Transactions. 127 



the Town Council minute of 1st November, 1832. The Provost 

 stated that the Council were already aware that Mr James 

 Colquhoun, civil engineer, from Sheffield, had been making some 

 surveys in the neighbourhood, and had found that a stream of 

 water sufficient to supply the town with good and wholesome 

 water might be introduced from a place called Nunland Ilass, on 

 the ground of Mr M'Culloch of Ardwell, within about three miles 

 of the town, on the road from Dumfries to Portpatrick by Castle- 

 hill, and that he (the Provost) had good hope of bringing- about 

 an agreement to get the water. 



A year later, 21st October, 1833, he reported that the whole 

 arrangements were nearly completed for bringing water into the 

 town by pipes from Nunland, and that before engaging further in 

 an undertaking of this magnitude he thought it right to request 

 Mr James Jardine, civil engineer, to come out from Edinburgh on 

 Monday, the 28th current, to make a survey of the springs at 

 Nunland and to report. Mr Jardine accordingly made an inspec- 

 tion, and on the same day reported that these springs, together 

 with four others falling' into the Goldilea Burn which might be 

 utilised, yielded over 6000 cubic feet of water in 24 hours ; that 

 according to returns submitted to him the inhabitants of Dumfries, 

 exclusive of the landward portion, amounted to nearly 9000, and 

 the portion of these who would likely be willing to pay for water 

 was 4000. The ordinary quantity of water required by each 

 inhabitant, young and old, for domestic purposes is one cubic foot 

 per day, and as much more for those who use baths and w-ater- 

 closets, estimated to number in process of time about 2000. From 

 these data it appeared to him that the springs would afford a 

 sufficient supply of water to the aforesaid 4000 inhabitants for a 

 considerable number of years. This looks a veiy inadequate 

 scheme, providing only ten gallons per head per day for less than 

 half the population, and it shows how little progress had yet been 

 made towards forming a correct estimate of the ultimate require- 

 ments of the town. 



Mr Jardine's report was followed, November 17th, b;^ the 

 issue of Parliamentary notice of the intention of the Town Council 

 to apply for a new Act for police purposes, and for supplying the 

 town and burgh with water ; and, alternatively, to bring in a 

 separate bill for power to supply said town with water by pipes 

 from Nunland. That it was not the intention of the Council, how- 



