vitrified forts. Veftiges of fuch buildings are not uncommon in the lower parts of Galloway, and the one now alluded to ftands on the north-west border of Buittle parish, within a farm called Caftle-Gower, which lies along the march of Kelton.

Climate

* Few people are ignorant of the romantic opinion advan ced and adopted, refpecting thofe vitrified forts, as they are called, namely, that they were structures of dry stone, cemented and confolidated through fufion, which was procured by fetting fire to immenfe piles of green. timber, all around the wall or castle that was to be thus ingeniously finished.

The difficulties vifibly attending this theory would not be few, if detailed, and may fafely be left with men of fenfe. Suf. fice it to fay, that Caefar leads us to conjectures fully more probable than the above.. That author tells us t, that the Gauls, whom he calls genus fummae folertiae, built almost every wall with a kind of wooden frames, in which the upright beams were placed about two feet from one another, and the void fpaces filled up with tone. Caefar commends the invention, as a wall thus conftructed did not easily yield, either to the ram or to fire. But in Scotland, a few centuries ago, it will hardly be denied, that most of the castles, not taken by scalade, were reduced by rolling banks, or huge fafcines of wood, which were pufhed up to the walls, and then fet on fire. When one, therefore, lights on a mass of vitrified ftones, here and there interfperfed with fragments of burnt wood, and bits of charcoal, he is almoft as ready to believe, that fire has been employed for demolishing, as in erecting the pile, whatever ingenuity may advance to the contrary. This obfervation, however, is not offered pragmatically. If made before by any body, no doubt it has been already decided upon. Speaking farther of the upright beams, Caefar fays, "revinciuntur introrfus, et multo aggere vef "tiuntur." Now agger more frequently fignifies a bank of ftones, than a bank of earth. He obferves afterwards, that the thickness of a wall thus formed was very great.“ Materia— "perpetuis trabibus, pedis quadragenos plerumque introrfus revinita.” -Agreeable to this, thefe walls, commonly called vitrified, are ever found, in this part of the ifland at least, exceeding thick; whom

+ De Bello Gall. lib. vii. cap. XXIII,

Climate and Character.-As the foil of Buittle is in general dry, as the air of it is good, and the tract of country it comprehends warm, good health and length of days are correfpondent to thofe aids of both. "Medicina fumma medica" mentis non uti." With this most important maxim of phyfic, the inhabitants of Buittle are well acquainted, without confulting antiquity. There is a furgeon about a mile from the border of the parish, and an attorney at nearly the fame diftance. Either, or both of them, will come if fent for, but this is as feldom as poffible. Indeed it is juft rather than complimentary, to fay, that the morals of the inhabitants of this parish, as feldom need the interference of law, as their health does the aids of phyfic.-Religion is still reverenced, and they esteem a Chriftian Church the best temple of reafon. To mention politics might be extraneous and petulant, rather than ferviceable to the work for which this article is defigned, were it not that it becomes every good citizen, at a time like the present, to omit nothing that may any wife increase public confidence, or allay capricious innovation.. Independent in their fentiments, and in their circumftances, the people of Buittle, (like many of the county to which they belong) feem neither fo befotted as to imagine, that any human form of government is without infirmity, nor fo infatuated as to believe, that every thing is wrong in our own, and that reformation must be sought in anarchy. The apostles of Mr PAINE feemed at one time affiduous, and his works, (and works of lefs merit too), were as common as the church catechifm. They are now forgotten. One idea has of late

this

and the inner part refembling an agger of small stones; but the walls of castles must have been proportionally more flender than thofe of large towns. In either cafe, however, the quantity of wood in fuch buildings must have been very great, and fuffi cient to vitrify many kinds of stone, if the wood was once fair. ly fet on fire.

more affected the public mind. That spirit of unity and indivifibility, that is, of arrogance and depredation, which has fo fatally attracted the rabble of Paris, may prevail in Edinburgh or Glafgow:-Should that be the cafe, the peaceable and unarmed inhabitants of the country know what awaits them. On this principle, it is believed, more national guards might be enlifted in this quarter in one day, than all the declamations against regal tyranny, or parlia mentary corruption, could affemble in a twelvemonth. The lowering the freehold qualification, and the abrogating or limiting the law of patronage, have been the ultimatum of propofed reformation in this country.

Difadvantages. If these and the like are fpeculative and imaginary grievances, we have but few real ones to complain of. Inftances, however, of this kind might be given. That PENTE of the waters, (as modern naturalifts fay), which is manifefted by the retreat of the fea on every western coaft, is abundantly remarkable on the fhores of the Solway Frith. Many acres there, which were barren fand 30 years ago, are now good pafture land; and in the middle of this arm of the fea, banks or mountains are daily increafing in fize, fo that they will foon be iflands, and will foon be arable. The confequent fhallownefs of the Frith, and of the river Urr, renders it therefore impoffible, that the navigation of the Urr can be carried on by veffels much above 50 tons burden; and these can only find accefs at the ufual landing places, (and the most useful), at fpring tides. Now, as the law ftands, the fees, &c. of the custom-house, are as high for a veffel of 50 tons as for one of 500, and as high for a boat of 5 tons, as for a floop of 50. In a few years, however, the trade of this river must be carried on, perhaps, by veffels as fmall or smaller than any we have mentioned; and the pro

portioning

portioning of cuftom-house fees, and the shortening of delays incident or ufual there, will then be objects of correfpondent magnitude. But the STATISTICAL ACCOUNT IS not meant as a magazine of grievances. May providence avert greater than we have felt, perhaps than we have imagined!

The author of this article, having thus noticed every thing in the parish, where he does his duty, that he conceives helpful to public utility, and connected with the patriotic work he would wish to fupport, claims from the reader that indulgence, in respect of literary endowment, which may well be looked for, by one who appears in print, from no view of profit or of praise, but (like many reverend gentlemen) from compulfion. Minus aptus acutis naribus-If it is now accepted, he hopes it may be a while before he has occafion to repeat the above apology. Devoid of those brilliant talents, and ill fupported by that profound erudition, which Doctors, Chaplains, and Almoners only poffefs, the humble parfon of Buittle doubts if he has perfuaded the world, that in his humble parish," all is for the best."-Happy fhould he be, in believing, that the fenfe of the public admitted things to be tolerable.

NUM.

NUMBER XI.

PARISH OF CUPAR OF FIFE.

(COUNTY AND SYNOD OF FIFE.-PRESBYTERY OF CUPAR).

By the Rev. GEORGE CAMPBELL, D. D. Minifter.

THE

Situation, River, Extent, &c.

HE parish of CUPAR is fituated in the middle of the peninfula of Fite. The river Eden divides it into two parts. It is of an irregular figure, meafuring from caft to weft 5 miles, and nearly of an equal extent from north to fouth.

Etymologies.-The etymology of the name of the pari is unknown. The names of different places in it are evidently of Gaelic original; fuch as Pittencrieff, (Gaelic, Pit ́nan.crasbh), English, the dale; Kinga, (Gaelic, ceann gaijk), English, the termination or ending of the lands of Gaifg or Gafk; Pitbladdo, a hollow, named after fome perfon; Kilmaron, (Gaelic, Cill Mha-Roin), Englith, the cell, or place of worship of St. Ron or St. Roan; Balafs, Balgarvie, towns named after particular perfons.

Town of Cupar.-The burgh of Cupat, which is the county town, is beautifully fituated in the center of the parish, on the northern bank of the Eden, in the fpot where it VOL. XVII.

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