principal proprietor occnpies as a temporary manfion houfe.

Fa die

)^ 8taf0ical • Account

tbelate indumbent not faking it.a« % legal manft. ' There were alfo built two (loFe.houfe^j Qi)e at each harbour* a >rew-y bouftf, and 14 other hopfes. . ^xclufive of the church, • thero are in all 5 dated houfes, 4 of which are inhabited, Roaad th? whole iflaody along the iliArei there are excellent flag qaarriest of a gray and.bluiih colour^ which oan be eafily d.reQedi an4 make good pavement, floorst^ or hearth ftones. Neither lime nor free flopet at leaft of .good quality, have been dif^overed^ but there i$ abundance of whin fiid grey Hone, fit for buU^^g haudfome houfes.

Pi^.— The only. fuel here is peats, which are fo fcarce^ that the proprietors are under the neceiSty of allowing the in^ habitants to cut away the furface of pafture, and even meado.w grounds. In many plapes the rocks have b^en fgalpedi fo as to make the $gh( very difagref^ble to the, eye, befides the un^ toward confequ^nces to ;he prpprietors, who lofe a great par( of very good pafture lan^. This, difadyantage mu^ always increafe, until fom^ pUn is adopted to enable ^he people tgt purch^fe coals, which an equalising duty at the pit would ef« fe&uate. Th^ present duty upon th^t nece0ary article, which is generally thought to be as unprodu£tive to the re* venue, as it is gri^vo^s to the (ubjeft, is fo uniyerfally repro- bated, that it is ailonifhing bow it is kept up (o lo,ng. What? €ver might have ^en the reafpn for adopting fucb a plan of Jtaxation at firft, it mu(l now be confidei^ed as both abfurd and opprellive \ to tax people who^ hefides the original price o^ the coals, are obliged to hire yeifels at a great expence to car- ry them home, w^ile thpfe who are nea^ the coa} works and fxee from fuch additional expence, pay no duty at all, is par- tial in the extreme. If confidered in a political view, it wiljl appear no lefs abfurd \ it is an efiedual bar to the introduce tion of maj^^f^?^^ ^^9 ^^^ Highlandsj. (to the wapt of

wch

cf Gigba md Cora. 45

irMch arejowmg the frequent emignrtibns tWt take pBce Crom.that part of the kingdom) and ^ronfequentlj it pteveota IL number of veflels' from being employed in that trade, which^ in time of peace, would be a means of fupporting many fami* lie$i and, in cafe of war, a ibnrce of inoreafiog the nwnfier of thofe brave men, to whofe intrepidity and courage ' Great Britain owes her cdi\fequence as a maritime power, and her proiperity as a coi^mercial.nation. .,..,'.

Wood.-^kn^htf inconvenience here, -in' common wilh al! thte Wefttm files of bcorland, is fhe^ant of Wood. This in* convenience, however,. may, by due 'attention, be removed ia this .ifland, fpr it fe^ms to have J?^en .p.pcc well flocked with lueea. Several oak trunks are dug upia the mofies, and fome houfe timber, the natural growth of the ifland, dill remains. Many of the inhabitants remember a good orchard, which produced excellent apples ; and the place is flill marked by ^> plaice tree, th^ . oalj oue left of £x that were there in fpriog lail. About 6djeat5 ago, fome afh trees were planted, and • few of them likewife remain, fufficiently large for the com« ipon purpofes of building and farming utenfils *•

* It IS a common opiDion, that wood Tvill |ioft thrive in the We(Um Ulcv of Scotland. This opinion is ill founded ^d contradided by fads. £ven in the ^mailer ifles there has been plenty of trees once, as appears from the trunks which are ftill found in their moiTcs. Hence there is good reafon to believe, that they would ftill gfow, would proprietors perfcverc in making ezperimcntf, beginning on a fmall fcale, and, by decrees, enlarging their plan as they found it become fuccefsfal. A^xo the larger iilands, ther^ are undeniable proo&y that jhcy formerly abounded with wopd ; and that the want of it now, is not owing to any thing unfavourable in the foil, climate o^ fituation, but wholly to the negligence of the inhabitants. For, befides the large trees, that are yearly found in their mofles, there are fine fp routs of oak, afli, and other wood, groiy- ing in the vallies, or upon the (heltered ddes of the hills, which, in winter, a^e pegleded and allowed to be eaten up by the cattle. Were fucb places inclofed.

4$ Siatifiicsd AccMta

Farm Mi Iiub/mr9t.—Tkt irnmber of farms to Gigba if 15. They pay frdm 30 1. to ipoL rent each. Alltbefep

except

md f « rntni tn pnfmr rhnn. thrm irmlil In? t fnrnt itnl irf -mnni mi irnr l«tffi with tcry little cqpcnee*

The advastages refuking frem Ibch inpnyftacnu 10 other phsMb »« «ai> yKxhXtf acknowledged : Much more ienfiblj would they be fek in rcaoM UbadB^ where at prelcnt there u not the finalleft twig growing, and whcre^ therefoK^ the jpooter fort of inhaMtanta are obliged to expofe themfettci, hi ilti8in^opcs4aatH to the hanard of a long mi daogeioM iMivigatioii» in order to pnrchafe, at a dear rate, what* h^ pr^>er attention» migfac he caiied ^ritWa ihc ifiaod. On thefe occafiooii they endeavoor to make the moft of their Voyage, by werloadbg their boaU; and, at this kind of cargo does not ilow WcH, there it ahrayt too much top weight* which it often attended with &tal gflpfrOTfiMT* ; infiaacea of which could be -fipecified* Thit ftrnfiirfatiffit deet ftoold excite proprietert, to adopt every rational phui»lor introdudng int». theft jflaodt pn article fi> moch wanted* to render the iituatiiQ of the iphahitaniy comfortable, and* indeed* the only thipg wanting to render thefe iflaadt among tiie moft deCghtfu! placet in the kingdom to vifit* or retire^to in the fommer. Ihtare fiimiihed thia article in great abondance formerly* and ftill ofes ao produce it* ^onhl people hut avail themielvea of her bonnty* by lecnndtng Jier etfbrtt. Befidea the great advantage of raifing trees lor domefttc ulet» and the alteration it would make on thefe iflands in point of beauty* it would he a^* tended with other good effcdt. By inereafing the degree of warmth* it would quicken vegetation ; it would alio fcreen the fiddt from blading winds ; lava the com from ihaking ; and* in the winter time* afford ihelter for cattle.

On pbcet diredly ezpofed to the ftormt of the AtUntac ocean* h it pro* ^ble that every attempt to raife trcet will prove abortive. But in places (heU tered from thofe ilorms* they vnll certainly grow, if care be taken to preferve them from cattle, and to prevent people from deilroying them. Infread of one •large plantation, feveial finall dumps might be tried; and where they were found to thrive, more might be planted ; where they did not* the lofs and ex* pence would be left felt. Various kindt of trees fliould be tried* and diffsrent cxperimenu made; inch as raifing them from the feed* tlunning them at thej ^ew^op,and tranfplanting thofe thus raifed at diilerent ages* and into different foils. Where the ground it marlby* or fo mudi expofed that treet will not tioae to perfedion* it might be rendered very valuable by raifing lallows, for which there iiihri^it doDiiid for 8»kisgboopS| aeeU and bfdkctt; aadcould

^ Giilkd and Cora. 47

ttcept 4, mre pofiefled bj two or more tenantt, who, inftetd of occupjiag each farm in common as formerly, are now be- ginning not only to divide them from one another by marcli dikesy bat alfo to fnbdivide each farm, fo that ererj tenant may have his own ihare marked ont and inclofed. This gives diem a trite idea of property,* promotes emulation, begets H fpirit of improvement, and*ftimulates to ioduftry and exertioii* Thongh averfe to fuch a change at firft, they now begin to acknowledge the benefit of it ; and the proprietor, who had ibme trouble, before he ^ould perfnade them to adopt thii I^n, has the iatisfafiion to find, that thofe who have tried ir^ are fenfible of its advantages, and mending in their circum« ilaoces.-— Divifion of farms naturally leads to inclofe them % and thb, befides the advantage of fecuring property, occafions A degree of flielter and warmth, much wanted in iflands, where generally the arable land lies along the (bore, and is much expofed to the ftorm. The old pradlce of raifing earthen fences, ([which befides the perpetual expehce and labour of re- pairs, are moll pernicious to the foil), is gradually going into

difttfe

ttMt be nifed than fsflfeleBt to ierre <he iahabiOtfils, ike ovcrpltti misbt be tM to idvuttgt, amoog the feffek that eooftuitly fre^ent thele UUadt ia thefilh- log feafont.

If after repeated triab, in low tiaadt, which are much expo&d, it be tdnA dbat trees Irill not grow, wovld it be ao cztniYagaDt plan, to nOke one or mora imaU inclofnret with a ftone and Ihne wall, whkh might be railed annuaUj ia proportion to the growth of the treet, to the height, ai If^ of ao or 50 feet ? pToprieton of inch iflands, who have handfome fortunes, and reCde on their «wn propertiea, might, it ia prefnmed, lay oot ft little money yearly on foch s plan, without being confidered in the light of projedon. If '* the growth oC " €wo blades of graft, where only one grew before, renders a man moro * nfefal to his covntry th4n the Whole race of politicians put together,*** how much greater fervice does he perform^ who, by his attention and pubfia (pint, railes a few tfceiin thofe iflands, where iisl saris now tobcfeeh?

48 StatiJHcal Accoufii

difufe, and in a fhbrt time will be totallj abolilbed* In ordef to eSefluate this, and to introduce the method of building flone fenoes, naen have been brought from other countries, to carry on this ufeful improvement. Since the jear 1788, be^ fides drains *, ditches and hedges, about 1600 falls of dry fionfi wall have been built : and the (ame work is ilill going on with great fpirit.

Cultivation and Produce, *^Thcy begin plowing about the ifl of February, and woik with 4 horfes in a plough. The principal proprietor, however, works with only 2 horfes, a method which is now becoming general in feveral parts of the county f • There are 24 ploughs in the ifland, of which a are of the low country kind ; the reft aukward and heavy. Their harrows are all wooden, and generally take 1 horfes to drag each of them. The teeth (or wooden pins), which wear fait, muft be made long, in order to be driven through to lupply the wafte i fo that one is at a lofs to know which is

the

* Great additions maf he made to the arable and pafture ground, by draining^ and by blading and clearing away (lones; and pains are taken, both by example and advice, to make the inhabitanu fenfible of the advantages arifing from this lund of improvement. Upon the whole, all the improvements which have been carried on lince the year 1788, and which have coft upwards of aoool. Sterling, luve (ontributed greatly to the lnter«ft of both the proprietor and the tenants^

f The barbarous pradice of working with four horfes abrcad, which ftlll pre- vails in fome parts of the Highlandfi, is laid n.vcr to have obtained here. But another pra(5Uce, no lefs barbarous, is fometimes ufcd, though not fo common ai is other places, that is, tying the harrow to the horfe's tail. This is often done to fave the expence and trouble of harnefs» and fometimes to tame young horfei^, at they term it, which, indeed, it docs with a vengeance. For the honour of liuman nature, is well as irom a regard to the fafety and eafe of that noble afiiw tnal, to which we are fo much indebted for a great ihar6 of the pleafures an4 ^nvcnicnces of life, it were to be wiHied that other proprietors would form s refolutiob, as is now the cafe in Glgba, to put an effedlual (lop to fuch uuelty. ^ A merciful man hath compaflloa on his bead."

of Gigha and Car^t^ 49

die right fide ; box indeed docs it make any great difference «s to the effefl produced, which fide is ufed. Though thej- neither pulverize the ground nor cover the grain, the people prefer tbeoi to iron-pinned harrows, and maintain, that were they to ufe this latter kind, thej could never raife a good crop. Such are the efiecls of ignorance and prejudice, two powerful enemies to improvement in the Highlands .of Scot* land *• The produce of the ifland, confiding of oats, barley and potatoes, is more than fufficient for the maintenance of the iababitlmts f* All kitchen ftuffs may be r^ifed in great a- bundance and perfefiiout the foil being gdod, and neither moles nor any continuance of froft to counteraS the exertions of the gardener. A good quantity of daz is raifed yearly^ which is fpun and fold in yarn; at 2 s. the fpindle« Till late- VoL, VIH. G ly.

* Thej begin fowing the htter end of March, tnd finilh their harley feed alioat the beginning of Jun& Barley harveft commences the htter end of Angnft ; that of oats near the middle of September ; and the whole is finiihed about the latter end of OSober. As there ip no intenfe froft of any continu- ance, and as the greater part of the arable land is dry, they might begin to ploDgh and ibw much earlier, and confcquently their harveil would commence fooner. They are at great pains in Lcleaning their feed* com, and preparing Aheir barley ground, which they plough thrice. They have derircd great ad- vantage of late from foreign corn feed and bear, which was introduced by the proprietor.

f The Gigha boll is equal to ao pecks Linlithgow meafure. J. aft crop fold at 14 8. the boll of oats ; 1 1. 1 s. the boll of barley ; 1 8 s. 8 d. the boll of meal {lO fionc weight); 8 s. the boll of potatoes, mcafurng 4 barrels heaped. Of the barley, i^obolk (Linlithgow meafure) are diiHllcd in the ifland ; and about 160 bdls, of the £ame meafuKi fent to Campbeltown and other places : Of potatoes about 1000 barrels are fent out of the country : Of the meal there will be about lao bolls bought up from the tenants by the proprietor, for the ufe of liis workmen. Aquavitae fells at 14 s. the gallon; a ftone of cheefei d4 Ib.f cofts i 8. ; a ftone of butter 10 s.

50 Statijlical Account

Ij, there was no hay made in the ifland ; and indeed there is hardly any yet, except what the proprietor makes : but as the people now fee, by the great returns he has had, the be- nefit of inclofuresy the improvement of fowing grais feeds is likely foon to foUow.

Black Cattle and Hor/es ^The ifland of Gigha was for- merly divided into 30 merks land, to eachof which 14 cows and 4 horfes were allowed : The fame proportion to the ifland of Cara, confiding of x merk land. According to this me* thod of calculation, the number is eafily afcertained.

MX. Cows. C<mt. ML. Hor. Hor.

Gigha, - 39X14=420 Gigha, - 30X4=120

Cara, - 1X14= 14, Cara, - 1X4= 4

Cows in the parifliy - 434 Horfes in the parifli, - 1 14

The prefent number, however, of black cattle and horfes far exceeds this calculation* The black cattle may be reckoned at leail ^ more. Some fat cows are commonly fent to market in the beginning of winter, and di*aw from 3I. 15 s. to 5 guineas each. The number of black cattle, fmall and large* fold annually, will be about 120. Milk cows fell at 4 1. and ^ 1. ; lean cows, in May, draw from 2 1. 10 s. to 3 1. ; heifers from 1 1. IDS. to al. las. 6d.; ftirks, or year-olds, from x6 s. to 1 1. I s. Horfes are bought at 3 1. 10 s. and 9 1., ac- cording to their age and fisLC. The number of horfes annual- ly bought muft be very fmall. As fome are yearly fold out of the ifland, it is probable that the number reared is fuffi« cient for the place.

Sheep and Swine^^-^Tht farms in Gigha are rather confined for flicep ; and as the common tenants cannot keep them fe«

• parate

^fGigba and Cara^ 5 1

|)ltrate from other cattle, thej are to fell them ofF, it being found, that when thej are not kept by themfelves, they dege* nerate, and. prevent the improvement of black cattle ; a thing too much negleded formerly in this place. But bj this plan, it is not intended to banifli this ufefal animal from the ifland altogether. As there are ibme points of land, forming fo many peninfuke, which can be eafily inclofed, it is meant to keep a ceruin number of a good kind for the convenience of mutton, and the improvement of the finer kind of wool. At prefent the fmall highland kind of mutton fells at 7 s. 8 d., lamb at a s. 6 d. or 3 s. — A good many fwine are reared ; but the damage they^do among the pafture ground is greater than any advantage they bring. Till fuch time, therefore, as a proper method of confining and feeding them can be adopted, it were better to baftifii them altogether, which the proprietor means to do, uolefs they are kept in a hog fence. They arc fold at from 16 s. to 1 1. 4 s. A pig cods from z s. 6 d. to 3 s. 6 d., according to its age^

WUd Animals^ p9uhry^ &c. — ^The only deftruftive animal is a fmall fpecies of wild cat, which feldom comes near the farm houfes, but keeps near tbe fhore and among oaims, where it kills rabbits, of which there are many in the. ifland. Rat^ and mice are fometimes troublefome. The amphibious ani- mals are feals and otters,^ but not very numerous.— There be-> ing no foxes, polecats, weafels, &c. poultry of all kinds are reared in great plenty* A goofe lells at i s. 6 d.) a good hen at 6d. ; a chicken at 3d. ; and ft dozen of eggs at 2d. In winter the ifland is viiited by the fwah and woodcock; in fummer by the fwallow, comcraik (or cornrail), and cuckoo* The other birds frequenting it are, wild geefe, ducks, and all the fpecies of fea fowl common on the weft coail : Pigeons, plovers, ravens^ hooded crows, darlings, fparrow hawks, and

G % jack

^2 Stati/itcal Account

jack-daws are verj numerous* Of the laft there are twor kinds ; one with a dark blue head, all the reft black ; another with red feet, having the body and head black.

Waters. — Though there are neither lakes nor rivers ift Gigha, it abounds with excellent water, everj farm having one or more fpring wells in it. On the weft fide of the ifland^ two good mills are fupplied, all winter and fpring, with water coIle£ted inta a pond from fpring wells; but in fummer^ the pond is made dry for the purpofe of cutting peats. — ^There i* a tradition that the country was once nearly depopulated by a plague, all the people dying except thofe of one farm, called jirdacha\ or Hrgh Fields where there is % fpring of water, to the virtue of which was attributed their fafety. The water of this well is ftill reckoned very fidu- briouBy though it has nothing peculiar in tafle or colour *.

* It woiiId.be nnpardoDaMe on thU fubjed not to mention the Well of 7«i^ haif called Toiar^rath Bbuatbaig^ i, t. the lycJty ^oeil •/ Beatbag ; a well famous for haTing die command of the wind. It it fitnated at the foot of a bill front-* ing the N. E» near an iftumns called Tafbac Sis feet aboire where the water guihes out, there it a heap of AooeA^ which fonnt a cover ta the facred fount. XVlien a perfon wilhed for a fair wind, cither to leave the iiland, or to bring home his abfent friends, this part was opened with great folemnity, the ftonc* carefully removed, and the well cleaned with a wooden difh or clam flicU. This being done, the water watfeveral times thrown in the diredion (or art), from whkh the wiflied for wind was to blow, and this af^on accompanied with acer^ tain form of words, which the perfon repeated every time he threw the water. When the ceremeny was over, the well. was again carefully ihut up to prevent fatal confcquenccs ; it being firmly believed, that, were the place left open, it would occafion a iionn, which would overwhelm the whole ifland. This cere- mony of cUamng the vfcU, as it is called, is now fcldom or never performed ; though fkill there are two old women, of the names Galbrcath and Grahan^ who arc faid to have the fccret, but who have caufe to lament the inpdelHy •fthe •^y as they derive little emolument from their prufcifion^

tf Gigba and Cara. jf J

£*««£# .-*-Tbece are iTevcral caves : The inoft remarkable are ei»o an the weft fide of the iflaad near the {arm of Afj^iolia'^.^ One of them, called Uaigb Mhor^ or the Larg* Cavif w%s «ri^ ginally 190 feet long. At prefent there is onfy a part of it coveced^ but fo fiUad up with earth and Aones that it it dif- ficuU to get into it.: This part ia 86 feet long, and the wft (which is 104J, forms a grand entrance to it, bjr a hanging took on the north > fide, 70 feet high, and by another rifing parallel to it, on the feuth fide, equally high *.— «At a finall diftaace foatb of* this, is Uaigh^na^n Cohtmfn^ or Pigem^g dmcj (from thefe birds neftliag there). It is about ^70 feet ]pog, 30 broad, and 40 high. The end, which, likethe^^thor care, is narrow anddack, is adorned with a beautiftd coating of fpar, w!hich riins down abng the fide in large ^ins, aoi (bmetimes in perpendicular tubes. The water wJiich oozoa through this fubftance, and which forms drops of different Magnitudes, according to the pores and diametera of the diC- ferent veins and tubes* has a beautiful appearance with, candle light* Here are £bme plants reckoned ufefiil. in cettaiprconiir plaints; particularly cneam^narmuc-Jki^ i.e. wiidbMr's gof^m /#(Pf,. which is ufed in ftomach complaints.. Its leaf is beaii«i tiful and long, hanging down from* the fide of the cave. On the 4th of January, when thefe caves were examined, vagiai* tation was fo (Irong, that the different plants appeared perfe&^ ly frefli and vigorous. — At the fouth end of the ifland, there is a fubterraneous pafiage 133 feet long, infb which the fea runs. About the middle there is an aperture 8 feet long and a broad. Near the end there is another, to feet long and 4 broad. Round this aperture are large pieces oi rock; one of which havmg fallen in, and being jammed between the fides^ divides it into two^ and forms a convenient rcfting place for

taking

• Sec the ^tte.

t Or H»/t'i Ttngve^ according to Mr. ShaTv*# Di^ionaiy.

54 .Staliftical Account

taking tbe depth of the chafm, which is here 21 feeti id tli^ middle 3 a, and at the mouth about 40. When there is a furf^ a perpetual mifi iflues from thefe apertures, accompanied with a tremendous noife, which is occafioned by the rolling of large fionesy or fragments of the rock that have fallen in, and are cooftantly kept in motion bj the agitation. of the water. In time of a wefierlj ftorm, being czpofed to the great fwells from the Atlantic ocean, the fea ruflies in with fuch violence as to difcbarge itfelf through thefe openings with a thunder* ing noife, riiing to an immenfe height, in tbe fotm of inter* mitting jetts. Hence its name Slot'^-an^Letm^ or Sjtarting Otve^ literally Jumping PUm The mouth of this cave is only to be feen at low water ; and the channel leading to it ex* tends more than 70 feet \ fo that the whole length is upwards of aoofeet*.

Cairns and HUU.^^^\t\km a few yards of Sloc-an.Leim there. is a rock, detached from the reft, 36 feet high, 46 long^ and 34 broad on the top ; it was furroundcd with a dry flone^ wall, and is called Cam Ltim^ from its vicinity to the chafm already mentioned. The country people fay it was a beacon for dire&ing veflels into the harbour of Gigulum found. A* bout the centre of the ifland is Dun Chifi, or Ktejiis HiU^

which

* Noftk from th* at a fmall dUbmce is another fubtcrraneoiu paflage, called Slot^atfT/bhrannan (pronouiced Shk-an-tranan J ^ i. t. Snoruig Pit, from tJlC kind of noife it makes. It is about 36 feet long, and the chanuel which leads to it more than 40. At the end there b a very fmall opening (not half an inch wide), about which there is a quantity of warer always lodged. The condenfed air below is forced up by every fwell through the fmall openin|^, and occafiont that bubbling noife in the water, which has occafioncd the name. At the mouth of thi» chafm, where the channel is 17 feet deep, there is a Urge piece of rock lying acrofs, which occafionn a jctt here, and the fmall perforation at the end iquirts alfo in time of ftorm ; fo that it u in minature the lame as Sloc-an-Lcim --^To the caft of thcle chalms there ;s an appc^iraacc of copper orc«

o/Gtgba and Carak SS

^Mch appears to have been a ftrong fortification. On the K. W.9 N. and N. £. fides, there is a fteep alcent from 40 to 80 feet. At the top of thb afcent, there is a perpendicakr rock from 14 to 37 feet high ; the reft is inclofed with a drj flone wall, 9 feet thick, and from 8 to io feet high. On the eaft fide there is a fteep afcent of 38 feet, (feemingly cut out of the rock), leading to the gate, which is four feet wide. la the middle of this Dun there is an elevation, which commands a view of the place on all fides, and of the country round. It is 110 feet long, and 67 broad. Tradition fajs that Keefie, the King of Lochlin's fon, who occupied this ftrong hold, was killed there by Diarmad^ one of Fingal's heroes, with whofe wife he had run awaj. Within fight of Dun Chifi, about a mile N. £• there is another beautiful little hill,* furrounded with a dry ftone waU, and rifing in a valley, which happens to be marihy, whence it has its name, Dunan'an»V^sbeafguin^ (pronounced Dunan an tea/gum)^ i. e. the little hill in the mar(h* It is a fteep rocky afcent, 95 feet long, 55 broad, and 36 high, bat level on the top. The gate fronts Dun Chifi, is 4 feet wide, and the wall 9 feet thick*. At the northern extremity of the ifland, on the top of a hill, there is a circular heap of ftones, called Carnfta^/aire^ or Watcb Cairn^ 53 feet diameter. It feems to have been a place of fome ftrength, and intended, as the name implies, to give the alarm in cafe of an invafion, for it commands a very extenfive view of the fea from S. W. by N. to S. £. About half an Englifh mile fouth of Carn^na^Jaire^ on a plain near the fliore, i^

Cam^

* North-weft from Don Chifi, about the fame dtftance, and within fight of it, there it a pemofula, which waa ftrongly fortified, and was probably occupied by the fiune people, to fecure their landing or retreat. It it called Trig by the inhabitants, which it a corruption of the word Treiuh. At a farm called Dntim^ ^-Chn^ there it a beaatiful earthen mount, 43 feet long, and 41 broad on the top. The fidet are a fteep afcent, from 34 to 33 feet. The name and intenr tion of it arc equally unknown.

$& Stdtijlkal Account

Cam^B^n or Whiu Cairn''^. It is alfo circalar , and meafures. 30 feet in diameter. From the fitaatlon of the place, the coavenieoce of landiog, and ita vicinity to Cam^a^faire^ it is likelj that there was an engagement near it, and that the bo« dies of the flain were buried under the cairn. South weft of Cirn Ban, at a narrow part of the ifland, called Tarbat, there is a large fione on end, known bj the name of Csrr^iuu^ar^ larif or tie Pillar 4^ Itariaij: It is near 8 feet high, and, £rom its inclined pofition, cannot be lefs than 3 feet under giDiind to prevent its falling.. It was probably fet up to mark the grave of fome warrior. The common burying place ia the ifland, is called Oil ChattaUf pronounced KM k"*^*) i« e« Cattan*s grave, or burying ground. Here are the ruins of an old chapel, 33 feet long, I4i broad. At the eaft end, Acre is a long narrow window, in the fols .of which lies a ftone iontf neatly cut in an odagonal ihape, and perforated im

the

* Three jan ago feveral fione coffins were difcoyered there, bjr dyl:e4>an« ^en. On opening them they found fome urns, one of which is in Mr. Mac- ■ neill of Gigha*s poifeflion, and meafures (on the outfLde) 5} inches in diameter at top, 2 at the bottom, and 5} in height, made of clay, hard burnt, and in co- lour bfockilh. The coflKns^ ^ which there arc 4 in the middle of the cairn, ace nadc up of 4 large flags, forming the bottom, (ides and ooter of each, with a iinaU fl.ig at each end. They lie ibuth and north, and meafure about 5 feet in length, 3^ in breadth, and i^ in depth. Two of thefe coffins are covered, in «ne of which are human bones. Belides the large cofEn, there were feveral finall ones, of which there is only one left entire. It is 3 ftet long, i ( broad, and I deep.

f Any neck of land or ifthmus, where boats can be drawn over from one fide to the other, is called Tar&z/, from the two Gaelic words iarruim^ to draw, sad Sai^ a boat. U is commottly pronouticed in Gaelic With an i* in the laft ^Uahk as well asin the firft^ (i. e.) Tarbart. Kear the fsrm houfes of Tarbat diere is aa old burying pbce^ where there is a cro&^ with one of the arms and part of the top broken. It is neatly cut, and meifores 6 feet in length, 10 inches in breadth, and 5 inches in tfakkncA* The place ii called Hqfi CUHtfi/t i e. $hc JfCiafi Chapd^ or Tomb.

57

8 his the

:ds

3

its

xid

18.

eft eec ck ich pc- ip- nd

a- ir-

lur

Feet nd. •me her the

ive

4

J

c L' A i

i J

i

%

t

t

4 f I

i

^ Gigba and Cara^ 57

the centre. It Is 2 feet diameter without, and i J- Within, 8 inches deep, and the bottom is 4 inches thick. Near this chapel is Achadh^a^Cbarra^ (pronounced Ax**x*ti*) i* «• the field of tlie pillar, fo called from a beautiful plain ftone, which (lands in the middle of the field, within 140 jards of the chapel. It inclines to the S. W. is 14^ feet high, ,.3 feet broad, and 8 inches thick at the edges. To fupport its weight, it mail be 3 feet, at lead, under ground.*

Sfa Coqft and Birds, — ^The fliore of this ifland is high and rockj, except at th« N. £• end, where the landing place is/ The fouth end, called the Maoil of Cara *, which is the higheit part of the ifland, is a perpendicular rock, meafuring 117 feet in height. From the flioro to the foundation of this rock there is a fteep afcent equal to 50 feet perpendicular, which makes the whole height 167 feet. Here all the different fpe- cies of fea-fowl ncflle in May, which, added to the grand ap- pearance of the rock, forms a delightful viewof^the fea,; and on approaching it, the ear is no lefs gratified than the eye. The number and variety of notes, which the appearance of a- ny vifitor occafions among the birds, together with the mtir-

Vol, VIII. H mur

* North>«aft of this, at an e<}aal dii^ance from the chapel, is Cnoc-a'Cbarra^ or the hill of the pillar. On the top of this hill there is another (lone, 9 feet long, and 3 feet 10 inches in circumference ; of the 9 feet, a are in the ground. Still farther to the N. £. on a higher hill, there was a croft which fell fome years fincc, and was broken ; the 3 (lones were in a ftraight line, but whether they direded to any particular objed, or were intended as monuments of the dead, cannot be afcertained.

f Jlf^ro/adj. fignifics iare or iaiJ, as Cean/i ma»l, hald-bead. Hence it is ap« plied to cxpofed points of land or promontories, and then becomes a fubilantive noun, and is written maoil c. g. maoil of Kintyre, tnaoU of Galloway, mat^ti «f Cara, &c.

4

^8 ' Stattjlical Account

mur of ihe fca and the echo of the rocks, form a concert by no means difagrceable- The real game hawk is iaid to neftle here. This rock has a great deal of iron ore in it ; and in one place, which was ttruck with lightning fevcral years a- go, large pieceg were thrown down, which feemed to be a mixture of copper and iron.*

Cavts^ Soi/, i3c. — Clofe bj this part of the Maoil, there t$ a cave 40 feet long, 5 broad, and 5 highf. At the end there is a fmall opening which communicates with another cave, meafuring 37 feet in length, 9 in breadth, and 9 in height. This cave is open at the fide, which admits a good deal of light, and fronx the top dreams of clear water fall down. The fame kind of plants grow here as in the caves of Gigha. The N. E. end abounds with rabbits, where the foil is a mixture of ihells, fand, and earth. The reft of the ifland is mofly, and the greater part might be cultivated, but it is found more pro- fitable to keep it for pafture. There is enough of peats for the inhabitants, and care is taken in cutting them to prefervc*

tlw

• A pcrfon who ha* lived above 36 years in the ifland, fays, that the rock fell in Autumn 1756 : That the night on which it happened, there was a dreadful hurricane, accompanied with thunder and lighuiing : That the iioife of the rock falling wa< heard, and the (hock fel^, in their houfes : That ^e fea rofe fo high againil the rocks on the weft fide of the ifland, as to be carried over the whole breadth of it in heavy fiiowers : That the houfes were all unroofed, and the flacks of corn ovcrfet ; and that all the people were ob- liged to extini^uifli their fires, and take fheltcr in the only flated houfe on the ifland, which fortnnately fuifered no damage.

f A parcel of goats, belonging to the tackfman of the iiland, confider this cave 39 their inviolable place of refidence, and difcover no fmall furprifc when iVrangers viiit them. The aj^pearance of thefe animals, fometimes running in the face of the precipice, and fometimes looking down from the higheft pinnacle of the rock, occafions in the fpc Bator's brcaft a mixture of plcafure and pain^ which it more eafily felt ihan d::frribed.

^f Gigha and Cara. 59

the fttrface, and laj It down regularly after the peats are tak- en awaj, by which means the pad are ground is not diminifL- «d. The tackfman has one plough and one c^^-t. His houfe is flated, and confifts of two floreys and garrets. It was built 60 years ago, and is iiiU in tolerable good condition. Adjoining to the houfe there is an old chapel, (96 feet long, and proportionally broad) with a Gothick arched door on the north fide, lliis was forojerly a burying place, and is now ^converted into a kitchen. Wild fpinage and water crefJTes a- ' bound here, as well as in Gigha.

Gigha. and Car^^. Population* — All the inhabitants of both iflands are Pro- teftants of the eflabliflied church of Scotland. The majority of them are of the names of Galbreath and M*Neill. The former are reckoned the more ancient, and faid to have been originally a tall race of men. At prefent there is nothing uncommon in their ftature. Tradition fays, that there never was. an inflance of a ihipwreck where three of them were aboard. The Galbreatbs *, in the Gaelic language, are called Breatanuich^ or Clann a Bhreatanuicbj i. e. Britons^ or the Children of the Briton^ and were pnce reckoned a great nani^ p Scotland, according to the following lines :

*< Breatanuich, o*n TaIJa dhearg f '* Uailfc fir Alba do Shloinneadh.

That>$, " Galbrcaths from the -»«/T<«wrf ^ Nobleftof Scottiih firnames.**

The

* Galbreath is a corruption of two Gaelic VQr<l< C^ BhrtaUf^ u «. the Strange Briiotiy or Lew Country Briton,

f This Talla dbearg^ or Red Tower t is probably Dumbarton (in Gaelic Dun^ Bhreaiain^ i.r.the HiUofthe ^nVoffi, whence, it is faid, the firft Galbreatbs came U> Gigha.

6d Statiflical Account

The population of both iflands has increafed nearly one fixth tirithin thefc 40 years. By a lift made out in January I79a» the number of fouls was found to be 614, which is exa£Uy 100 more, than the return to Dr. Webfter in 1755. Of this increafe, nearly oi\e half has taken place within the laft 5 years, as by an enumeration taken in 1787, the number was 5729 which makes an increafe of 41, or above 8 per annum tirithin that period. The following tables will exhibit a view of the different fexes, ages, conditions and profellions of the people in botli iflands*

TaBIiS I. Sbnuit^ the proportion of the Sexes,

Males. Females. Total. Majority. In Gigha, - 304 «88 S9^ 16 males.

^Cara, - 11 it %% o

Total, . 315 a9Si 614 16

Table II ♦. JProportiofi of SimgU wd Married People. In Gigha. Cara. Pariflu In Gigha. Cara. Parifl^

Males, - 304-f i;i=3i5 Females, - 488+11=499

Married, - 8»+ 3= 85 Married, - 8a+ 3= 85

Unmarried»a»a-|- 8=430. Unmarried, io6-|- 8=114

Widowers, - 7+ 1= 8 Widows, - 31+ 0= 31

Single, - »I5+ 7=a»» Single, - 175+ 8=183

Tablb

* Add the fmgle of Both fexes in the table, emd fu^raS alJ under 7,0 years in th* foUovfing taUe\ the remainder is the number ft for marriage^ exeituBng widowere Md widows i e,g,

M. F, M.l^ff. Single^ - - . - 424+183=405 Under %Oyears, ... X59+I49=3o8

Ntanber of males and females ft for marriage^ . 97

efGigha and Cara^ 6t

TabliIII. Ageff4btlBbatitaMi*,

Inhabitants of Gig. Cara. Parx(h« Under zo years of age, - Z48+X 1=159 Between 10 and ao, - 146+ 3=149 - ao and 50, ▼ '99+ 7=:ao6

50 and 70, - 83-1- iz= 84

■ yo and S4, - i6-|- oz: 16

Total, - 59JH-aa=:6i4

Table IV. Froportioa of Children^ Families ami Faraum

Gig. Ca. Par. ChUJren. Chfldrcn*, - 3ii+ia=363

^-— = 3 average number in each fiunily , Heads of Families, « 1044- 3=10;

Children (as above), 35i+l»=:363

= t» average number in each (arou

tfoxaber of farms, - 15+ i~ 16

Table V. Number <f Births, Marriagu and Dtaths.

Tears.

Births,

Marriages*

Deathat,

1787^

x6

3

1788

17

3

X789

M

3

1790

a4

4

179X

24

4

««-

*««■

Total,

- 105

17

5*

Annual average,

• ax

3

JO

Tablb

• The difference ef the children* s ages, In every family, is tvc years, vntb verj few exeeftions.— 'Fbere ate three infances of twins in tbefe ifands.

t There is no regifter of deaths kept in th€ parijb, hut the mtmber of grmtm af people who died in the eotnfe of the laf ^ years, is »6, of whom 6 were drowned, ICha number of thildren who died within the fame period is alfo 26 ; in all $%.

^3 Statlftical Account

Table VI. Prtfefftons of tbt iHhaHtmili *. InGigha* Canu In the whole parUh«

Farmers, -

26

+

X ZZ 47

Crrftenf, -

ao

+

o =: ao

Cottagcrst, ■

•^i

+

a zz 53

Fifiermem \,

M the herrkig fiihing lift feafon on the coaft of Ireland, « x^ At ditto on the Nofth Highland coaftiaboat - - 44

Stilon aboard the navy laft war, - • a - 5

Handytraftfmen^

• There U no phylidan, furgcon, or apothecary ia the parilh, nor any to bq got nearer than Campbeltown* Although thefe two iflands are uncommonly healthy, and free from epidemical diforders, yet the want of a furgeon is fome- timcs feh in accidental cafes* Medical afliftance, is the only thing wanting, to render the iiland of Gigba^ a moft agreeable place to refide in. As there are good harbours and landing placet on the eaft fide of the iflaud, there is eafy accefs to it at all times bat the want of a quay, and proper accommodation on the main- land oppofite to it, (as formerly taken notice of,) r4nders the communication difhcult in the winter feafon. Were this inconvenience removed, the other would be Icfs felt, as medical aid, in urgent cafes, could at any time be got from Campbeltown, The winter, however, is fo mild, that there is almoft a f on- ftant vegetation ; aofi in fnmmer the beautiful iituation of the place, the falu* brity of air, and the variety of creeks and fandy bays, render it one of the fincit bathing places in the Weft Highlands,

<ff A crofter has a plot of ground, for rearing a fmall crop and l^eeping a aislk cow, and pays a yearly rent according to the value and extent of the ground. A cottager has only a houfe, garden and potatoe ground, for which he pays a finall rent.

\ Thofc employed at the herring fiihing, receive from a guinea to 30 s. ptr month for wages. The number of vefTcls and fmall boats belonging to both iilands is ai follows : 6 (loops, from 8 to 15 tons burden ; I ditto of 44 tons y I ditto of 69 ; I ditto of 74 regii^rcd tonnage ; and 24 fmall bqati.

tf Gtgha and Gara. C^

Handyeraftfmen &•«. •

Weavers, Apprentices, Taylors, Shoemakers,

Millers,

- %

Boat Carpenters, -

Mafont,

Diftillers»

Inn-kecpcrs,

Fiddlers,

- %

I I % X

Blackliniths,

- X

Pipers,

%

Proprietors and Rent. — The ifland and baronj of Gighi, confiftihg of 30 mcrk land of old extent, holds of the Duke of Argyll for the yeaily payment of 400 merks Scotch of feu- duty ; fivc-fixths of the ifland, (including the farm of Aird- glamy, which pays a feu-duty to Mr. M*Ncill, who has an inter- mediate fuperiority oVer it) belong to Mr, M'Neill of Gigha, and the re Draining fixth to Mr. M*Neill of Gallachoillie. The valued rent of the whole is 127L 5s. id. Sterling. The real rent cannot exadly be afcertained, as there is a part of the lands in the proprietor's hands, but it is believed it may be above 700 1. The ifland of Cara is the property of Mr« M'Donald of Leargie, and is occupied as a farm by one man. The valued rent is 61. 10s. 5 d. Sterling; the real rent, in- cluding public burdens, 35 L Sterling.

Ecclejiafttcal State. — Giglia and Cara are faid to have been a part of the parifli of Jura and Colon fay, and alfo of the pa*

rifli

♦ The common wages of men labourers are 8 d. a day, fummer and winter. A ploughman is hired from December to the end of May, at 2I. los. befide* two pair of flioes, planting of two pecks of potatoes, (owing of a pint of flax- feed, and maintenance. A mart fcryant is hired from the latter end of Augull till the harveft is finilhed at about al. 159. with a pair of Ihoes and his mainte- nance ; a maid fervant for the fame time gets 1 1. 10 s. with ihoes and main- tenance; common men fervants arc hired at the rate of 4I. los. a fear, and maintained; maid fervants at 2I. los. with maintenance, (hoes, and fiax-fced fowing 5 herd boys from 15 s. to ao s. ; a taylor works for S d. a day, and maintenance ; a flioemakcr gets^ I s. Imv making a pair of fiiocs in Kis own houfv:, and 6d. when maintained.

64 Statijiical Account

lilli of Killearn^ in Kintyre ; but when they were disjoined from cither is uncertain. The ftipend is paid partly in vie* tual and partly in money, viz. 20 bolls of barley, 40 bolls of tneal, and 33 I. Sterling in money, befides a glebe, and allow^* mnce for a manfe* There is a good church, but no manfe, the late incumbent having been tranflated to another parifh at the time it was to have been built. The pa/i(h is vacant at pre-» fent, by the tranflation of Mr. Dugald M*Dougal to the pa- rifh of Lochgoilhead*. The Duke of Argyll and Mr McNeill of Gigha are patrons*

School and Poor. — The number of children at fchool is 55 1>oys and 10 girls, in all 6y Mod of them are taught gratis ; 8 of them are learning arithmetic, 32 reading £ngliih| and the reft beginners. The fchoolmafter has a free houfe, garden, and

, cows grafs, with 100 merks falary from the parilh^ and he gets 7 1. Sterling from the Society for propagating Chriftian Knowledge. Of the inhabitants there are 3 lame, 3 blind, 4 fickly, and i an idiot. Thefe, with a few old infirm perfons,

. are on the poors lift, and get as much help from the feiBonas the funds ?dmit of; but they are chiefly fupported by the re* fiding heritor and the inhabitants. The coUeftion at the

church

* Mr. M^Dougal was admitted in Oiftobcr I784 j andoD giving in his difmif- lion in November 1789, Mr. Samuel Peat, a native of the Low Country, was ^refented to the parifh. This gentleman, not fubmicting to be examined hj the prcCbytery of Kintyre on the Gaelic language, a piece of trial which they thought necelTary before his admifiion to a Highland charge; and appealing from them to the fynod of Argyll, and afterwards from the fynod to the General Aflembly ; it was found requifite, that an ordained clergyman ihould beappoinl^^ ed in the meantime, to fupply the parifii, as their infular (ituation rendered it peculiarly hard to be fo long without a minifler to difpcnfe the ordinances of re- ligion among them. Accordingly, in Goober laft (1791), the writer of this report came to this iiland, where he continues to officiate aa interim minifter, with a falary of 40 1. a year from the fynod of Argyll,

ifGigbd ahd Carai C$

cbttrch does not amount to much jearlj, and therefore Is not ifku adequate fund for the fupport of the poor*.

Language* — The language of the commdn people is baellc, hot hot reckoned the pureft, on account of their vicinity to Ireland, and intercourfe with the low cbilntry, by which manj corrup- tions have been introduced into their phrafeoldgy. They under- (land Engliih, and feveral Q)eak it well enough to tranfaft bu- fihefs ; but very few of thim can underftand a connefled dif^ bourfe in that language. It may not be improper here to ob*- ferve, that in Gaelic the letters C and G found always hard ; ti like the Greek x-j bb, and tnb like v; db and gh like y^ vl the beginning of a word. By attending to this, one who i9 ia ftranger to the Gaelic language, can more eafily underftand what follows, as well as what was formerly obferved refpeS* ing the origin of the name of Gigha. Moft of the other tiames are alfo Gaelic, and compounded of fome of the foU towing words, which are ezpreilive of the nature, fituation^ or appearance of the places.

Ach*, Acha', or Achadh, a field, as Acba^ mor, large field.

Ard, High j as jird Acb&db, high field.

Aird, Height; as Aird Gtamie^ u e. Height Point, or promon- tory of Glamie^ from a rock called Glaibie.

Ceann, Head ; as Ceann tire^ i. e. Head land, now corrupted in- to Kintyre* Vol. VIII. . I Ceann^

* During the fcardty in X 7 81-3, barley meal fold at It. ^d. tHe peck (lolbi 4utch weight)* Oat-meal was very rcarce,and while it lafted fold at %%. P>)- tatoes at I s. the peck. With the help of their fiih and milk they were better off than the people ou the main land, and boaght little. Though the grain was poorer that year than ufual, there would hate been no fcatcity of meal, had the farmers kept all their barley ; but before they were aware of the fcarcicy of proviCons, they malted and fold off a great part of it. They were, however^ Ttry favourably dealt with by the proprietors, as well as the poor in general.

66 Statijlkal Account

Ciann^ear'thlr-^eacht^ pronounced Kean-er-ir-ich, i. c. EaJl-»

Head-land^ the N. £• end of Gigha, fo called. Cirn, heap of (lones.

Carr, Carradh, a pillar or one (lone on end. Inflefted cafe, Charra. Cnoc or Cnochd, a hill not fortified, Cnoc^a-Cbarraf Hill of

the pillar. Cfiochd^na^Croicb, Crofs*hill. Cio, a fmall inclofure, a park. DruTin, back ridge of a hill. Driiim Cbro, the height or

ridge of inclofures (or of parks). Bun, a fortified hill, and Dunan, a little fortified hilL Fairc, a watch; as Carn^a-Faire^ watch cairn, Garbh, (garv) rough, ruffged. Garhb^EUean^ rough ifland ; 2 peninfulas fo called, and very expreffive of their appear- t ance and furface. Meadhan, middle, prononnced (mea^in). Nes-Nis, (Danifb) a point going oat in the Tea. ^rd-meadban^nisf the name of a place near the middle of the ifland, where there is a rifing ground, oppofite to which there is a nefs, or point, that runs out about a mile N. £• into the fea, Torr, a tower or a heap of Hones* Tr, a tower

j^rd'ttlr-nis, High Tower Point. Ud^'Uaigby a cave or a grave, SloC'SIocbdf a chafm or pit.

Sea/g^ bog-reed, hence Seafg^onn^ a marflv, compounded of Seafg^ reed, ^nkdfonn^ land. Gigulum, origin unknown.

View. — Nothing can exceed the view from Gigha in variety or grandeur. On the E. the fertile coaft of Kintyre (over- topped in fome places by the hills of Arran and Cowal), ter-

luiaate^

e/Gigba and Car a. 67

minates the profped ; on the S. the Maoil of Kintyre and the coafl of Ixeland^ extending (paft Bathlin) to the point of Derrj ; on the W. the ifland of Ilaj and the main ocean ; and on the N. the iflands of Jura, Scarha, Dana, and the coaft of Knapdale, with the hills of Mull appearing behind. The pkafure ariling from this view is greatly heightened, by the number and variety of flups and fmall veiTels, which conflant- ly fail in difierent direftions, and at different, diilances. And in ftormy, dark weather, when deprived of this enchanting profpedl, the lols is amply made up to the admirer of nature, by obferving the raging ocean dlfcharge its fury againft the rock, whilft '' lid'ning with pleaiing dread to-its^deep roar,"

CharaSer^-^Tht people are honeft and inoflfeufive, willing to oblige, and ready, by every exertion, to relieve the dillrefs of £ea£iring men. They are, upon the whole, in a thriving condition, content with their fituatlon, and greatly attached to their native country. The fuppreiOon o\ private ftills, (whicbareas unfriendly to the induilryand morals of a people, as they are pernicious to their health), has been attended with happy eSe&s. They are now lefs addi&ed to dram- drinking^ and more attentive to their bufineEs ; though (lil^ they are not fo induflrious as could be wilbed. This, however, is owing . to caafes, which it is not in their power wholly to remove.

Dtfadvantagu*'-Jiiyi&.oii of labour, which is the higheft improvement in fociety, has not yet been carried fuch a . length, as to entitle the people of Gigha to tlie charader of being indufirious. The farmer, accufiomed to a certain mode of labouring iox the fupport of his family, never attempts any greater exertion, while this objed is accompliihed. There . is no marl^t at handy where ready money can be ^ot for the produce of the ground 3 and therefore no incitement to raife

la a greater

68 Stalifiicat Account

a greater quantity, than ferves for family confumption and pay-r ment of the rent. Thus, every perfon endeavours to fuppljF bimfelf ; and as he does not receive t^ady money for the pro- duce of his own labour, he cannot advance it for that of others. Hence he cannot apply hist whole attention to his own profeffion. One part of the day is employed about his farm ; another part allotted for the fifhlng, in order to fupply the immediate wants of the family. In like manner, the ihoemaker, fmith, taylor, and other handyprafrfmen, cannot beftow their whole time on their different profeffions. They have families to fupport ; and their employment is not fe conftant, or the returns for their labour fo punftual, a^ to enable them to devote their whole time to their refpec- tive lines of bufinefs. It is neceffary, therefore, to have a fpot of ground : this fpot muft be attended to ; and the pofleflbr thinks it more for his intereft to labour it himfelf, fhan to employ another. Befides, the filbing muft be attended to, as mentioned above ; for no man thinks of making a pro- feffion tA fijbing which is open to every one: And again, no. man will think of purchafing with money what any one can have by going for it. All thefe circumftances operate in preventing induftry and improvement. That this may not appear con- tradidory, it muft be obferved, that the time ufually fpent, every day, in the intervals between thefe different occupa- tions, is nearly equal to the adual time of labour; and therefore, though it cannot juftly be faid, that they are ad- dicted to idlenefs more than others, it may with propriety be affirmed, that they are not induftrious. In this fenfe, all the inhabitants of the Weftern Ifles, being in fimilar circumftan- ces, are chargeable with want of induftry. And people who are not well acquainted with their peculiar fituation, and who form an opinion of their charader, in this refped, by a eom«< l^iarifpn with the inhabitants of the Low Country, may raflilj

poncludf

jT Gigba an J Can. 6g

conclude, that it is natural for tbem to be lazy and indoleiin But nothing can be more ^fair than to judge of them in this way, by a companion with people accuftomed all their life to a proper divifion of labour, and regular maxu kets for vending and purchafing the produce of their in- dnftry. Therefore, the reafons commonly ai&gned for their inaftivity are quite erroneous. It is not a natural difpofition to be idle, but the want of encouragement and regular em- ployment, that checks the induftry of the Highlanders* It is well known, that, when habituated to any line of life, they fire found careful, aftive and enterprifing.

Propo/ed Imfrovements.'^Wttt the labour and iaduftrjr of fuch a number of able men, as are in the Highlands and Iflaods of Scotland, properly direfled and encouraged, the efieASf would, in a Ihort time, be fepfibly felt by the nation at large* The mod valuable difcoveries might be made ; inezhauftible magazines sind materials for every branch of manufadnre might be found out ; and the exertions and inventions of a great part of the kingdom, which are now lying dormant, might, happily for themfelves and fociety, be thus brought into afiion* The moft efieaual means of bringbg about . fuch a change feems to be, the leflening and regulating die prefent duties on £dt and coals ; the ere&ion of towns or villages j and opening canals. The attempts that have already been made in ere&ing villages, will certainly be attended with good effeds ; and if the number were increafed, thefe good eSc&s would be multiplied* By a canal through the ifthmus at Crianan, the navigation between the Weftern Idea and Clyde would be rendered fafe, eafy, and expeditious, at all feafons of the year*^ By another canal between InvemeCs and Fort William, a direft communication would be opened ^m the weft to the eaft coaft of Scotland, which would be

not I

^^ Statifitcal Account

Bot Ontj of infinite mutual advantage to both the£e dif. tlrid9 c>f ttie kbgdonii but to the commercial intereilt of £iigUad and Ireland *.^*AU tffie plans, if carried into exe. cutipn^ would ftir up a fpirit of commerce and enterprife, in «I1 the Highlands and IflandB of Scotland, which would be leob followed bj the introdu&ion of arts and manufa&ures. Then, evety ufeful hand would find fufficient employment at luKne.;. and the idea of property and independence would fti- imilate to labt9Ur and induftry. Then, thofe places, whidti are aoW id ft great meafure conlidercd as of no national confe- quence, would become the fources of wealth and (Irength; and inftead of appearing as fo many barren rocks in the map of our tei^fMJry, wofild prove fome of the brightelt ornaments in tiie croPiw of Gfeat Britain*

* This, however, could only happen, io cafe the canal were on lucfa a large Ixakf 2A to admit TclTels of coniidcrable burthen.

o/LadykirL ")%

NUMBER IV. PARISH OF LADYKIRK.

{County qf Berwkk'-Prejbytery of ChirnfidfSyttod of M^rft and TUviotdali^

By the Rev. Mr. Thomas MiLt.

Name^ Situation^ Extent^ and Soil.

THE ancient jiame of this parifli was Upfetiingttnat^ which James IV. changed to Ladjkirk, after having buUt a handfbme church in it, which he dedicated to the Vir* gin Mary. It was within this chnrch, that the fupplemental treaty, to that of CbaUau Camhrefis^ was concbided between the Englifli and Scots Gommif&on€rs» and the duplicates were exchanged the fame day at Norham. On Holywell haugh, oppofite to Norham Caftky Edward I. and feveral of the Scottiih nobility met, to fettle the difpute betwixt Bruce and Balioly relative to the fuccei&on to the Crown of Scotland* This pari(h lies along the banks of the Tweed, is 2 ' miles long and one broad, and contains about 35.00 Engliib flatutc acres. The country is flat, and interfperfed with a few. rtfiag^ grounds. The foil in general is very good, and confifts of %' deep loam, in fome places gravelly, and in others on a clay bottom. It is all capable ef bearing good crops, with judici- ous cultivation : fome of the outfields were formerly infeUe^ with whbs and fome heath, both of which have long ago been totally eradicated^

jig^icuhuru

yi !S/atij9ical Account

j/gruultun^^^Tht huibandry on both fides of the Tweedy h, in general, condnfted with jadgment and fpirit : To give a {KUtictdar detail of the prafiiee would much exceed the Ibonnds of this report, but as the tenants in a great meafure depend on their lire ftock, and of courfe on the condition iii which it is kept, thej paj very particular attention to their grab lands, and the manner in which they are laid down, as it is found that the grafs of land, in high condition, will not on- ly keep a much heavier flock, but will fatten it much fooner, than the grafs which we too frequently fee growing on good lands, in many parts of the kingdom, under bad manage- ment *.

Sheep.'-^Tht &eep, in general, are very good, and are of that kind commonly known by the name of the new LeicefterJ fliire breed, which were firft introduced into Leicefterihire by Mr. Bakewell ; they are found, in point of profit, far to ex- cel any other kind of (heep in this country. The wedders af- ter having been twice ihorn, at 26 months old, or fo, weigh from 20 to 28 lb. per quarter ^ and the ewes, when fattened^ from 19 to a6 lb< Three fleeces and a half commonly make ^

ftone

* The graft feedf are fowed witfi the firft crq), after turnipi or fallow, in« fiead ttf the fourth or fifth crop, which was the pradice about 30 or 40 year* ago ; aDd the fuiceedipg corn crops are taken after the ^raf» is plowed up. By theie meant there zx6 no cbm crops loft ; and the grafs has the benefit of thei &lkw and the manure, and throws up great crops, when compared' with es* kanfted lands, which are commonly full of eomct and other nozioBs weeds. Har« teft generally begins about the ;ioth of Auguft, and ends in |September. The graft lands remain in pafturage froih 4 to 5 years, when they are broken up for oata«— The EngHlb plough, with the feathered fock, is the only one ufed here. ]t is drawn by a pair of horfes, and managed by one man. Oxen were former- ly more ufed ; but firom their inability to drive manure and cdaU from any dif-* tance, and the ilowneft of their ftep, they have fallen into difrepute, excepting for homo work, which they arc exceedingly well calculated to anfwcr.

^ Laifykirk. 73

ftone of wool, which fells from 158. to 1 8 8. per Qone, and goes into TorkQiire to be manufaAuredy excepting a Coiall quantity which is fept to Aberdeenfliire. This breed of iheep are uncommonlj good feeders, 'but often do not carry fo much tallow as many other kinds ^Pi in proportion to their weight*^ Mr. Culley has undoubtedly the merit of having firft introduced this breed of fheep into the countryi about 2Q years ago qr more ; and at prefent there are 8 or 9 people in the diArid of country betwixt the Cheviot and Lammermuir- hills, whofe iheep ftock are very highly imprpved. The iheep of the low part of the country are all of this kind, and ure found the more profitable the oftener that they have beeu crofled by the befl breeds. The number of them, as well as of the horfes and black cattle, depends fo much upon the ilate.of the lands io different years, whether in com or in pafturage, that it is almoft impoflible to give an exad: account of them : In genera], there may be from 1500 to 2500 iheep in the pa« rifli. The flieep formerly in this country, called Muggt^ were a tender, Qow feeding ^imal, with wool over moft oi their faces, from whence the name of M^ggs, There is hardly an individual of this fpecies now to be met with io the neigh- bourhood. Mr. CuUey's kind of fheep, on the other hand, have open countenances, ^without any wool on the face from the ears forward, and are as kindly feeders as the others are flow ones. They are neither long bodied, nor long legged, but well made, handfome flieep, deep in their chefl, broad at their flioulders, loins, and crops, which lad are. thrown well back ; ^nd they are deep and broad of their breafl:s, which are well feen before ; and iland on well proportioned, clean, fmall boned legs. Mr. CuUey's flock is almoft entirely fprung from Mr. Bakewell's, as he wifely perceived that Mr. Bakewell was in the right traft of breeding, long before mpfl people would allow it.

VoL^VIIL K Black

74 Statiftical Account

Black Cattle and Horfes. — ^Thc black cattle here arc of the fhort-horned breed, and from the attention qow. paid to them, it is probable, that Xhtj will be brought to a great degree of pcrteftion. The fteer* of the bcft kind of this t).reed, whea 3 years old, and fat, will weigh from 60 to 75 done (of 141b* to the (lone), and if kept to a proper age, will weigh from 8 j to no ftone ; fome individuals may even weigh a great deal more. It may, perhaps, be proper to mention, that it is not large iheep and cattle, that the farmers here wifli to breed ; it is the fniall. well ihaped, kindly fort, that will raif(? 910ft money in a given time, from a given quantity of grafs, turnips, or other food. The cows give from x6 to 34 Englifh quarts oE milk in the day ; fome cows may give a great deal n^ore, but fuch are only exceptions from the major part. When pro- perly fatted, the cows will weigh from 50 to 80 (lone. There are, in general, from 250 to 300 black cattle, and from 7Q to po horfes in the pari(hf

Fijb and Birds^ \3c. — The river Tweed abounds with (aU mon, trouts, eels, &c. The falmon fifheries let here fronj 50I. to lool. a year ; nearer Berwick they increafe very much in value, The falmon are all fent to the London market, where they bring great prices. There is plenty of game, as partridges, hares, &cc. ; and in the winter, woodcocks, an4 fometimes; woodpeckers appear. In the fpring, wild geef^ frequent the country, Goofanders, wigeons, and cormprants, refort to the Tweed in fevere winters, and fometimes grebes, and fpeckled divers \ and in the lakes there are numbers, of fnallards and teals.

population. — ^The inhabitants have increafed confiderably within ihefe 40 years. The return to Dr. Webfter in 175^ Vas^ only 386. There are no^ from ^80 to 600. Two years

of Lajiykirk. ^5

ago the niimbel- amounted to 534, and it has indreafed tonl!- derablj iince that period. The people are moftlj emplojed in hufbandry, in raiflog grain to (upplj lefs fertile countries^ and in feeding live ftock, which are fent commonly to New-* caflle, Shields, and Sunderland.

Stipend^ Rent, Wages ^ and Prices of Provifidns^-^^Thb rhU nifter's ftipend is 800 1. Scoteh, or 661. 13 s. 4 d. Sterling. The rents of this parifb are from 14 s. to 30 s« the Englifli acre. The farms let at from 300 1. to 606 1. a-year, and the tenants are for the moil part rich and profperous. A hind's ivages are from 141. to 16 1. per aniium. The price of beef and mutton in this country, after midfummer, is about 3 d^ in winter 3i^d. and in the fpring from 4d. to jd. per lb. but the prices are moftly regulated by the demands from the Morpeth markets*

K a NUMBER

76 Statifikal Account

NUMBER V. PARISH OF DOUGLAS.

(fiouttiy and Prejkyttry of Lanark — Synod of Glafgow and

Air.)

By tie Rev. Mr. William M'Cubsik.

Origin of the Name.

THE account of it given by Mr. Hume of Godfctoft, is, that in the reign of Solvathius king of Scotland, about the year 767, one Donald Bain (i. e. the white or fair), afpired after the crown, gave the king battle, and bad almoft gained the vidorj, when a certain nobleman, with his fcms and fol- lowersy came to the king's aid, and behaved with fuch courage and refolution, that Donald's armj was defeated, and he him- felf flain. The king, anxious to know to whom he was fo much indebted, and the nobleman being prefent, one of hi» lieutenants, pointing to him with his finger, faid, Sboito Dugkijffif f. e. ** Behold yonder black grey man." Upon which the king gave him much land, and the furname of Douglas, which his pofterity ilill retain ; and from him too, ' the parifh, as well as the town, caftle and river, derive their names. Others fay, that the river Douglas, which runs through the parifh, gives name to the town and the noble family to whom the pariih belongs. The name is doubtlefs of Gaelic original, and fignifies B'iaci Water ^ which is an ex« ceeding proper appellation for the river, as it is black, having its fource and all its fupplies from amofly country*.

I SituatiotTf

* There are other ftreams in Scotland, diftiogoUhed by the name of Boi^hi,

bf Douglas. ff

Situation^ Extent^ Soil and Climate, — ^The extent of tfat parilh is confiderable, being about 1 2 miles long, and in fotne places from 4 to 6, in others from 6 to 7 broad. The pari&* is fituatedy about 40 miles from the fea, everj waj. The foil is variable, except the holms, which being a new foil formed hj the river, is pretty uniform ; but the ground on either fide is very fpouty, occasioned in fome places bj the outbudfs of the coal and other minerals ; but in mod places bj the bottom being a cold wet till. The lands ire moftlj laid out in fheep farms. In the ftrath, and along the banks of the river, there are feveral arable farms ; but the lands occupied in this manner, bear fmall proportion, to what are laid out in iheep walks. Their pafture is hillj, though not very hig)i ; and is both green and heathy. The air is very moift, particu* larly in fpring and autumn. The winds generally blow im- petuoufly about the time of the equinox, and frequently ia autumn ihake a deal of com. They blow moftly from the S. W., which bemg the diredion of the river, and the banks high on each fide, what would be accounted a moderate breeze in other places, is here often a kind of hurricane. It is how« ever a very healthy place ; and there are in it many inftances of longevity. Many have exceeded 80 and 90 during the incumbency of the prefent minifier. There are a men in the parifli at prefent aged 92 ; and it is well authenticated, that a man died here, in the beginning of this century, aged at lead zio, having lived during a part of 3 centuries.

Woods and Rivers. — ^Thcre is very little natural wood itf this pariih, and that only a kind of bruih. The aih appears to have been the favourite tree of our anceftors. At many of the old farm fieads, there are large afli trees ; and at the Caftle of Douglas there is a row of very aged ones, which/ tradition iays, were ufed in barbarous times for hanging their

enemieSf

yi Statlfikal Aceount

enemiesy the Englifli. There is alfo fome planting aboul it. of a later date*. Lord Douglas, upwards of 20 years ago, planted about 300 acres : and within thefe laft zo or it jears, above 800 acres more, with oaks, elms, beech, planes, afiieS| and firs of different kinds ; which Sn a few years will have a fine effed to beautify and ihelter this part of the country. Some hundred acres more are yet to be planted to complete the plan. The mod confiderable river in the pariih is Dou- glas, which takes its rife at the foot of Cairn Table, 9 miles above the town, and runs into the Clyde about 7 miles below it. There arc 3 fmaller waters in the upper part of the pa- xiOi, which all run into Douglas ; namely, Glefpine, Kinnocks, mnd Monks. All thefe waters abound with excellent trout $ and in fome parts of the water of Douglas there are very fine pike.

Minerals. — This parifli abounds in coal, which will be iri^ exhauftiblc for many centuries. There are many different feams from 2 to 7 feet in height. The decline of the mine- xals is various. At the march with the parifh of Carmichael, about I of 3 ; li a mile to the weftward, i of 2 ; and a little snore weft, z of if. The ftretch of the coal is nearly paral-> lei to the courfe of the river, which runs from S. W. to N. £. The moft remarkable circumftance, that attends thefe coals, is, their being interfe&ed with a great number of fteps, which throw the coal down from 30 to 50 feet perpendicular. Thefe Heps are from 60 to 200 yards feparate, and lie nearly parallel. They crofs tbe ftretch of the coals in a diredion nearly weft. Coal is the principal fuel here. As one tackf- man rents the coal both in this eftate, and in the eftate of Carmichael, the property of the Earl of Hyndford (through which eftate the fame feams of coal ftretcb), the demand fro mi cither of the works is very irregular and uncertain, being re- gulated

of Douglas. 79

gulated by the fuperior quality of cither work for the time, and by the caprice of the purchafers. But for 20 years paft, the annual produce on both eftates has been from 50,000 to 70,000 loads of 2icwt. Taking the medium 60,000 loads, at 5 d. per load, at the heugh, the produce in money is I250 L The coal heiigh, about 3 miles above the town of Douglas, is by moft people thought the bell coaL There is plenty of lime and free.ftone here,

K.ent. — ^The holm and croft land let at from 15 s. to 20 s» per acre \ the field land from 5 s. to 2 $• according to the quality ; the bed land near the town from 30 s. to 40 s. ; nay, fome land in Lord Douglas's parks, after lying in lee for a number of years, has been let for two crops at 3L 3 s. per acre. Arable farms let at from 40 U to looL $ £beep farms from jol. to 200 1.

Agriculture and Produce. ^^-Odits are the prevailing and al«' moft only grain fo wn here ; the moft extenfive farmers notfow- ing more than 3 or 4 acres of bear, with from 2 to 3 of early jgrey peafe, and fome potatoes. It is not owing to prejudice, but neceffity, that the people have adopted this mode of farming ; long experience having ftiewn them, that oats are the crop that can be moft depended on. And indeed, fuch is the feve- rity of the feafons in this country, that very frequently th'^ bear and peafe are deftroyed by the froft before they come to maturity: And though oats are a more hardy grain, they are fiidted in their growth by the cold, and, in particular late fea«' fons, rendered in a great manner ufelefs, both for man and beaft. In the year 1782, there was not a boll of tolerable oat-meal produced in the pariih. There was neither bear nor peafe } and the oat-meal was little better than the duft of pd^er years, and very little of it. Great quantities of white

peaf»«

$o Stattfiical Account

^(e-meal were imported frbm Leith, and oat-mea! £rpm Afi« S9indale and NIthfdale ;~ and the tenants were obliged to pur. chafe their feed com for the enfuiog year, at Leith, and in Tweeddale, Nithfdale and Annandale. The quantity fpwsi «n the acre is about 6 Winchefter bufhels ; and the average produce of the whole farm, from iS to %j^. The boll, or 6 |>ufliels of oats, gives, communibus annis^ 6 ftones of meal ; but in calamitous feafons, it has been known to give onlj fcoin 3 to 3i, apd of very bad quality. The Blainfley or Tweed- dale oats are mod commonly fown here. An early fpeqes, called barley oats^ has been introduced by fome farmers ; but ^is grain is very liable to (bed, or ibake, before it. is ripe, efpecially in this country, whore the winds blow very high, iP^des, thefe oats afford little ftraw, and that of a worfe qua- lity tb^n the Tweedd^de -, and ftraw is the principal fodder for horfet and cattle here. The greatqft part of this paciih feems better adapted for grazing than tillage, and would probably turn out to greater advantage that way ; for fervants wages are greatly advanced \ and the return in corn being fo very fmall, little profit can arife from an arftble farm. The frofts lire feldom off", nor do the lands acquire a fufficient drynefs ^ JFor fowing, before the 24th of March; and it is ufually near the end of September before the harveft be general. The corns are rarely got in, fooner than the end of Ofiober, prfirft week of November. There are 40 ploughs and 133 cart9 in the pariih.

Siieft Hor/eSf i^c — The flieep in this parifli are the black- iK^ed ihort Scotch iheep, and fuperior to tbofe in die neigh- bouring

* A hrm rerrant was hired ao yean ago for 5 1. a year, and a maid fervant for » 1. 10 a. : Now a good man fervant cannot be had under fh>m 7 1. to xof. aBdamaidfrom3l.to4i. PayUbonren were zed., aad the higl^eft is.! Opw Cfaey arc Z44 and l< d.

of Douglai. § i

bouring parifhes. Thcj weigh, when fat, frotn 7 t« lo lb, fter quarter, Dutch ; have fi-om 4 to 6^ or even 8 lb. of tal- low, tron : their wool gives from 4 s. to 5 9. 6 <!• per fioiie, from 4 to 6 fleeces to a ftone. — All the ftore-maflers of this parifh got tlie premiums at Lanark for tups, as long as the xegulations would permit them.-— There are between 13,000 and 14,000 iheep ; about 200 horfes, and 800 black cattle in the whole pariih| befides what Lord Douglas has in his parks.

Roads, — This parifli, is in the centre of the great rdads, from Glafgow to England, aiid from Edinburgh to Ayr, About 18 years' ago, Lord Douglas, at his own expence, xilade pear 30 miles of the one, and 20 of the other. The (latute work| which is at prefent eJLa&ed in kind from the tenants, is ap- plied to keep them in repair, but is a very inconfiderable part of what is neceflary for that purpofe. There are toll bars on the roadsi to which the people are now reconciled, bnt were greatly averfe to at their creftion.

- Manufa^u¥a. — No manufaftures were eftabliflicd in the parifb, till this year, that a company from Glafgow, confift- sng of natives of Douglas, and men of induftry and intelli- gence, fitted up a fmall cotton fpinning and weaving work, in the town of Douglas. The carding is perfof med by horfeS^ and the fpinning by hand jeannies. Another refpedable com- pany, moftly belonging to this place, have eredled a fmall carding and fpinning mill on the lands of Gacmacoup,. 3 miles above the town, which ali;eady gives employment to a good 4&umber of hands. They are both in their infancy, but therci is no dottbt of their facceediog.

Vet, Vin. L Population

ftr- Statl/llcal Account

Population^'^Tht population is now upon the increafei andi bids fair to continue fo, though there has been, on the whole, a decreafe within thefe 40 jears.

Population Table oftbt farijifc/ Dovolas%

Population in the year 1^55, 0009 Number of widowers, - $t

. — — tf/i»ol79i, • 1 7 15 ■ of widowi, - - 8*

Decreafe - - - 094 ——'of Members of the Efta-

Average of births frOto 1 700 to blilhcd Church, 167a

1 7 10, - - - 43 i -^ — of Antiburghcr Scocdcrs, 3

«... 1750 to 1760, - 564 » of Cameroniansi - 40

«^_ l78itoX799> . so of cksgymcff, • 9

Inhabitants in the town of Don- " ■ of fchoolmaftersr - ^

glas, . . - 6^4 ' - of male fcrvants, • 99

I. in the country, 10 ji — _ offemale ditto, - go

Number (if males, - 774 of poor, - - 09

"■ of females, - 94X ■ of young perfons not

'■ of families^ - 419 gone to fchool, - 246

Ecclejtajlical State^^-^Thcte are two dergjman in this pa« rifli, the minifter of the eftablifhed church, and a Cameroniaa or M'Millanite minifter, who has refided in it about 30 years. Lord Douglas is patron of the pariih. The ftipend is 83 1. 6 s. 8 d. Scerling, and a very gx>od glebe. A new chuicb, xnanfe, and offices were built in 1781 » The old church was called St. Brides's Church, in honour of the patronefs of the pariih : a part o€ it is flill kept up, on account of the ancient monuments in it and burying vault,* although there is a verj

elegant

* On the'nort^ fide of Che church, in a niche below the grallery belonging to €tit family of Doliglas, is buried one of the Dukes of Tourain. The arch of the monument is partlj broken down and defaced ; bat on the fragmenu hh arms appear quartered thus : — ift, Tourain, ad, Douglas, 3d, Galloway, 4th Annandale, with the following infcription :— Hic jacbt Archibaldus 'Dovci^i, Dvx ox TovEEMiJSy CoMss BE Douglas xt Lomovillx, Domi-

vf Douglas. Sj

elegaflt butyi^ig vault in the new kirk, for the family of Douglasi in which are depoiited the remains of the Duke and Duche£i of Douglas, and Lady Lucy Douglas. W

L a Schools

NVS OaLL0TX»IJ£,WjCT«MIX& AnmANOIJB.COOUU TEMENS RsOZS ScOTIJEp

Qbiit 26. PIE Mensis JtTNii 1438. This nobleman was the foo of Archibald Douglas, furnamed Tineman, the firft Duke of Tourain, and Maud Lindfay, &ugbter of David Earl of Crawford. On the fouth fide of the church, in a niche commonly- called St. Thomas's diOe, are the following infcriptions : Hie jacet Magmu «/ PeUns Prkiupiy Vomimu Jacoiiu de Doughs^ Dtae Tm/retiU et Co* met de Jhuglas^ Domuuu A/mandia^ Galhvidist^ i.iddalU^ Jedburg: fotrefiia ii Do* mimu de Balvenioy Afagmts IVardamus regni Seoti^B vet/ut Angiiam, Iste. qui ebiit iJi, £e Menfts Mattii^ Ammo DomiMt 1 443. This James was brother to the former Archibald, and fuccceded to liis eilate and honours after the murder of his two fons in Edin^rgh Caftle. The following is the infcriptlon for his lady, Stcjaed DomtMa JStatrix de Sinelairy (flia Domini HtMrici Comitit Orcadum^ Domi* 91 de Sindair^ ^cj Comitijfd de Douglas et Aveuta^ Domiua Callovidia. In balTo relievo, arp to be feen the above nobleman's arms impaled, with his lady's ; the cutting if diftifld, and part of the gilding flill entire. On the eaft fide of thefc, above the church-door, b a ftone,with the following infcriptirn, which is fuppnfed t« have been moved' from its original fiatien, when making fomc repairs on the Church. H^efwd proles inter pnediHos Dominum et Dominam generate. Imo, DomiMut WUhelmus primogenitus et b^eres di&i DomiMi JaaAt^ quifuccejit ad iotam bare£tatem frst^ffam, yacoius %do gcMttus magifler de Douglas, Arcbt^uldus ^tio genitus comes Moravls, Hugo 4/0 genitus comu Ormuudi^, yoannes ^to genitus Dominus dc Balvenia, Henricus 6to, genitus, Margareta uxor Domini de Dalhilb, Beatrix uxor Domini * Joannij, eonfabuUrii Scotia. Janeta uxor Domini de Biggar et de Cumbernauld. BUzaUtba Douglas 4ta JUia erat. In a niche on the north fide of the church, weft from the Duke of Tourain's monument, there has been an- other magnificent one, embelJiibed with Gothic ornaments, ereded to the me- mory of the good Sir James, the eighth Lord of the family upon which were 1% ' lion'fe heads of curious net work, which had been cut, mutilated and abufed during the time of Oliver Cromwell's ufurpation, by his garrifon (placed in the caftle of Douglas), in refentment of Sir James having been an enemy to the Englifh nat'on. I'his monument is not impaled. The following are the infcriptions ipn the lead coffins in the vault :— Gu/. Angus. Dominus ex Jacobo Marcbione

Douglaftet

* Home, in his hiflory of the Dou^lafcs, calls him Lord of Aubigny^

84 Statifilcal Account

Schools and Poor.-^Befides the public fchool, there is alfo an Englifli fchool in the town ; always two, and fometimes three Englifli fchools in the country part of the pariih ; thera are alfo, at prefent, two'Sunday fchools in the town, which are of great advantage to the young, and efpecially fuch of them as are much employed throughout the week. The poor, on th6 weekly roU, get, according to their circumftances, from 6 d. to 2 s. per week. But befides thofe on the roll, there are many occafional poor, who get from a s. 6 d. to 53. per quar-« ter. There is 1 10 1. Sterling mortified for their ufe. The colleQions at the church, which have always been good, are fiill increafing ; and laft year they amounted to near 35 U The other cafualitles vary, but may, at an average, amount to about 20 1. yearly. The heritors, have, for many yeara pad, afleiTed themfelves in wha^ was necefiary to make up the deficiency. In 1783, when the meal was not only dear, but fcarce and bad. Lord Douglas ordered money to be given to the minifter to purchafe good meal, to be diftributed week- ly to fuch as had occafion for it, at i s. per peck, and his Lord**

ihip

J^g^Jf^i ^ •^"* Mafia Kerr Jilta Cowuth LotBiaiis eeajygt prmngemifys, Nai» 15 0^. 1693, otiif 73 May X694.— >A/arM Gordemflia Georgii primi Mare^icmii de Htmtly, quam Guliehmii frimut Marebia it JDct^Uu in mxunm ftcunda duxii, qmfqut pnncfu^ atatit fcxagejimo quarto faiutu humane ^ X644, merUm oUit.'^Hu ftium efi <orpus GuU MarchiMu Dmtglajia eo titmlo prmiy qui ex tSverfis et mtOuit tbalamu ai HamUtmivrmm et Gerdotuerxm geaie fuam pregeniem cwdUmaiaM Hamilteniortm vera in/iaMraiam reiifaii. Obiit II. CaL Mart, anno l66«, eetat, vero yi^^^Margaretm Bom m'iiioun Amguiui Comiiijfa cUit 3S amic 4etatii fine XX Septemiru x623.«*^iiii« Stewarta doe : LeaaaxU et Riehwuaiia flia ArebibaUa Aagufim Comiti per XFIIT* annu nupta, obiii XFI, dU Augufli^ aaa, IdDCXLFL et. XXXI ,^D. 0. M. Hk pofittm efi torput Margarets f Hit primogenita Gal, Marcbtuns de DoagUif rtUBu e» matrianahevm Margareta Mit, Imo, Jaa. 1660. Katbariuoewjuga Dmini de Ter* phiehem, item Jeanaa Gvl, Alexaadri Cvmite de Sterl, eetatb 49. The following it (he only xnfcription upon the laft Marquii of Oougl^:-^-/. M* D, JEtatie 54, O^iit as FeM* 1700,

tnp paid the balance, which was a great and leaf<HiaUe selie£ to the indaflrious poMr it that tiflie*

CaJIU.-^Th% old caftle of Dougfas Was bmnit by accideot about 33 years ago. The Duke, in his lifetime, built one wing of a new caftle, of rery ftrong and elegant woric, ii» which there are betwixt 50 and 60 Ire-rooms. This wing was finiflied bj Lord Douglas, but it ftill wants a front and another wing to complete the plan. 'Dxi dining room is s moll elegant one, being 40} feet long, 35 feet broad, and 18 feet high. There is aUb a beautiful hanging ftair, which is much admired bj all people of tafte.

General CharaBer qftbe People*^^Tbtj are a fober, decant, and induftrious fet of people ; attend regularl j on the ordi« nances of the gofpel, and are remarkably charitable and bnoiane ; they even turn their innocent amufements to the advantage of the poorj for, during the fevere froft lall winter, when they went to curling on the Ice, a favourite dlverfion here, they, more than once, played for a certain fum each, and applied the forfeited money, to purchaie coals for the

fOQT/

NUMBEK

%r: Statifiical Ai:ifmta '

NUMBER VL ' PARISH OF TWEEDSMUIR.

(fiinnay tf 'tmiidaU—PnJhytiry of PitbUs^^ynod rf lo^ tbian and Ttwegddale.')

By ib$ Rtv. Mr Thomas Muschet.

Ere&ion, Extent, Soil^ Hills, Rivers, lie.

THIS diftri&y formed anciently a part of the panib of Drummelzier, but was erefied into a diiUnfi pariih ia zi!43. It is about 9 miles in length, and in many places as much in breadth* It is a hillj country, with fome fiats and snorafles. A number of the hills are very beautifuly being co« Tered with grafs to the very tops ; others have a mixture of beath ; fome are of a great height, particularly Hartfield and Bvoadlaw, which are about 1800 feet above the level of the fea. The river Tweed has its fource at the fouth-weft ex*. tremity of the pariih, and runs through it in a north eaft di- reftioo* It is joined by the waters of Core, Fruid, and TaU la, ^befides feveral fmaller bums or rivulets, all of which abound with trouts.

Cultivation and Prtf/&^^.— The arable parts of the parifli product eats, barley, &c. upon a light loam, with gravel and fand at the bottom ; but, owing to the great rams, and early frofts, the crops are very precarious ; indeed the whole of the parifh is by nature principally adapted for pafiure. The mutton fed upon the heathy hills and flats, is remarkable for

delicacy

X(fTi»etifnmr. . 8/

ddkacy of taAe ftod flavour ; altboogh fnidlt and fUdoo. weighing more than lo or \% lbs. per quarter, it is far fupe^: rior (for the tabk) to the large mutton fed upon a low and rich pail are.

5ibr<^aiu/K^oo/-^The whole of. the perilh contaim 15 &rms, which feed about 15*000 (heep, bcBdes a neceilarjr number of horfes and black cattle. The gra&iers in the north' of England, are particolarlj fond of the Twecdfmuir breed of flieep ; they buy them of all ages, and drive them to thetf^ farms, where they are much efteemed, being healthy and good tfarivers* A number' of the young flieep are fold at the Lin*- ton markets, in the month of June, to be driven to the OchiL and Alva hills, and other places in the Highlands of Scotland 9 a number of lambs, ydd ibeep, and draught ewes, are fold to the butcher, and help to fupply the markets of Edinburgh, Glafgow, &c. The flieep farmers, commonly called. ilore- mafters, begin to fmear their fheep abont the middle of Oc tober, with a mixture of tar and butter, which, after feparat-' log the wool, is laid dofe to the flLi'n in regular layers all o^ ver the body, to deftroy the vermin tliat breed on (beep, and proted the animal agaioft the bclemency of the weather. This operation, no doubt, leflens the value of the wool, but it is found to be abfolutely necefiary. The fleeces thus impreg- nated with tar and butter, are ihorn about the middle of fum- mer, and lately fold at 6 s. and 68. 6 d. per ftone: a great part of them is fent to the manufafturing towns in Yorkfliire) fome to the north of Scotland ; a fmall part is manufadured into coarfie cloth for family ufe, and fome is fpun into yam, and fold in that ftate. Several attempts have been made to improve the ftaple of wool in this parifli, by introducing an Englifli breed of flieep, from thofe belonging to Mr. Bake* If cU ; but they were found not to anfwer, as they were very

unhealthy

t^. Siatifikal Account

ttohealthy, and amr nrrived to die fifie or fatnds df Oe iift^ UTelhetp. Mn.Tweedieof (Hirer, however, a refpediblc berkor in this paidfli, has &uad the Cheviot breed as hardy as the native.

Pofukaion^'mJtbt population of this parifii .has decreafed eonfidenblj. About 70 years ago, the lands were occupied by a6 tenants, bot the farms have fince duut period been gra« dually enlarged in extent, and of conrfe diminiflied in nuin* her; even of the 15 to which they are now reduced, fo nna^ ny are engrofled in the hands of the fame peribns, and thefe often fettled in other pariihes, that there ane only 3 Jsroierd* at prefent refideat in the whole parifli. The whole number of dwelling honfes is only 51^ and of thefe 3 are inns, fituated at the Crook, Beild, and Tveedihaws, upon the high-way {pom Edinburgh to MoMit, Dumfries, &c. which paSes through this paridi along the banks of tiie Tweed, and is of« ten, (e^ecially in that part of its extent which lie^ within this pariih), in a very bad ftate, .but will now meet with a Aoroogh repair* The whole number of fouls, at prefleot in llie pariih, is only 127 ; the return to Dr. Webfter^ in 1755* was 397, fb that there is a decreafe of 170. Sdbce the pradice of inoculation was introduced, the JJaiall pox frequently car' vied off great numbers of the children. The inhabitants of Tweediknuir are in general ftout and healthy, and many live to an advanced age» During the lafi 10 years, there havft been 77 baptifms, 33 marriages, and 56 burials.

Churchy Scboolf amd Poor.-^The church was built in 1648. The ftipend was paid fome years ago, partly in grain, and partly in money ; but an equitable converfion having been a« greed npon,attherateo^ I2s. 6d. aboil for the grain, the whole ftipend is now paid in money, and amounts to 75 L Sterling

a-yean

X)f Tweed/tnuif^. 89

a*yfear. The Duke of Queenlberry is patron ; the lands in the pariih belong to 7 different heritors, of whom only z re- fides. The poor are affifted by the weekly colledions at church ; a fchool was lately inftituted, and a fchool houfe built; the heritors fixed the falary at 100 merks Scotch, but the fcholars are few in number.

j{ntiquttus*^^ome remains of antiquity are to be feen in this parifh, near the highway $ and a few miles above the Beild there are feveral cairns, which have probably been raif- ed over fome ancient graves* : Vefliges of ancient caftles ftill remain at Oliver ; at Fruid, where a family of the name of Frafer formerly refided ; and at Hackihaw, the feat of thean- cient family of the Porteoufes.

Vol. VIII. » M NUMBER

* Hear Nether Menzion, on the banks of the river Fruld, is the gravt of Ma* rion Chifholm, who is £ud to have come hither from Edinburgh, while the plague was raging there, and to have communicated the pcftilentiai infedion to tlie inhabitants of three different farms in the pariih, viz. Nether Mtnzibn, Glen- 4iothe, and Fniid, by means of a bundle of clothes, which fhe brought with her ; iti'Confequence of which, a number of peribos died, and were buried in the ruina U their houfes, which their neighbours pulled down upon their dead bodies.

^ Statlfttcal Account

NUMBER VII.

PARISH OF KILMARTIN.

{County and Synod qf ArgyU-^PrtJbyUry of Inverary,)

By the Rev. Mr. Hugh Campbell.

Origin of the Narne^

REMOTE^ Highland parifbes, diftant from the feenes of great and memorable e'^nts, backward in moft kinds of improvements, particulariy in agriculture, and without trade or manufaftures, cannot be expe&ed to furnifli much matter for ftatiftical inquirj. — The name of this pari(b is, and has been Kilmartin, as far back as either record or tradition caa trace it. It is fuppofed to have been given, in memory of feme reputed faint, in a diftant period of Chriftianitj. Such etymologies of names,, particularly thofe of ancient burial places, which were generally places of worlhip, are not un* common. In this country, fuch places were called Ki/Is* Kilmartin was therefore the burial- place of St. Martin, and probably alfo his refidence.

Extent^ Surface^ SoU^ Climate^ \3^. — The form of the pa- riih is oblong, running from S. W. to N. E. Its length is from z I to 12 miles, and its greateft breadth about 3 miles. The appearance of the country in the lower, or 3. W. end of

the

tf Kilmartin. 91

the pariih, is rather hilly than mouatainoiis, with arable and paftare groonds intermixed. Soaie of the hills being covered with green, and others with ihort heath, are confidered as good paftare for cattle. The upper or N. £. end is much higher land, more adapted to pailure than tillage, (though it contains a coniiderable extent of arable ground), and, till of late, has been occupied as fucb. The foil in the lower end is rather light, yet fertile, producing what are here confidered as good crops. In the upper end it is deeper, yet the land being high and cold, the grain is late in ripening and ill fill* cd. The yaUey, from the church of Kilmartin, to Lochow, is one of the moft beautiful in the Highlands. The rocks co* Tered on each fide with trees to their fummits, form a pic« turefque aj^earance ; and the luxuriance of the wood fliews that planting of every fort would thrive welL The cli- mate does not differ much from other parts of the country ; but although wet, is not unhealthy. Agues ^re feldom known, nor are there any pulmonary complaints^ Fevers, of the low and nervous fort, are found amongft the lower clafs« arifing from want of cleanlinefs, and from a poor diet. The foil is fertile, and yields good crops of barley. There is a large traft of mofs near Crinan, which is very improveable; and the proprietor, Mr. Malcolm of Pohalloch, much to his credit, intends, it is laid, to let it out in fmall portions to tenants, for improving it, which will be of great ufe, both by increafing population, and by fetting an example, worthy to be followed, in other parts of the country.

Laketf ^r.-— The only confiderable lake in this parifii is Lochon^, a part of which forms a boundary between it and Glafrie to the N. £. for about 6 miles. The whole lake is computed to be 24 miles in length ; but it is not broad in

Ma any

9 2 Stati/iical Account

any part. It abounds with tronts and falmon. The fifliing, to a certain extent^ is the property of an heritor of this parilh. There is a pecular fpecies of fi(h in it, called black trouts^ which are fliort and thick, black in the ikin, and red in the fiOi. The incumbent has feen one of them that weighed i61b. and when cut up, two fmall trouts were taken out of it entire, one of them meafuring 12 inches, the other. lo. This ii(hing, however, has not hitherto been fo very produc* tive, as to make it an objeft worthy of much public notice.

Sea Coqft and ttjb* — The extent of coaft will be from 7 to 8 miles, nearly S. and N., formed by an arm of the fea, called Loch Craignilh. The fea, by which the fouth part of this pariih and North Knapdale is bounded to the W. and N. W., is formed into a ftrait by the Ifland of Jura, which divides it from the Weftern Ocean. The fliorc is, for the moil part, high and rocky, except the Bay of Crinan, and the end of Lgch Craignilb, (which are fine flat fand), and a few other fmaller creeks.

There is a fpecies of fifli taken on this coaft, which goes by the general name of Grey fifli. They are of different lizes, mod of them much larger than herrings. They are generally caught in the evening and morning, with rods and lines, but not in great quantities ; though they are very ufe« ful, contributing not only to the fupport of thofe, who refide within a mile or two of the coaft, during the fummer, which is the fcareeft feafon, but affording them alfo light in the win- ter by their oil.— -There arelikewife in the Bay of Crinan, cod, ling, turbot, foles, &c. in great abundance^ but the people are not ikilful in catching them— Herrings are frequently taken in Loch Craig nifli and Loch Crinan, though not to any great extent \ alfo the fineft oyfters that are any where to be found, and in great plenty, Jn the former, about 6 years

ago,

of Kilmartin. 53

ago, there were about 500 1. worth of herrings caught, by from 20 to 30 boats, in the courfe of 4 or 5 weeks, (though moft of them were ill provided with nets or ikilful hands), and fold in the country, at from 10 d. to i s. the hundred. They gene- rally appear upon the coaft from July to Auguft. The other fea animals, are, feals, peltocks, otters, and fome fmall whales, that come to the coaft in purfuit of the herrings*

The fea weed, ufefiil for manure, and driven afliore by the ftorms, is a fort of long grafs, called fea grafs ; it is generally ufed for potatoes ; and when laid on in large quantities, gives middling crops of that root. There is alfo a weed, called tangle^ fometimes made into kelp, which is a richer manure, and, when moderately laid on, and not often Repeated, (with- out a mixture of fome cooling (luff, to correft the hotfcalding nature of it), is found to give good crops of bear. The kelp, is not fo confiderable, as might be expefted from the extent of

fhore, for it produces only from 10 to 12 tons yearly. The

courfe of the tides, upon the fliore and adjacent fea, is pretty much from N. to S.,' and the reverfe. The coaft of this jpa- riih does not lie in the courfe of vefTels ; but the excellent harbour of Crinan invites them to anchor in it *• — There are

feveral

* Loch Crinan 14 not only the beft harbour of this pariih, but is coolidered as the beft upon a great tradfc of the weftem coaft. In thlt harbour, al« moft the whole of the bufs herring fleet anchor, in their voyages to and from the fiihing ground, bcfides a vaft number of veflels from Great Britain and Ireland; and they are frequently detained in this harbour, for feveral weeks, waiting for a fair wind to take them round the Mull of Kintyre. By a fnrvey recently made, it has been found pradicable, to make a navigable canal for large fea- bttilt veifels, from this to Jjoch Gilp, which is only 5 tniles acrofs. And Mr. Reanie, an eminent engineer, who furveyed it, is of opinion, that it maybe made, at a very moderate expence, and with plenty of water for boats and barges, as well as large veflels. It is hardly poflible to ezprefs the aftonifliing i(ivantages, with which the opening of this communication will be attended to

3

^ Statlfticat Account

feveral iflands belonging to this pariih ; but only % of tliem are any thing confiderable ; with fome bays or creeks, fafe harbours for coafting veilels. — The lower end of this pariih*9 npoB the Bay of Crinan, and contiguous to the place of the propofed canal, is confidered by many as a proper fituation for a village, there being fooae arable land, with a great ex- tent of low flat mo(s coming to the ihore, which might not only fumiih convenient fuel, but could be eafily improved by drainbgt and with the advantage of ihell iand» which is in

great

the people of t^ part of the kingdom. It will not only enable the inhahittnti, to avoid entirely the vciy dangerous pafTage round the MuU of Kintyre, but, hj afibrding a ready market for all the produdions of the Weftem Ifles, it will invite the people to purfue a variety of kinds of indufby, to vrhich they have hitherto been ftrangers. Above all, it will enable them to fapply themlclvet irith ialt and coaU ; and if the duty were taken off the laft, and rock lalt allow- «d to be imported, the people in thefe countries would be as happy as they are BOW miferable, and they would be under no temptation of leaving their native Ibily to try their fortunes in America.— A fubfcription is fct on foot for this in»- yortant purpofe ; and there is little doubt, that, from the fpirited exertions now SMiking, a fufficient fum will he raifed. And, when the great magnitude of the trade is confidered, there is reafon to believe, that it will repay the fubfcribers ▼ery liberally for the iiuns they may advance. If that ihould take place, a communication for boats, could be made from thence to Lochow, which is only 5 miles difbant, and would open an extenfive and fertile country of near %% miles, and be of great advanuge, to the Unded property, of that part of the county of AfgylL

* There are no monuments of antiquity, bnt fome cairns or heaps of ilooet. Though thefe are to be met with in many parts of the country, yet they are liaore frequent in the lower end of this pariih, which, being near a fafe harbour, «nd coniidered as a good fpot of hnd, is foppofed to have given occafion to many disputes and quarrels; and tradition poinu out thefe cairns, as the burial places of thofe of the lower dafs, who fell io fuch roflflias. Near fome of thefe cairns, there are a number of great fiones, Handing upon end, from 4 to 8, or lo leet above the furface, placed in a line, though rather irregular. They are alfo ynarkcd, by the &me fource, ai the places where thofc of greater note have beca laady but without any figure or charader.

iff ^itmartiii. g§

great abundance, would yield good crops, and afford employment and fubliftence to fettlers. The introdu&ion of manufa&ures^ (it is apprehended), would not be difficult, there beiog an eaf/ communication with the Low Coun^rj. It is alfo at no great dillance from the fifiiing ftations ; and there 15 hardly a year^ but there are herrings from July to Auguft, and fometime* later, in moft of the bays and creeks upon the weft coaft of Argyll. — There is a falmon fiJhing on the bay of Crinan, tho property of Mr. Malcolm of Pottalloch. It has not^ hitherto^ been very produftive. The fiih, are generally (old in the country, frefli, from z^ d. to a d. the pound ; but it might be greatly extended, by fpirited management, which, there is every reafon to think, will be the cafe, both in regard to fi(hing and knds, under the adive and public fpirited proprietor, who haa lately purchaied that property.

Minerals and Floods. — Thete id a copper mine, which haa been wrought upon for fome years^ in the property of Mr* Campbell of ELilmartin : the company who had taken it, be* ing diffolved, it has been difcontinued for ibme time, without afcertainiag its value, though the appearance was judged favourable^— Coals would be a happy difcoverj* There ace no land floods, except the overflowings of a fmall water^ which runs through a valley for about 6 miles, and falls in" to the fea at Crinan j it unites with a larger river, which partly divides this parifli from Knapdale and Glafrie, abovt half a mile before it falls into the fea. There are feveral cu« rious rocks of limeftone, of the fchiftus kind, which are e-^ ^uallj convenient for building and manure.

Ammals^-'^'X^Bdmpeis of the wild kind are fbzesi hares, badgers, wild cats, pole-cats, weafles. Native birds are black cocks, and muirfowls ia the hill ^ crows, pyots, and wild

pigeon»

$6 Stdllftical Account

pigeons in the low grounds, with different kinds of hawks^ and a few eagles. Upon the (bore, fea-maws, with various forts of ducks, and migratory birds : woodcocks appear early in winter, and difappear in fpring ; alfo fi^rans on the fea and lakes* Thofe fowls, called widgeons, appear early in fpring, if the feafon is mild, and difappear a- bout the middle or latter end of autumn, as the weather is moderate, or otherwife. There are fome good black cattle, both in point of fliape and fize, which are reared from a few ftocks in this parifb, and fetch at the rate of, from 7 h to 9l« the cow and calf. Young cattle fell in proportion.

Population. — There are no records, by which the ftate of this pariih, with regard to population, can be traced rery far back ; the general belief is, that it has decreafed between 70 and 80 fouls within thefe laft 20 years*. — The increafe how- ever within thefe 40 years is confiderable. The prefent num- ber of fouls (all of whom refide in the country), is as follows :

Males, - - 760 ") _ ^

Females, - - 777I " ^''"^^ ' '"^

The number returned to Dr. Webfler in 1755, was, - 11 30

Increafe, - 387

t Average

• What has aflfcAcdthe population moft, within that period, is, the laying oot fome lands entirely in pafture ; 2 or 3 farms being now thrown into the hands of one grazier, which were formerly polTcfled, fome by 4, and fome by 8 tenanta each, but are now the relldence only of a herd or two : And at the end of the leaTes, which are very (hort in this country, (being only from 5 to 7 years with the lower order of tenants), fuch farms as are adapted to it are,ahnoft always, laid oot in paflure. This has not operated, however, fo much again ft popabtion in general, as againft a particular dais of the inhabicants. It reduces the number of the tenants, but it adds to that of the cottagers, as they are often kept, upon fome of the farms, that are laid out in pafture. But although this may in part make up the deficiency in population, brought on by this mode of occupying lands; yet, upon the whole, it is found, that there has been fome decreafe in the num^r ber of inhabitants ilncc the commenccmect of it, or within thcfc ao years.

tf kilmarHft. '

97

Average of births for 5 years

preceding 1791, - 30 .. of tnarriag;es for the fame

period*, - - II » of children produced by

each, about - - 3 J Number of bachelocs above ao years of age t» " " 7°

Perfons under xo years of age, 443

- from 10 to ao, « from ao to 3O,

- from 50 to 70,

- from pQ to 89*,

457

640

i6a

36

SitMattcmc/ibt

Number 0/ familUs,

Average 9/ Perfoiu

inhaULmis.

im eoih.

Gentry, - -

. 6

n

- - ir

Tcnanttf,

- 100

-

- 6

Crofters J, -

- a4

-

6

Cotters J , or cottagers

- 133

•

S nearly

ChiDge-keepers,

9

*

7

Vol. VIII.

N

Taylors

• Thert is mo refffler 0/ deaths. There ate /ew aiove 8 j im the purlflt^ and mmefo eld a> 90.

f The proportion of bachelors io the annual marrijiges is %bout 6 to I : Of the latter to the whole population, as I to 19 ; and of the births, as I to 50.

\ The tenaifts, particularly of arable famU, have but fnmll pofleifions, only the fourth part of a farm, or what is called Ji^re 9, hor/cfoMg', £6 that there ar^ generally 4 upon every farm, and (omctixiae^ 6 and 8 when it is a Urge one. The work of the farm is carried on in comqion among the whole tenants, wi^ their wives and children. They feldom employ any fervan^, and fHch only oc- cailonally, when their children arc not of ^if t^ g^ve any aQifUnce,

§ The qrofur ia tfspant oC a fiiU finaller pQffei|lod. He qccvpiea a piece of arable land, m^iibcd ou( for himfelf, which maj he, from x, to a, or 3 acres; though not geneir^y s|ieAfufed, with graft lot i or a cows, in common with the cattle of the next farm. It were to be wiihed that this mode would become more l^eneral, and the crottf ma^dc larger, aa it ia found, that a piece of land, in the management of z man, with ordinary care and indaAry,'wiU make it more produdive, in proportion, than ft larger extent, wl^ under, the dh-eAion of • greater number.

II The cotters are tlie moft numerous chft, in which are comprehended the tradefinen, the day labourers, the old infirm reduced tenants, anil federal widows. The cotter poflefles only a finall hovfe and garden, fometimes without a cow*t grafs, and even potaioc land^ but what he mnft purchaie from tbe tenants. He

. I

^ "Statiftical Account

Taylor*,

II

Shoemakert,

^

Weavers, -

i6

MiUcrs,

♦

Smith*, 7

- 4

Ferryman, - • .

I

Houfe carpenters,

- 3

Salmon fifher,

I

Boat carpenter.

I

Apprentices, - - .

7

Plough and cart maker.

I

Men fervants *,

%%

Wheel wright,

- I

Women fervants.

' %9

Climate and Difea/es — The climate is rather rainy ; yet the inhahltants depend more upon temperance and exercife, than phyfic, for health. There are none of the faculty there- fore in the parifh, though fome refide at no great diflance. There are no dedrudive epidemical diilempers, but the fmall- pox and meaffes. The danger of the former is nearly done away by inoculation (which is. become pretty general here), and that danger would be flill lefs, if the lower people paid more

atteatioQ

IS independent of the tenants, for the farm on which he refides, holding his po(^ feQion from tHe proprietor, to whom his rent and fervices arc payable. The old and'ittfirm,bdng reckoned in this order, makes the average of their families fall 16wer. llicrc may be about zo young lads, who hire themfclves for the north fifhing yearly, and return lo the parifh when it is over ; there being no ■vcffeN from this place at that fifhing.

Bctt^ een io and 25 years ago, at different periods, about 40 families of tenants have been deprived of tfieir- poffcllions by a number of large farms be- iag laid out Into pafttA-e. By tbe common calculation, this would diminiih the population ^out.aoo. But^'upon many of the farms, fome of the former poi^ fclTors are retained as cotters, and. others are put in, to preferve the houfes, or iiggiagst as they are called, in cafe it might be found necelTary, at fome future p<5rio«J, to rptwn to the former mode of occupying the farms by fmall tenants, particularly lai itis adapted for tillage By thcfc means, t the lofs which popula- tion YVOtfld 0|:h«rwireTu{laxn,is, in a coniidcrabk degree, made up.

^ As the gertT): in this pariih are but few, and the refiding heritors ilill fcwcr» there arc nQt.many fervants, and even thelc are occaHooaUy employed as labour-' ing fvTvants, paiticularly duruig hzrvcit and bay making*

of Ktltnartin. -• 59

bitten tion to the regimen of their children upon thefe occa« Sons. There is another complaint vrhich prevails among