old castle or dwelling adjoining to the village, and fituated upon a high rock; it is now within the minifter's grass glebe. About a century ago it belonged to the Lords of Bargeny. There are no veftiges about it to discover when it was built, or by whom inhabited. The minifter has been told, that the prefent Lord Hailes takes notice of it in fome of his tracts upon antiquities.

Mifcellaneous Obfervations.-The inhabitants labour under difadvantages. Their fituation might be meliorated. For the common occafions of life there are weavers, tailors, fhoemakers, &c. There is no manufactures in the parish to increase the capital ftock and promote circulation. Manufactures in carpeting, stockings, bonnets, and sheep skins might probably be established with advantage. They have plenty of peat and turf for fuel; but coals are at the distance of 15 or 16 miles by land, and when brought by fea are fubject to a duty of 3 s. 4 d. a ton. The circumstances of the people have been increafing fince the year 1782. That feafon of fcarcity, instead of affecting them in the manner it did other parts of Scotland, rather tended to better them. There was an exceffive growth of grafs in the fummer of that year, and the crops in this parish and to the fouthward are in general early. That year they were reaped before the froft and the fnow fet in. The great plenty of hay made the cattle fell to advantage, and the almost entire lofs of the crops in the inland counties, occafioned the inhabitants of thefe counties to come to the fouth and weft for feed for the enfuing feafon. This gave them an idea of a corn trade, which, together with the increasing demand for live cattle fince that period, and consequent rife in their price, has made a great alteration for the better in the farmers circumftances, and given a fpirit of improvement

improvement and demand for farms in a tenfold degree to what it used to be.

The fhores abound with plenty of fine broad leaved rich fea-weed or wreck for manure; but there is very little of it ufed for kelp on the coaft of this parish. The animals are those common to the west of Scotland, hares, foxes, rabbits, polecats, wild cats, groufe, partridges, plovers, wild ducks, and wild geefe. The migratory kind obferved are the woodcock, cuckoo, starling, swallow, &c. Among the migratory animals may be mentioned the failfish, which appears upon this coaft the firft or second week of June, and continues for three or four weeks. They measure from 20 to 30 feet long. The people of the village kill them with harpoons for the oil, which is made of the liver. The liver of a good fish will yield from 40 to 50 gallons of oil, which they fell to tanners, &c. and use part of it themselves to burn in place of candles.

There are several mineral springs in the parish, which have been found beneficial in fcorbutic and other cutaneous difeafes, and in complaints of the ftomach arifing from acidity and want of digeftion.

There is no person in the parish connected with the law, not even a conftable or sheriff's officer, nor has there been any in the memory of the oldeft inhabitant. There is no justice of peace in the parifh, nor within many miles of it; and the fheriff's court is at the distance of 36 miles. There is no furgeon or phyfician within a dozen miles, and it is doubtful whether half a dozen fuch parishes would give bread

to one.

VOL. I.

P

NU M

NUMBER XIV.

PARISH OF TERREGLES.

By the Rev. Mr JOHN KENNEDY.

Name, Situation, Extent, Soil.

ERREGLES is derived from Terra Ecclefiae, or Terre

T' d'Eglife. It is fituated in the ftewartry of Kircud

bright, and in the prefbytery of Dumfries, 6 miles from the fea-coft. It is about 5 miles long, and 3 broad; bounded by Holywood on the east, Troqueer on the fouth, Lochrutton on the weft, and Iron-Gray on the north. It confifts of a loam and fandy foil. Every kind of grain ufual in Scotland is produced in perfection. The rent of land, in general, is from -12 to 25 fhillings per acre. There are not above 12 principal farmers employed in husbandry.

Population. The number of inhabitants in 1790 was 510. The return to Dr Webster being 397, there is, for the number, a confiderable increase. There are at present,

There

C

There are feveral feceders, and a few Roman Catholics. None of the inhabitants have emigrated, nor have any been banished from it, in the memory of man.

Church and Stipend.-The church is of the Gothic stile, and was built above 200 years ago. The value of the stipcad, including the glebe, is between L. 65 and L. 70 per annum, according to the rife or fall in the price of victual, part of it being paid in meal and barley. The Duke of Queensberry is patron.

Mifcellaneous Obfervations.—As this parifh lies near the town of Dumfries, living is very expenfive. Fuel is extremely dear. Coal is brought by land 27 or 28 miles; and the price of coal transported by sea is as dear as what is brought by land. Peat, too, is at a great diftance. The expences of living are nearly double what they were formerly. The wages of domestic fervants and day-labourers are also confiderably raised. There is a falmon-fifhery on the fide of the river Nith, opposite to the foot of the parish, from which the minister of Terregles draws tithe in money. There is an old ruin in this parish called the College of Lincluden.

NUMBER XV.

PARISH OF EDROM.

By the Rev. Mr WILLIAM REDPATH.

Name, Situation, Surface, and Air.

HE antient name of this parish was Etherham, derived

THE

from Ether, the original name of Whitewater, and Ham, a village on its banks. Edrom is fituated in Berwickshire, prefbytery of Chirnside, and fynod of Merfe and Tiviotdale, It is about 10 English miles long and 6 broad. It is bounded by the parishes of Dunfe, Langton, Polworth, Foggo, Swinton, Whitfome, Hilton, Chirnside, Preston, and Bunkle. The appearance of the country is flat, except to wards the Lammermuir or Cheviot Hills. A great part of the foil is fertile, and produces good corn when well cultivated; part moorish and barren; and part clay or fhallow. Formerly the air was moist, but is now confiderably dryer, on account of the inclofing and draining every part of the country. Lakes and pools of water are drained, and corn made to grow where the water ftood. The air is falubrious. The best proof of this is the longevity of the inhabitants. Several in the parish have attained to 70, 80, and 90 years of age. The fevers, confumptions, and agues, which formerly prevailed here, were thought to have been owing to the moisture of the country, Since it was drained and inclosed,