122 Transactions. 



The river waa long and justly celebrated for the superior 

 quality of its water. A distinguished native of Dumfriesshire, 

 Christopher Irvin, of Bonshaw, professor in the University of 

 Edinburgh, in his work entitled Histori(V Scoticce X omenclatura, 

 written about the year 1G38, says in reference to the Nith : " It is 

 the clearest river in Scotland." The Copper Plate Magazine, pub- 

 lished in London in the year 1793, contains an engraved view of 

 the town, after the well-known artist, Alexander Reid, with de- 

 scriptive letterpress, where it is said : " Dumfries is fortunate in 

 the possession of three essential particulars conducive to the health 

 and happiness of man — the extreme beauty of its situation, the 

 salubrity of its atmosphere, and the lightness and softness of its 

 waters ;" and in M'Diarmid's Picture of Dumfries we read that "in 

 point of size the Nith ranks fifth among the rivers of Scotland, 

 and its waters, when unagitated, rival in purity those of the silver 

 Tweed itself, even where it rises within a few miles of the village 

 of Moffat." It is interesting to find the traditional estimate of the 

 Nith confirmed. Of three samples of water submitted for analyses 

 in connection with the proposed introductiou of a new supply in 

 1849, all of which were reported to be good, that drawn from the 

 river ranked the highest in regard to purity. 



Three wells in Dumfries will be remembered, namely, the 

 Doctor's Well, St. Allan's or the Three Wells, and the Dock Well, 

 all now drained away. They are marked on the Ordnance Map of 

 the town, as well as one in Maxwelltown named Maggie Broatch's 

 Well. The water of the Doctor's Well was believed to possess 

 healing virtues, and was resorted to for many causes — chiefly for 

 the cure of sore eyes. The well is mentioned in J. Russel Wal- 

 ker's list of holy wells in Scotland, but classified as doubtful. St. 

 Allan's wells, the most important, were situated beside the Mill 

 Burn, at the foot of a lane on the south side of St. Michael Street, 

 and consisted of a group of three square stone basins, each backed 

 by an arched recess, all neatly built of dressed stone. They were 

 doubtless of ancient date. Until about fifteen years ago the 

 water, which was bright in appearance and pleasant to the taste, 

 was held in esteem and extensively used ; but a sample having 

 been found by analysis to be veiy impure, the authorities, after 

 some hesitation, caused the wells to be closed. A number of the 

 deep wells were originally draw wells afterwards fitted with 

 pumps. All the houses in the newer streets, such as Castle Street 



