duftrious naturalift might difcover, on this coaft, fome of those fingular animals, not much inferior to those produced in the Antilles, and other tropical countries.

Fifb.-As the fouth end of Buittle is washed by the Solway Frith, a good deal of fish is taken, and much more might be had. As other fubfiftence is plenty, however, and as labourers and their families are maintained by their employers, neither choice nor neceffity leads any one to follow the fishing business, much farther than as an amusement. Nevertheless, it is believed by many judicious people, that if a few fishermen from the Highlands fhould fettle about the mouth of the Urr, they would find profitable employment, and be of service to the country around. The fish usually taken at prefent are, falmon, cod, flounders, &c. Cockles, muscles, and several other kinds of fhell fish are alfo to be had in tolerable plenty.

Quadrupeds.-The quadrupeds are entirely of the common fort, and the black cattle (which are almost all polled) are of a good shape. During the tiine that a farmer fociety fubfifted at Dumfries, which invited the tenantry to fhew their best breeding cattle, and diftributed premiums, the mould of cattle was vifibly improved. Since that fociety was dropt, farmers have become, it is thought, more careless, both in Buittle, and in many parishes around. The breed of horses is much improved, fo far as concerns the purposes of agriculture; but the old hardy Galloway species is mostly extinct. Sheep are kept in fmall numbers, being thought prejudicial to the pastures where black cattle are fed; nor is the growth of wool attended to, or confidered as an object of profit, unless on the small scale of domeftic oeconomy.

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Birds. To mention the feathered race might here feem to be a matter of levity; but when it is confidered that they, perhaps, of all living creatures, have the moft delicate fenfations, as to climate and the state of the air; that nature has enabled, and even instructed them, to choose or to change their refidence accordingly; and that their appearance or ab fence may afford no contemptible estimate of the increafing warmth or cold of any country, (things much connected with the state of agriculture), one may venture to hazard ridicule on this fubject. Perhaps inattention to subjects not visibly important, and ignorance of natural history, might hinder our ancestors from remarking upon birds any ways fingular. If that has not been the cafe, this country has lately been frequented by feveral that ufed feldom to appear in Scotland. Since fome groves of pines came to be of a respectable growth, the cross-bill has been frequently seen, and it is believed breeds in the country. The bull-finch is common, and pheasants have been observed, which, in all probability, must have come from England. Quails, hardly known a few years ago, are now in abundance. In hard winters, too, the Bohemian chattérer, and even fome Arctic birds have vifited us. The common moor and black game have disappeared from this parish, fince agriculture became extenfive, and the heath, broom, furze, &c. were deftroyed. Other game would be very plenty, but the game laws have never been rigorously executed in this part of the country, unless when people break fences, difturb cattle, and do the farmers wanton mifchief in the course of their amusement.

Minerals. As to minerals or foffils, little can be here mentioned, ferving either to gratify curiofity, or prompt industry. Rock crystals, but of no great brilliancy, are often found. Talcs and fpars of feveral kinds are pretty frequent

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ly met with; and iron ore appears to be in fuch abundance in Buittle, as well as the neighbouring parishes, that some have thought an iron manufacture might be copioufly fupplied *. Certain burrows in the earth, frequently talked of in

*Though the writer of this account proposed to be concise on the subject of antiquities, he cannot help mentioning here certain fubterraneous paffages or galleries, difcovered in this neighbourhood. These are dug through a firm kind of gravel, perhaps iron ore; nor is the roof fupported by wood, or arched with ftone. Into one of these lurid grottos, the present Mr MAXWELL of Terraughty, when a boy, defcended, and travelled farther than perhaps prudence could choose to accompa ny curiofity. The upper part of this paffage or cave he defcribes as above; "the bottom (fays he) was like an ill swept “kirk, and here and there were heads of fpears, and human "bones." If those excavations were ought elfe than iron mines, they must have been places of fepulture. Tacitus, however, plainly fays of the Germans, Funerum nulla ambitio, fepulchrum cefpes erigitt. And though Caefar calls the funeral ob. fequies of the Gauls, Sumptuofa et magnifica pro cultu, he fays nothing of their carrying the bones of the dead into caverns. It would be mere pedantry to fhew, that a work, fuch as that above described, has as little to do with the religion of the Gauls and Germans, as with their funeral rites, and the conclusion muft be, that fuch works are perfectly Scottish. Any inquifitive gentleman, wishing to know farther on this fubject, might apply to Mr Maxwell of Terraughty, whofe affability and good fense need no commendation. Or if any antiquary chooses to repeat Mr Maxwell's experiment, the inhabitants of Auchenreoch, near Spottis-hall, will yet point out the entrance. Pity but the celebrated Mr M PHERSON would explore this defcenfus Averni; the world might be blessed with an appendix to Fingal, and with recent accounts from the fpirits of Loda and of Dr Sa. muel Johnston. In feveral parts of this country, too, there are oblong fquares, made with banks of ftone. In the centre there is a hearth; and, in digging up the banks forming the fquare, collars, chains, hooks, and forks have been found. Such places have, by fome ingenious gentlemen, been fuppofed to be accommodations for burning dead bodies; and certain niches in the furrounding banks, understood to be receptacles for the bones.

TAC. de Moribus Germ. cap. XXVII.

in different parts of the country, would lead one to think that iron had been wrough in this part of the world, at a very early period. Theres till marl in almost every mofs; but, as lime can be had by water carriage, marl is now but little valued.

Farms, Rents, and Proprietors.--The generality of farms in Buittle are of moderate extent. Some there are of 300 acres or more; but thefe, (with an exception or two), confift of broken or hilly ground.-There may be about half a dozen farmers in the parish, who pay 2001. a year of rent,

bones. Nevertheless, as the chains, collars, &c. seem as fit for holding living bodies as dead ones, there is room to believe thofe oblong fquares were places of facrifice, or of punishment, which are mostly found fynonimous terms, when human facri. fice is in the queftion. The Scotch are afforedly either of German or Gaelic extraction, perhaps a mixture of both. As to the funerals of thefe nations, Tacitus exprefly fays, the Germans used the rogus in the common manner; and Caefar fays, the Gauls burnt their dead, but states no peculiarities; on the contrary, he rather tranfcribes Homer on the fubject. Regarding the religion of these nations, however, Tacitus fays, the Germans did offer human facrifices to Mercury; and Caefar, (lib. vi. cap. 16.) fays, The Gauls offered human facrifices, fome of a private, fome of a public nature. He adds, that they facrificed in this last manner criminals, as mot acceptable to the Gods; but innocent people, if criminals could not be found. One of the oblong courts or fquares is not far from the cavern already mentioned. This leads one to compare what Mr Bruce fays about the inhabitants at the fource of the Nile, their carrying part of their facrifices into caves, with the affertion of Tacitus, that the Germans had the Egyptian religion, or at leait worshipped fis. Perhaps this is the only faint argument, that could connect the caves already mentioned, with the religion of the Gauls or Germans.

See M. COPLAND of Kings-Grange's very ingenious treatise on this fubject, prefented to the Manchefter Society of Antiquaries. VOL. XVII.

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or upwards; hardly fo many paying from 101. to 201. The most common rent is from 70l. to 1201. per annum. Indeed, in Buittle, property of the landed fort is not ill divided, either among the landholders or the tenantry. There are 15 heritors in, the parifh;-the largest estate is about 1000 1. per annum, and there is only one below 70 1.

Fuel, Cultivation, and Produce.-From a port in the Urr, at Barlochan, or Garden Creek, the greater part of the parish is fupplied with lime. That port lies on the caft fide of the parish, and is centrical. At Munfhes, about a mile farther up the river, fone is alfo landed. Lately (and most timeoufly) coal has been imported at a reasonable rate, namely, at 10 d. the Carlile bufhel. While this country retains its fober fenfes and habits, it cannot readily forget the perfons by whofe interpofition and efforts this defirable event has been brought about.-Tillage and pafturage are almost equally objects to the farmer here. The greatest tillage permitted is one third of the arable, which is certainly more

than is profitable. After liming, three white crops are taken, two of oats, and a third of barley. If, after the third white crop, the farmer dungs and has a green crop, a fourth white crop is permitted, when the ground is always fown out with red clover and rye-grafs, the only foreign graffes propagated. White clover, and the perennial red, are fo common in the fields, and rife naturally in fuch plenty, that the bought feeds of these plants are feldom ufed. Not much wheat is fown. The foil, though kindly, is light; but that is not the only reafon. The ftraw of wheat is not ufed as fodder in this part of the country, though it is in England; and this, to a farmer in these parts, is a great draw-back on a crop, as most of the farms can maintain more cattle in fummer, than can be provided with food in winter: For the fame reason, fal