Extent. The extent of this parish is confiderable, being about thirteen miles long, and in fome places not less than fix or feven miles broad: But the figure is irregular, being fre quently interfected by the parishes of Oxnam and Southdean. It is bounded by Northumberland on the fouth and fouthcaft, by the parish of Oxnam on the eaft, by Southdean on the fouth and fouth-west, by Bedrule on the weft, by Ancrum on the north and north-west, and by Crailing on the northeast.

Situation and Surface. The parish is fituated within the county of Roxburgh or Tiviot dale. It is the feat of a prefbytery, (that of Jedburgh) and belongs to the fynod of Merfe and Tiviotdale. The foil is various. The lower part of the parish, lying upon the banks of the Tiviot, is flat, and in general consists of light loam; but fome part of it is gravelifh, and fome deep clay. By far the greater part of the parish, however, confifts of hills and fheep farms. The hills are generally green and dry; but the interjacent flats are covered with bent, and rather fwampy. On the whole, not above a fifth or fixth part of the parish confifts of arable ground

Climate, Difeafes, &c.-The climate alfo varies in different parts of the parifh. It is often mild and temperate in the town of Jedburgh, environed with the high banks of the adjacent river, while it is fharp and cold at the distance of a mile or two. The town itself is peculiarly healthy, fewer epidemical diftempers prevailing there than in the neigh bouring towns of Hawick and Kelfo. The rheumatifin is the most common diforder, which, though not frequent among people of better ftation, who are comfortably clothed, fed, and lodged, is nevertheless very general among the poorer fort of people, particularly fuch as are advanced in

life,

life, who, in confequence of their miferable mode of living, and ftill more of the coldnefs and dampnefs of their houfes, owing partly to the fcarcity and high price of fewel, have too much reafon to complain of what they call the pains, or the pains within them. The air, however, on the whole, being very falubrious, there are many inftances of longevity in the parifh. An old woman, who died 15 years ago, faid that the was 105; but her name was not in the parish record. There are feveral now living, both in the town and country part of the parish, above 80. Many have furvived go during the incumbency of the prefent minifter; and there are three perfons in the town, now living, who are above 90. There is also a shepherd in the 94th year of his age, who attends his flock as ufual. The ravages which the fmall-pox formerly made have been greatly mitigated, innoculation being of late very general and very fuccefsful. In order to reconcile the minds of the common people to this ufeful practice, the heritors of Jedburgh, about ten years ago, allowed a finall fun to defray the expence of innoculating the children of the poor, at a period when the disease was peculiarly fatal. This generous defign was attended with the happiest fuccefs; among a thoufand patients, innoculated by Dr Lindlay in the courfe of above 20 years practice, only two have been lott, and there is the strongest reason to believe that thefe two had been previously infected in the natural way. The other phyficians and furgeons of the place have also been, it is believed, equally fortunate in this important branch of their practice.

Rivers. The river Jed, which runs through this parish, has its fource in the north fide of the Carter-hill, in the parish of Southdean, about the diftance of fourteen miles from the town of Jedburgh*. It abounds with trouts, particu

larly

On the fouth fide of the fame hill, the river Tyne, which zuns by Newcastle, takes its rife.

larly with a fpecies of fmall red trout, of an excellent flavour. The river Tiviot alfo paffes through this parish; the banks of which at firft are steep, and its courfe rapid, yet afterwards it flows in beautiful curves, through wide and fertile haughs. In addition to its natural, it is to be hoped, that, in time, it will have artificial ftreams, as it is believed, from a late furvey, that a canal might be carried from the fea to Ancrum Bridge. At prefent, however, there are no internal commodities to compenfate for the great expence which fuch a work would require.

Mineral Springs.-There are two chalybeate springs near Jedburgh, and there are appearances of more in different places of the parish, which have never been yet properly investigated. One of the former, called Tud Hope Well, has been used with fuccefs in fcorbutic, and, it is faid, in rheumatic diforders.

Hills. The most remarkable hill in the neighbourhood of Jedburgh, is the Dunian, which is fituated partly in the parifh of Jedburgh, and partly in that of Bedrule. Its elevation above the level of the fea is 1024 feet. The ridge of hills on the fouth fide of the parish of Jedburgh, contiguous to the English border, is confiderably higher, but arifing from an elevated base, the elevation is not fo ftriking. The tops of thefe hills are in general conical, and those who are attached to fuch ideas, are at no lofs to discover a variety of circumftances favourable to the volcanic fyftem.

Woods.-About fifty years ago the parish of Jedburgh abounded with wood. A few old oaks, elms, beeches, plains, and weeping willows ftill remain. The wood, which begins to rise from the old ftocks upon the banks of the Jed, together with a variety of new plantations, form a beautiful and ro

mantic scene on the road from Jedburgh to Northumberland.

Caves.-Veftiges of artificial caves appear upon the banks of the river Jed, particularly two large caves dug out of the rock at Hundalee and Linthaughlee. Their dimenfions cannot now be afcertained, being, from the steepnefs of the rock or bank, almoft inacceffible; but they are defcribed by old perfons, who have formerly entered into them when the accefs was lefs difficult, as confifting of three apartments, one on each hand of the entrance, and a larger one behind, which had the appearance of a great room. They were probably used as hiding places, or ftrong holds to fhelter the inhabitants in the neighbourhood upon any fudden incurfion by English invaders.

Migratory Birds.-The wood-lark, bulfinch, and king'sfisher have been frequently found on the banks of the Jed. The plover, fieldfare, and dotorel, abound in the fouth and hilly parts of the parifh. In the winter of 1788, during a fe vere fall of snow, a golden crested wren made its appearance. The fize of it was much smaller than the common wren; the colour of the body nearly the fame; but the head was adorned with feathers of a beautiful orange colour and gold.

Number of Horfes, Sheep, &c.-There are 414 horfes in the parish, and it is believed above 8000 fheep. There are some black cattle and horfes bred for fale, but more for private use. A great number of cattle are bought in the autumn, and fed upon the foggage or after-grafs, and upon turnips. In regard to fheep it may be proper to obferve, that the value of wool, in the neighbourhood of Jedburgh, has been greatly increas ing forseveral years past. The white wool in this parish has

been

been fold at from 18s. to 20s per stone for the last three years, and the wool laid with tar at 15s. 16s. and some of it at 18s. In the lower part of the country, fome farmers in BeaumontWater fold their wool laft feafon at L. 1:2:0 per stone. Seven or eight fleeces generally go to a stone.

Population. There is every reason to believe, that the population of this and of the neighbouring parishes has greatly diminished fince the commencement of the prefent century. Some years after the Union, and even when the returns were made to Dr. Webfter about forty years ago, the number of inhabitants in the parifh was fuppofed to be about 6000. There is no evidence, however, of any particular enumeration having been made. At prefent they do not exceed half that number. The inhabitants of the town were numbered with great accuracy about fifteen years ago, and fell short of 2000. The inhabitants of the country part of the parish do not exceed 800; and there are only two or three villages containing about 100 fouls. The veftiges of uninhabited houfes are to be feen both in the town and in the country. This decreafe is partly to be attributed to the Union between the two kingdoms, by which the trade of Jedburgh was, in a great measure, ruined, and the population of the town diminished of confequence; and partly to the union of farms, which has depopulated the country.

Effects of the Union on the Borders.-The Union of the Parliaments of England and Scotland, has in fome refpects produced an effect very different from what might have been expected from it. Inftead of promoting the increase, it has contributed to the diminution, of the people upon the Borders. Befides, the influence of various natural propenfities, which induced men to flock to the fcene where active talents

were