A turnpike road from Perth to Dunkeld is now completed. In entering the parish, it takes a different direction from the old roads, and is conducted through the cultivated ground. Most of the new built houses and farm steads were defignedly fituated near it, or within view of it, which is not only extremely convenient for the farmers but also tends to decorate and enliven the appearance of the country.

In the year 1784, Mr Dempfter of Dunnichen, Mr Graham of Fintray, along with feveral gentlemen in the mercantile line in Perth, feued fome ground at Stanley from the Duke of Atholl, built a mill for fpinning cotton, and foon after began to erect a village in its neighbourhood, upon a regular plan, for accommodating the people to be employed in this manufactory. At that time, only a few families dwelt near Stanley; and, except the land within the inclofures around Stanley House, moft part of it, thereabout, was almost in a state of nature. His Grace the Duke of Atholl took under his own management 250 acres of this land, inclosed it, built upon it an elegant farm stead; and, within the course of a few years, improved it so highly, that not long ago, this farm was let at the rate of 1 1. 5 s. per acre.

Near an hundred families now refide in the village at Stanley. Above 350 perfons are employed about the cotton mill,—of this number 300 are women or children under 16 years of age. The boys and girls, though confined at work in the mill for many hours of the day, and, at times, during the night, are, in general, very healthy.

Miscellaneous

*Stanley Houfe is beautifully fituated upon the banks of the river Tay, in the eastern part of this parish. It was built by the late Lord Nairn. The family of Nairn had another elegant houfe near Loak, the ruins of which are yet to be seen. Their place of interment is in the fouth ifle of Aughtergaven church.

Mifcellaneous Obfervations.-There is ftill ample room for farther improvements in this parish. Large tracts of ground, where the foil is tolerably good, remain unimproved. The roads leading across the country, from the public roads, are exceffively bad, and, in winter, almoft impaffible. Ditches for draining the low wet lands, hedges, hedge-rows of trees, and clumps of planting, for affording fhelter, are much wanted.

Many of the tenants, who have only small poffeffions, are yet poorly accommodated as to lodging. This is partly their own fault; for, they certainly might, with a good deal of trouble, but without much expence, render their little habitations much more comfortable than they generally are. Numbers of them live together in fmall villages, in fmoaky damp houses, built of turf and stone, and thatched with straw or heath. The difeafes moft prevalent among them are rheumatism, deafness, and epidemic fevers.

From these the Of late, most of coals, which they

There are feveral moffes in the parish. people are plentifully fupplied with fuel. the farmers, instead of peat and turf, ufe bring from Perth, and fometimes from the coal pits near Kinrofs. They find it more profitable to employ their fervants and horses in fallowing and improving their land, than in, digging and driving peats during the fummer.

Lime was firft applied to the ground as a manure here about 30 years ago; but it was long after that time before it came to be generally used by the tenants.

Marl has been found in different places of the parish. A confiderable quantity of it was lately dug out of a finall meadow upon the Duke of Atholl's eftate, and fold at a very moderate price. One of Lord Mansfield's tenants, who, by his activity and industry, has greatly forwarded fome of the improvements here, extracted, at different times, fome hun

dred

dred bolls of excellent marl from an extenfive meadow upon his farm.

A ftratum of marl was alfo difcovered, not long ago, in a hollow piece of ground, upon Mr Stewart of Grandtully's eftate, but it is buried under a great depth of mofs.

Mr Robertson of Tullybelton had the merit of introducing into this parish the new method of farming by fummer fallowing, by a regular rotation of white and green crops, and fowing grafs feeds.

Except one or two Druidical circles of large ftones ftanding on end, fimilar to thofe that are to be seen in many other parts of Scotland, there are no antiquities here worth mentioning.

NUM.

NUMBER XLI.

PARISH OF MOCHRUM.

(COUNTY AND PRESBYTERY OF WIGTON.-SYNOD OF GALLOWAY.)

By the Rev. JOHN STEVEN.

Name, Extent, &c.

CONCERNING the derivation of the name of this pa

rish, no certain information has been obtained. It is fituated in the county and presbytery of Wigton, and fynod of Galloway. Its greatest length, from east to west, being about 10 miles, and its greatest breadth between 4 and miles. It is bounded on the fouth by the Bay of Luce, on 5 the weft by the parish of Old Luce, on the north by those of Kirkowan and Kirkinner, and the east by Glafferton.

Surface, Soil, and Climate.-The general appearance of the furface cannot be denominated either level or mountainous it is partly both. The flats, however, are not extensive, nor are the hills of great elevation; but, being intermixed with each other, at moderate distances, they exhibit a variety of profpect not unpleafing to the traveller, nor unprofitable to the owner. From the eastern boundary, along the Bay of Luce, for feveral miles, the foil, with a few exceptions, is excellent, being moftly of a fine light, and in fome places, a ftrong deep loam. Approaching towards the centre of the

parish,

parish, it becomes gradually more thin and ftony, while a large extent, on the eaft and weft fides, moftly confifting rocky eminences, or moffy fwamps and lakes, exhibits a bleak and barren prospect, and is chiefly used for pasture. There are, however, fcattered up and down in this bleak region, fome fmall pieces of good dry arable land. Owing, perhaps, to the general dryness of the foil, the opennels of the coun try, and its fine expofure to the fea air, the climate is remarkably healthful. Fevers, or other violent difeafes, are not frequent, and are feldom mortal. The fad ravage occafioned by the fmall pox is now much abated, by the prevailing practice of innoculation. The prejudices entertained by vulgar minds against this falutary expedient, though not totally extirpated, are gradually yielding to the advice and example of the better informed.

Many of the inhabitants attain to old age, in the enjoy ment of good health and vigour. A woman died lately, who had completed her 105th year; and, excepting a little dulnefs of hearing, retained the ufe of her fenfes and faculties unimpaired to the last.

Sea Coast. A flat smooth gravel beach, mostly about 50 yards wide, runs along from the eaftern, till within a mile of the western extremity of the parish, where it is intercepted by a fteep rocky hill projecting into the fea, and forming a bold inacceffible fhore. On this beach, the road which opens the communication between what are called the Makers and Reins of Galloway, which formerly was almost impaffible for carriages, has, of late, been completely repaired, and carried along the brink of the forefaid hill, clofe by the fea, in a direction now wonderfully level indeed; for, to effectuate this, fuch deep caves were to fill up, and fuch immenfe rocks to

remove,