180 Analysis of Scientific Books and Memoirs. 



the omnipotent Creator of Heaven and earth should have invited the 

 king's majesty thereunto for a great blessing. 



Atkinson then proceeds to point out some of the localities of the gold ; 

 and the comparison which he makes of a certain district of Scotland which 

 is watered by rivers to the Garden of Eden, is in precisely the same ex- 

 travagant character. " In the second chapter of Moses, called Genesis, 

 I read, (vi«.) 1st, that God planted a garden in Eden, where he put man. 

 In Clydsdale and Nydsdale, within the kingdom of Scotland, (is a place) 

 which may be compared unto it, (the garden of Eden,) or called a se- 

 cond garden, though not so pleasant and fruitful, yet richer under ground 

 than above for gold. And there be four waters or rivers, the heads where- 

 of descend out of mountaines and mosses, or hard rocks and craggs. 

 These rivers are also divided, by God's omnipotent power, into foure heads. 

 The name of one called Glangonnor water, within Clydsdale. The name 

 of the second is called Short-clough water, upon Alwayne, within Clyds- 

 dale, upon Crawford Moore. The name of the third river is Winlocke- 

 head, or Wynlocke- water, upon Robbart Moore, within Nydsdale. The 

 name of the fourth river is called Mannocke- water, upon Mannocke 

 Moore, within Nydsdale." 



The king, however, eventually gave no ear to these fine stories. He 

 had already expended L. 3000 in the gold mines of Crawford Moor, and 

 had obtained not quite three ounces of gold. 



But it is now time to close this narrative. It appears that Sir Bevis 

 Buhner completely failed in his mining speculations, which was attributed 

 to his having too many irons in the fire, and to his too great extravagance. 

 " He wasted much himself," says Atkinson, " and gave liberally to many 

 for to be honoured, praised, and magnified, else he might have been a rich 

 subject, for the least of these frugalities (profusions) were able to rob an 

 abbot. By such sinister means he was impoverished, and followed other 

 idle venial vices to his dying day, that were not allowable of God nor 

 man : and so once down aye down, and at last he died at Awstinmoore, in 

 my debt L. 340 Sterling, to my great hinderance, and left me in Ireland 

 much in debt for him. God forgive us all our sinnes !" 



The last account which we have of these mines is that, in A. D. 1621 a 

 lease was granted to John Hendlie, physician, to work the gold mines 

 in the mining districts of Lead Hills and Wanlocke-head for twenty-one 

 years. 



This curious history is now brought to a close. If these gold mines 

 had been thought of in the year 1825, it is not impossible but that their 

 revival might have been contemplated, and that the minds of the mad 

 projectors of that period might have been diverted from the golden moun- 

 tains of Mexico to hunt for treasure on the cold and dreary plains of Craw- 

 ford Moor. The last project would have had this advantage, that it would 

 have dispersed a few of the thousands which have been idly squandered 

 away in distant speculations among our own countrymen. 



Mr Laing Meason has edited this volume with a care and judgment that 

 cannot fail to be highly gratifying to the gentlemen who compose the mem- 

 bers of the Bannatyne Club, the patriotic object of which is tire preserva- 



