1 3-i Tkansactions. 



and expounds in some places, in some not ; then another psahn is 

 sung, and after that their minister prays again, and preacheth as 

 in England. Before sermon, commonly, the officers of the town 

 stand at the churchyard gate, with a join'd stool and a dish, to 

 gather the alms of all who come to church. The people here 

 frequent their churches much better than in England, and have 

 their ministers in more esteem and veneration. They seem to 

 perform their devotions with much alacrity. There are few or no 

 sectaries or opinionists among them ; they are much addicted to 

 their Church government, excepting the gentry, who love liberty 

 and do not care to be so strictly tied down." The present practice 

 of inviting to funerals by advertisement is thus practically a 

 reversion to an old custom, which Ray found also at Nantwich, in 

 Cheshire, and which was probably common throughout the North. 

 There are no plant localities given, but a catalogue is referred to 

 in a note, and I have observed Dumfriesshire habitats in the 

 " Synopsis." Perhaps it might be well to keep this in mind 

 against the next edition of the Flora. 



The author of a " Tour through the Whole Island of Great 

 Britain," written in the first half of the last century, says of the 

 burgh : " Dumfries was always a good town, with large streets, 

 and full of reputable and wealthy merchants, who trade into 

 foreign parts and employ a considerable number of ships, especially 

 since they have embarked in trade to England and the English 

 plantations. This town is also advantageously situated for an 

 increase of commerce on the river Nid, or Nith, for, though it 

 stands near two leagues from the sea, yet the tide flows up to the 

 town, and ships of burden come close up to the quay ; and about 

 four miles below it the largest merchant ships in Britain may ride 

 in safely. . . . They had formerly a woollen manufacture here, 

 but the Union has in a great measure suppressed these things in 

 Scotland, the English supplying them better and cheaper ; yet, at 

 the same time, the Scots have more than an equivalent by an open 

 trade to England and all the English plantations. The castle in 

 this town is very old, yet is still pretty good and strong." 



In Chamberlayne's " Magnaa Britannia^ Notitia" for 1718 the 

 state of agriculture and horticulture in Scotland at the time is 

 spoken highly of, and the country is described as abounding with 

 the best timber trees. Regarding Dumfries it is said : " The 

 streets are large, and the church and castle very stately." 



