190 



DUMFRIES-SHIRE. 



i;. - '- 



00*1. 



Tr-,.,1- nil 

 | ( rtiv*. 



trial above-mentioned, and most of the other unsuccM*- 

 t'ul borings mode in the county, seem to have been de- 

 ficient in depth. 



In the bog* of Canoby, where Mr Keir boretl to the 

 stone alur- depth of 118 feet, thick beds of red sandstone were 

 liming with found alternating with what are commonly denomina- 

 ted the coal metals. At S.uuiulmr, the Busbys remark- 

 ed, that in proceeding towards the dip of the seams, a 

 .stratum of red sandstone, six feet thick, appeared to 

 overlap the coal metals ; and, at Whitehaven, they ob- 

 -cn ed. that the coal appeared to have a connection with 

 f Workington ; that, for a considerable way towards 

 M IWs Head, there is a great body of red strata, in some 

 places reported from 45 to 60 fathoms, chiefly of the 

 sandstone and shistose description, with some reddisli 

 linu-stone also, all much resembling those of Annan- 

 dale ; that at the sea shore, where the seam of coal is 14 

 feet thick, the workings are 120 fathoms deep, the red 

 strata overlapping the coal metals ; and that the pre- 

 sent workings below the sea are opposite to St Bee's 

 Head, where the greatest body of the red strata ap- 

 pear, below which is a seam of coal, about 18 inches 

 thick, succeeded by the ordinary coal metals. 



These facts, and many others, naturally lead to the 

 opinion, that coal may be discovered below the red 

 sandstone of Dumfries-shire ; but that 14-0 feet cannot 

 be considered as a sufficient depth for a fair trial. Yet 

 none of the late unsuccessful borings have been car- 

 ried farther ; although at Canobie it was beyond this 

 depth that the best workable seam appeared. 



The mere existence of coal, however, is not the only 

 consideration to be attended to. In the neighbourhood 

 of Criffle, a mountain in the stewartry, but near Dum- 

 fries, the coal metals, and even thin seams of coal, ap- 

 pear ; but they are in a disturbed and confused arrange- 

 ment, probably owing to their approaching sienite 

 rocks in that mountain. Coal appears in various parts, 

 tions in the as in Achintaggert-burn, but of inferior quality. The 

 ****& t regularity of the seams, facility of working them, qua- 

 "' J ' IJty of the coal, population of the district, means of 



working pumps by water wheels, and facility of con- 

 veyance to other parts, are all considerations of im- 

 portance; together with the price and value in the 

 place where a seam is found. 



The use of lime in this county is very liberal and ex- 

 tensive, not less than 1,500,000 Winchester bushels of 

 shells being used annually, one way or other. This 

 would fully load 100,000 single horse carts; and four- 

 fifths of the whole are computed to be consumed on 

 the land, about 14,000 acres being manured with lime. 

 The kilns within the county furnish the greater part of 

 all this ; and the remainder is imported by sea, or en- 

 ters the upper district of Annandale from the Douglas 

 lime-works in Lanarkshire, and the head of Nithsdale 

 from Ayrshire. About 140,000 acres of cultivated land 

 are under the lime husbandry in this county ; and in- 

 calculable improvement has thereby been effected in 

 the soil and produce. The total expence is now rising 

 very high, approaching to L.60,000 a year for lime as a 

 manure ; and on each acre leading to an expenditure of 

 from L.4 to L. 5 every ten years, being annually from 

 eight to nine shillings. The prices are also rising; 

 and if it be desired that fanners should drain and lime 

 their waste lands and common pastures, efforts must 

 be made for coal to burn the lime, mid for coal and 

 lime also in the remote districts. 



The principal of the present lime-works are those of 

 lime U up- Closeburn and of Kelhead ; but other kilns have been 

 opened iii various parts of the lower districts of Annan- 



Conridera- 



Quantity of 

 liine used 

 in this coun- 

 ty, and ef- 

 fect*. 



How the 



dale and Eskdale, or in the central parts of Nithsdale. Duniftit*. 



In this latter part of the county, coal ia carried down 



from Sanquhar by land, a considerable distance, to burn r """' 



the lime; and mo.st of the other kilns are supplied with 



coal water-borne from England, and .subject also to 



land carriage from the Solw.-iy Frith. 



The limestone of this county is generally stratified, < 

 and contains very thin seams of clay between the strata, fl"*""' 1 "*, 

 which are useful in separating and working the stone. J^^'relH. 

 I'ctrifactiunx are frequently found in it of different tivctothe" 

 kinds ; and sometimes hollows occur in the stone, cither limestone, 

 empty, or filled with clay. The Barjarg limestone is 

 a continuation of the same that occurs at Closeburn. 

 The brown muir limestone is supjxjsed to extend 

 through most parts of the lower district of Annandale. 

 The Blackwood ridge limestone is mixed with clay, but 

 yields very white and pure lime, and appears to be tin- 

 same with what is worked also at the Donkins. At 

 Caldronlec and High Muir, the stone is trough-shaped. 

 In Kskdale, the coal formation begins at Lunghohn- 

 bridge, and extends to the Solway Frith ; and lime- 

 stone appears in many different places of this district. 



The valued rent is in Scots money, (ascertained in Valued 

 the protectorate or usurpation, and adopted virtually rents of 

 thereafter,) L.158,0'27 : 6 : 8; which in merks Scots u land - 

 238,000, and in sterling money L.I 3,223 : 18:4. 

 The real rentt taken from the statistical volumes, and Real rents 

 corresponding nearly to the medium year 1795, were of land &c> 

 L.109,700; and the returns of land rents and of different 

 mines to the tax-oHice in 1808, were L.21 9,037 : 10: 8. 

 But the present value of the lands and mines of the 

 whole county, in o)>en market, is greatly more. 



The great western Itoman road from Carlisle into Roman 

 Annandale and Nithsdale, and up these districts to the """* 

 Castle of Craw ford, where the lines meet, having also 

 a branch up Eskdale to Castle Oe'r. was planned by 

 Agricola; and being executed by his successors, was 

 most frequented by the Roman armies down to the 

 time of Severus. Many remarkable stations occur in 

 the vicinity of these lines of road ; an,d coins and other 

 things have been discovered, indicating that Romans 

 had frequented the country. 



Dumfries-shire is now opened up by six lines of Turnpikes, 

 turnpike roads ; five of which are under the direction 

 of the commissioners within the county, having twenty- 

 nine toll-gates, and returning for the year ending at 

 \Vhitsundayl811, the gross rent of LA 134, 5s. One 

 important line is now carrying through, executed part- 

 ly by the commercial interest of Glasgow, and partly 

 depending on subscriptions in this county and on go- 

 vernment aid. The district or county roads and bridges, 

 are made and repaired by the converted value of the 

 statute labour, now authorised to be raised as high as 

 30s. in the 100 merks valued rent from the occupants 

 of land, which, if carried to the maximum, would raise 

 a gross fund of l..:J.)70 a year : in aid of which fund, 

 the county is in use to assess landholders in a moderate 

 sum for bridges ; and individuals are also accustomed 

 to subscribe. 



Manufactures on a very moderate scale are carried Manufw- 

 on in carpets, in paper, cotton-yam, spades, tanned tures - 

 leather, soap, candles, salt, ale, and beer, porter and 

 stockings. Linen is hardly made for sale, though it is 

 manufactured for use. The manufacture of wool is al- 

 most lost in this county, and over Scotland in general, 

 for want of correct stapling houses, to assort die raw- 

 material. 



Commerce is improving; and by the Custom-house Commerce. 

 returns for 1809, there were 493 cargoes inwards, and 



