NUMBER XXÍ.

PARISH OF CROSSMICHAEL.

By the Rev. Mr JOHN JOHNSTONE.

Origin of the Name.

N old writings, the name of this parifh is Corfemichael; but of late the orthography in the title has been more in fe. The etymology is obviously Saint Michael's Cross.

Situation, Extent, and Surface.—This parish lies near the center of the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, in the prefbytery of Kirkcudbright, and fynod of Galloway. It is nearly of a rectangular form. Its length, from north to fouth, is about 5 English miles; and its breadth, from eaft to welt, from 3 to 4. It is bounded on the north by Parton; on the east by the river or water of Urr, which feparates it from KirkpatrickDurham and Urr; on the fouth by Buittle and Kelton: and on the weft by the Dee, which feparates it from Balmaghie. About a fixth part of this parish, contiguous to its northern border, is moftly covered with heath and coarse grafs, and contains a few hills of moderate elevation, which in general are rocky. A great part of the farms in this neighbourhood is capable of improvement, and is daily receiving it: The reft of the parith prefents a furface very beautifully diverfified. The land rifes in the form of a ridge from the two rivers, and is, at regular distances, interfperfed with gen

tle

tle fwells, or, as they are called, knows, all of which are arable, and, when properly dreffed, have a fine effect. Along the Dee is an extenfive and fertile valley.

Soil, Climate, &c.-The foil is extremely various; fuch as loam, meadow, holm, till, gravellish or fandy. The whole is remarkable for producing exuberant crops of grain, and a fpecies of natural grafs, which, though not tall, is excellent pafturage. A good deal of rain falls in most parts of the west of Scotland. There is, however, rather lefs here than in the adjacent parishes, because the high hills which collect the vapours, and break the clouds, are at a confiderable diftance. The air is by no means moist: Snow feldom lies long; and, on the whole, this place is as healthy as any in Britain. Since the moffes have been drained, the ague, which was the only prevalent distemper, has quite difappeared. The two rivers which bound its eastern and western extremities, promote a conftant circulation of air, and prevent noxious vapours from collecting. The people live not in towns or villages, and moft of them are employed in agriculture, which is favourable at once to health, longevity, and morals. Within these 20 years, at least 12 persons have died in the lower parts of Galloway, from 100 to 115 years old. William Marshal, a tinker in this place, is now 118. He might pafs for a man of 60. His faculties are unimpaired, and he walks through the country with ease. One thing muft here be stated as highly pernicious. The advanced duties on malt have almost entirely abolished the practice of brewing. Ale-houfes no longer exift; but dram-houfes have been fubftituted in their place, which the cheapness of whisky, and the contraband trade in foreign fpirits carried on in this country, tempt the people to frequent too much.

Lakes,

Lakes, Rivers, and Canals.-There are two lakes or lochs to be taken notice of. Erngrogo Loch is remarkable for two fmall islands on it, which are breeding places for fea-gulls, that repair thither in great quantities at the proper feason. Loch Rohn, or Roan, fomewhat larger than the former, is a very great natural curiofity. Its fuperficial contents are from 36 to 40 acres, and its depth is from 10 to 22 fathoms. It is fituated in the highest part of the adjacent country. No rivulets or ftreams run into it, nor has it any visible supply except the clouds. Its waters are exceedingly clear, and, unless the froft be very intense, it feldom freezes. At the mouth of the Urr there is a small harbour, at which English lime and coals are imported, and grain and meal exported. The Dee is formed by the junction of the Dee and the Ken, two miles and a half above the head of this parish, whence they proceed in their course under the name of the Dee, till they fall into the fea below Kirkcudbright. The breadth of the Dee, oppofite to this parifh, is from 700 to 2220 feet. There are feveral fords when the water is low; but all of them are dangerous, and have been fatal to several perfons, as the pools are not seen on account of the blackness of the water. There are two ferries here: One is called the Boat of Balmaghie; and about a mile above is the Boat of Livingfton. The water here is 45 feet deep; and this is the place at which the canal, to be afterwards mentioned, would join the Dee. The meadows along the Dee, which are very extenfive, never fail to be laid under water after a heavy fall of rain. During the winter, the floods are fo fréquent, and leave fuch quantities of fand, that the meadows are rendered unfit for pafturage. In fome places, earthen banks or mounds have been erected, are erecting, or may be erected with advantage; but by far the greater part of the meadows cannot poffibly be faved from the inundations. Some years ago, Mr

VOL. I.

Y

Gordon

Gordon of Culvennan, at his own expence, cut a canal to connect the Dee with Carlinwark Loch. Thus, boats carrying from 10 to 24 cart load of marle each, paffed up to New Galloway, fituated 15 miles from the loch. Marle fold at the loch at I s. per cart load; or 21 cubical feet was fold at New Galloway at 1 s. 9 d. ; and proportionally lower at other places by the way. The canal is only on a small scale, and at present out of repair. The rocks at Tongland bridge, and its shallowness between them and this place, prevent the Dee from being navigable for 8 or 10 miles. It might, however, be connected with the fea at two places by a canal, by which veffels might carry up the means of improvement to a country that wants them, and return with fuel to one in which the want of this neceffary article prevents the introduction of manufactures. An actual furvey has lately been made; and, from the estimates of fkillful engineers, it appears that the wished for communication might be opened for L. 9000. A curious fact has been ascertained by Mr Copland, viz. that the rivers in this neighbourhood have confiderably decreased of late, and that the Urr did not difcharge into the sea a third part of the water it did 40 years ago. Mr Copland thus accounts for this ftriking phenomenon. Land uncultivated, and covered with heath, is almost impenetrable by water and, of course, the rain that falls muft run off its surface into the channels of the rivers. This was the state of the land here till it began to be improved by marle and lime. The application of these manures pulverifes the ground, and prepares it for absorbing the rain. Befides, as it is well known that water is a material part of the food of plants, less of it will be left to flow into a river, when at least "four blades of "grafs, and four ears of corn, have been made to grow on its banks, where there was only one before."

Fish. The Urr abounds with trouts, and a great many falmon come to spawn in it; but few are taken or fold here. There is a great falmon fishery on the Dee at Kirkcudbright, and another at Tongland, about two miles above it. The falmon of the Dee are of a darker colour, and much fatter, than thofe of most other rivers in the fouth of Scotland. Few of them get over the steep rocks at Tongland except when the water is fwelled, and thofe that do are obliged to make the best of their way past the loch of Ken, as its inhabitants are not remarkable for hospitality: These are, the pike or ged, the perch, and the eel. The pike are found here in great perfection, and of an uncommon fize: They are always in season when the weather permits them to be caught. They are caught with the fly, or with lines baited with burn trouts or frogs. The perch were first introduced into this river and loch in the year 1750, by the late Alexander Copland, Efq; of Colliefton. Since that time they have multiplied remarkably, and are now taken in great quantities, especially about midsummer, by those who fish with worm baits for amusement. The eels are never interrupted in their poffeffion of the waters, as the country people have an insuperable prejudice against feeding on an animal which fo ftrongly refembles the ferpent. The cafe, however, was different in former times. In the dark ages, when the art of cookery was but little understood, there was, in this parish, a fishery of eels, which were exported to Italy. This is mentioned by Hector Boethius, and after him by Buchanan.

Population. As records have not been regularly kept, the antient state of population here cannot be precifely afcertained. The knowledge of some facts hath however been preferved. From the year 1751 to 1761 the baptifins were 128, being, on an average, about 13 yearly. For the 16 following

years