to which proposal they confenting, he Delaware Indian, named Jack, after the English, whofe language they could understand; and that by him they were conducted to the Delaware towns, where they tarried one year, and returned; that the French fent a white man with them properly furnish. ed to bring back an account of their country who, the Indians faid, could not return in lefs than 14 years, for they lived a great way towards the Sun fetting. It is now, Sutton fays, about 10 or 12 years fince they went away. He added, that the Delawares obferve the feaft of firit fruits, or the green corn feast. The following is an account given by Captain Ifaac Stewart, taken from his own mouth, in March 1782, and inferted in the Public Advertiser, Oct. 8th, 1785. Sutton farther told us that among the Delaware tribe of Indians he obferved their women to follow exactly the cuftom of the Jewish women, in keeping feparate from the reft feven days at certain times as prescribed in the Mofaic Law; that from fome old men among them he had heard the following traditions: that of old time their people were divided by a river, nine parts in ten paffing over the river, and one part tarrying behind; that they knew not for certainty how they came first to this continent, but account thus for their coming into thefe parts near where they are now fettl ed: that a king of their nation, when they formerly lived far to the weft, left his kingdom to his two fons; that the one fon making war upon the other, the latter thereupon determined to depart and feek fome new habitation; that accordingly he fet out accompanied by a number of his people, and that after wandering to and fro for the fpace of 40 years, they at length came to Delaware river, where they fettled, 370 years ago. The way, he fays, they keep an account of this, is by putting on a black bead of wam-deeming me and another white man, pum every year fince, on a belt they have for that purpose. He farther added, that the king of "I was taken prifoner about 50 miles to the Weftward of Fort Pitt, about 18 years ago, by the Indians, and was carried by them to the Wabafh, with many more white men who were executed with circumftances of horrid barbarity. It was my good fortune to call forth the fympathy of what is called the good woman of the town, who was permitted to redeem me from the flames, by giving, as my ranfom, a horse. After remaining two years in bondage among the Indians, a Spaniard came to the Nation, having been fent from Mexico on difcoveries. He made application to the chiefs for re who was in a like fituation, named John Davey (David) which they complied with. And we took our departure in company with the Spaniard to the Weftward, croffing the Mififipi near Rouge or Red River, up which we travelled 700 miles, when we came to a nation of Indians remarkably White, and whofe hair was of a reddish colour, at least moftly fo. They lived on the banks of a small river, which is called the River Post. · In the morning of the day after our arrival, & arrival, the Welsh man informed me that he was determined to remain with them, giving as a reafon, that he underftood their language, it being very little different from the Welth. My coriofity was excited very much by this information, and I went with my companion to the chief men of the town, who informed him (in a language that I had no knowledge of, and which had no affinity to that of other Indian tongues that I ever heard) that their forefathers of this nation came from a foreign country, and landed on the east fide of the Miffiffippi, defcrib. ing particularly the country now called Florida, and that on the Spaniards taking poffeffion of Mexico, they fled to their then abode. And as a proof of the truth of what he advanced, hẹ brought forth rolls of parchment, which were carefully tied up in otters skins, on which were large characters written with blue ink. The characters I did not understand, and the Welshman being unacquainted with letters even of his own language, I was not able to know the meaning of the writing. They are a bold, hardy, and intrepid people, very warlike, and the women beautiful when compared with other Indians." Mifcellaneous Extracts from Sir John Sinclair's Statifical Account of A PARISH OF LINTON. Difeafes. Scotland. Man called William Badie, or Beatie, a fhoemaker, died a few weeks ago in Linton. About 16 or 17 years fince, being afflicted with ftomach complaints, contracted by drinking cold water when overheated in. harveft, he was advised to fwallow ftones to help digeftion, after the manner of birds with mufcular ftomachs. He was ever after afflicted with violent ftomach complaints, and frequent vomitings, with a long train of nervous fymptoms. He never fufpected that the ftones had lodged in his ftomach, till happening to be feized with a vomiting lying acrofs a bed, with his head and body reclined downwards, and fupporting himself with his hands on the floor, feveral ftones came up. The man was of decent character, and from his own, and his neighbours reports, there is no doubt of the fact. The largest ftone was the fize of a finger end. He threw up 13, which, being the Devil's dozen, might probably be the number fwallowed. Latterly, his furgeon made him vomit in an inclined pofition, and he threw up fand, which probably had fallen from his victuals into fome fack formed in the ftomach by the weight of the ftores. the fiones must have been lodged in his ftomach for about 16 years. Poor. In 1782-3, people were fometimes difcovered living on nettles, or potatoes, without meal, and were relieved; particularly one poor householder, a day-labourer, who was reported to the minifter as fick and ftarving. He was found exhausted with hunger; and faid, that he felt an o'ercafting at his heart, and his lights were ay ready to lose the fiff. Some Port wine, and a fupply of meat, put him in heart, and made him fit for work. The people lived then moftly on very wholfome white peafe, brought from Leith. does not feem to have been an obfcure dicted. There is not within the The Galloway cattle have one characteristic which naturalifts may think incredible; they are almoft all with out horns! Dr Samuel Johnfon, in his journey to the Weltern Islands, (London edition, 1775, p. 186), has the following notable paffage: "Of their black cattle, fome are without "horns, called by the Scots, bumble "cows, as we call a bee a humble bee "that wants a iting. Whether this "difference be fpecific or accidental, "though we enquired with great di"ligence, we could not be informed, "We are not very fure that the bull " is ever without horns, though we have been told that fuch bulls there are. What is produced by putting 66 a horned and an unhorned male and "female together, no man has ever "tried, who thought the refult wor"thy of obfervation." Though it may favour of arrogance, the high authority quoted muft be flatly contra 66 bounds of this parish a single bull, nor a male of any other fpecies, except a few goats and rams, with horns. The experiment the philofopher wifhed 'for has been tried a thoufaad times, and the refult has been obferved to be a calf, fometimes with, and fometimes without horns, but never, as the Ductor moft probably expected, an unicorn. PARISH OF PARTON IN THE STEwartRY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT. A few years ago, a man died above death, got a complete fet of new teeth, 90, who, about 8 months before his which he employed till near his last four times married, had children by breath to excellent purpose. He was all his wives, and at the baptiim of his laft child, which happened not a year before his death, with an air of complacency expreffed his thankfulness to his Maker for having "at laft fent him the cled fcore," i, e. 21. PARISH OF CRAMOND. Of perfons meriting to be particularly mentioned, the most distinguished eminent men, who were either natives of, or refident proprietors in the parifh, are, ift, John Elphinston, fecond Lord Balmerinoch, a nobleman noted for his fpirited oppofition to the tyrannical proceedings of Charles I. for which he narrowly efcaped lofing his head, and for being the best friend. that the Covenanters ever had, as he fpent a great fortune in fupport of their caufe. 2d, Sir Thomas Hope of Grantoun, well known as one of the ableft and most fuccefsful lawyers at the Scottish bar, to whofe unremitted exertions, and found advice, the firm establishment of the Prefbyterian mode of worship in this kingdom is in a great mafure owing. 3d, Sir William Hope of Grantoun, his grandfon, who was diftinguifhed for superior proficiency in all the fashionable accom plishments plishments of the times in which he lived, particularly for great skill in fencing, on which he published a celebrated treatise. 4th, That fine fcholar, and pleasant companion, but crafty and flippery ftatefman, George Mackenzie, firit Earl of Cromarty, whofe numerous works are well known. 5th, John Law of Lauriefton, Comptroller General of the fi nances in France, one of the most extraordinary characters that this or any other country has produced, to whose great merit and abilities fufficient juit ce has not yet been done. 6th, Geo., Cleghorn, an eminent phyfician in Dublin, the first perfon that established what could, with any degree of propriety, be called an anatomical fchool in Ireland. 7th, William Cleghorn, who was affociated with his uncle George, just now mentioned, as Profeffor of Anatomy in Trinity College, Dublin, but died foon afterwards in 1783, at the age of 28, uaiverfally regretted. PARISH OF HOLYWOOD IN DUMFRIES SHIRE. Antiquities. THE Abbey of Holywood ftood in the fite of a part of the prefent church yard. About half of the head of the crofs of this abbey was ftanding in the year 1779, when it ferved for the parish church. Thefe remains, however, were then pulled down, and the materials ufed, in part, for building the prefent new church. The veftiges of the old abbey are fufficiently evident in the church-yard; and the adjoining farm retains the name of Abbey. The prefent church has two fine toned bells, taken out of the old building; one of which, by an infcription and date on it, appears to have been confecrated by the Abbot John Wrich, in the year 1154. From undoubted records, this abbey belonged to the monks of the order of Premontré, which was inftituted in the diocese of Loon in France, in the year 1120, C VOL. XIV. No. 79. and was fo called, becaufe, as the monks fay, the place was "divina revelatione præmonftratum." PARISH OF DALMENY. Minerals. At There may be mentioned a fingu lar bafaltic rock upon the fouth fide of Dundas-hill, 250 yards long, and generally about 60 or 70 feet high.--This rock is almoft perpendicular in its front, and confifts of light bluish granite, of a very clofe and fine texture: the maffes are in an irregular columnar ftate, feparated by channels or furrows; but many well defined regular prifms are to be obferved. the foot of the steep, and almost perpendicular bank on which this rock lies, is a morals of about 9 acres of fhell marl. But what is chiefly remarkable and valuable as a mineral in this parish, is the vaft bed of freeitone upon the fea-coaft. A quarry of this excellent ftone has been wrought to the extent of three acres a little to the weft of the borough of Queenf ferry; and, befides fupplying the demands of the neighbourhood, great quantities of it were privately exported for building the fortifications and quay of Dunkirk. All the fine ftone carvings of Earl Fife's elegant house at Banff were executed here upon the fpot, and fent thither in cafes by fea. A large baptifmal font, 5 feet in diameter, intended for the Continent, with its bottom uppermoft, and covered with fea-weed and shell fish, lies oppofite to this quarry a good way within the fea mark; and which the antiquary might fancy to be one of the remains of fome Popish church once ftanding there, that had been overwhelmed by the fea. Grindstones are manufactured at this quarry, and annually exported to the countries on the Baltic. It is faid, that here and elsewhere on the coaft in this parish, there is fuch a quantity of free-stone, that scarcely any demand could exhauft it. Eminent Eminent Men. THE late William Wilkie, D. D. born in the village of Echlin in this parish, Oct. 5. 1721, and educated at the fchool of Dalmeny. After revolving the history of ancient families in this and other parishes, many of which are fallen into decline, and may perhaps pafs into oblivion, it may be obferved, that the memory of a man of genius and learning is I-fs fubject to perifh. The Epigoniad will probably be always admired. Without fpeaking of the happy choice of the fubject, and of the merit of many of the cha. racters in that epic poem, it may be enough to fay, that the epifode of Hercules, taken by itfelf, is fufficient to entitle the poet to perpetual fame. Dr Wilkie was diftinguifled for a fingular compafs of knowledge, and chicfly for an originality of genius. In his youth he cultivated a small farm, and truggled long and bard with perury. He was afterwards miniser of Ratho; and laftly profeffor of Natural Pilofophy in the University of St Andrews, where he died in 1773, in his 52d year. PARISH OF SORBIE. Catile, Wool, &'c. THE black cattle of this parish and neighbourhood are of the belt quality. Lord Galloway thinks he has improved the fize and fhape of the original breed, by introducing Westmorland bulls. His Lordinip gave new life to a fpirit of emulation among the breeders, by a premium of a very handsome filver cup, which he beflowed every year on the perfon who produced the beft four year old ox or COW. With refpect to Galloway cattle in general, thofe in the muirs differ only from thofe in the improved part of the country in their fize. The last defcription. of cattle weigh when fat 50, the first about 40 ftone. Moft of the cattle are without horns, and are preferred to fuch as have them; becaufe they are fuppofed to be deeper They ufed to be fent to the English markets when four years old; but now too many of them are fent fooner.-This county fends many thoufands to thefe markets every year; and this parith breeds annually between five and fix hundred. They are about twenty-eight days in travelling to the Norfolk markets, and coft about 185. per head driving and feeding. When they have finifled their journey, it is fuppofed they have loft, through fatigue, above one-eighth of their weight. To this add the loffes occafioned by difcafes, by freights, heats, bad water, lamenefs, and other caufes. Such loffes affect not only the proprietors of droves, but alfo the public, by advancing the price of beef. Here the unfriendly operation of the falt-laws appears in a very clear light. Were it not for them, the vaft herds of cattle produced by this truly fertile country might be laughtered and falted at home for the ufe of his Majefty's navy, trading veffels, &c. Some of the most ancient breed of Galloway horfes are among the mountainous and less improved parts of the country. They are faid to be very hardy, eafily maintained, and high fpirited. This breed is well attended to in Cumberland, where it is much improved by croffes with English horfes. A larger breed is preferred here, as being more fit for the purpofes of draught and agriculture. Through the attention of the noblemen and. gentry, |