124 Antiquities, &c., of Cramond District. [Sess. 



a progress of not less than five or six feet per minute, and to 

 those visiting the island circumspection is required, else a 

 twelve hours' imprisonment will be the consequence. In 

 December 1860 a specimen of Tengmalm's owl was caught 

 here by Mr James Lumley, Cramond. 



In the reign of James I. a legalised duel was fought on 

 Cramond Island between Mowbray of Barnbougle and Henry 

 Bruntfield of Craighouse. The spot chosen was a level space 

 close to the northern shore of the island, a place being marked 

 off and strongly secured by a paling. The spectators, who 

 were mostly gentlemen, sat upon a rising ground beside the 

 enclosure, while the space toward the sea was quite clear. 

 After a somewhat lengthy combat Bruntfield, though severely 

 wounded, slew his opponent. The affair had a somewhat more 

 tragic ending. The mother of Bruntfield coming forward to 

 embrace her son expired in his arms, murmuring, " Nunc 

 dimittis, Domine." 



Inchmickery, about a mile to the north-east of Cramond 

 Island, is a barren rock with a thin surface of sod, measuring 

 about two acres, much frequented by sea-fowl. " I [Wood] 

 have seen the surface quite overspread witli the eggs of the 

 taron [common tern], so as completely to load a boat from 

 Cramond. It is the opinion of the vulgar that the pasture of 

 this islet is sufficient to maintain two sheep in good order, but 

 that if a third is put on it will starve, while the other two 

 continue to thrive." 



Bridges. — Cramond Bridge, situated about a mile from the 

 mouth of the river, consists of three arches, each about 40 feet 

 in diameter : the breadth of the road within the walls is only 

 14 feet. The situation is extremely bad, the river making 

 a wide curve immediately above it, by which means the 

 stream, in place of coming directly upon the points of the 

 piers, acts with great force upon their sides. The date upon 

 the centre arch is 1619, but it appears that there had been 

 another bridge before that period, as an Act of Parliament was 

 passed in 1587 mentioning that a complaint had been made 

 that the bridge of Cramond had for a long time fallen down 

 and no passage could be got over it, on which account a com- 

 mission was given to Lord Seton, the lairds of Dundas, Barn- 

 bougie, and Inverleith, or any three of them, to pass to the 



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