DUMFRIESSHIRE DUMONT. 



749 



Black larg 

 C'airnkinnow 

 Constitution Hill 

 Krrickatone Brae 

 Hart Fell 



Eskdale, on the east, (five,) and Nithsdale, on the j 

 west, (seventeen ;) names which are still retained in " 

 the common language of the county. 



The northern, eastern, and western borders of this 

 county being formed of ridges of lofty mountains, 

 the general inclination of its surface is towards the 

 south. The following are some of the highest sum- 

 mits within its .precincts 



Feet. 

 5W9I) 



2080 



1032 



. . . 1118 

 3302 



Lowther Hill 3100 



Queensberry Hill 2259 



Wliis Hill . . 1940 



The ramifications from this circular range of 

 mountains necessarily render the surface of the coun- 

 try hilly and abrupt, except in some places toward 

 the south, in those tracts through which the principal 

 rivers flow. The chief streams are the Nith, the 

 Annan, and the Esk. The Nith enters from Ayr- 

 shire, from the north-west, and after traversing the 

 county towards the south-east for nearly fifty miles, 

 including the windings, and passing the town of 

 Dumfries, falls into the Solway Frith, about three 

 miles below, its estuary forming the harbour of that 

 town. It abounds with salmon near the sea, and 

 with excellent trout nearer its source. The Annan 

 takes its rise in the mountains within the borders of 

 Peebles, not far from those of the Clyde and the 

 Tweed : thence it flows through the central parts of 

 Dumfriesshire, watering the district of Annandale. 

 The Esk springs from the mountainous borders of 

 Selkirkshire, and after passing Langholm forms for 

 a short distance the boundary between England and 

 Scotland, and then entering Cumberland, ultimately 

 falls into the Solway Frith, after a course of about 

 .forty miles. Each of these receives various tributary 

 streams. Loch Skeen is situated about 1300 feet 

 above the level of the sea, and gives rise to the cas- 

 cade called the Gray Mare's Tail, near the head of 

 Moffat Water. This lake is about three quarters of 

 a mile long, and one quarter broad ; a few other 

 small lakes are found in different parts of the coun- 

 ty. The climate of Dumfriesshire is moist, mild, and 

 salubrious. The chief soils are gravel, sand, loam, 

 clay, and moss, and in some places alluvial tracts are 

 found along the banks of the rivers, and near the 

 Solway Frith. There are a few large landed pro- 

 prietors in this county. Among the chief, are the 

 duke of Buccleuch, the earl of Hopetoun, and the 

 earl of Mansfield, Mr Johnston of Annandale, 

 General Sharp of Hoddam, Mr Menteath of Close- 

 burn, &c. The farms vary much in size ; those 

 comprising arable land being generally from fifty to 

 tliree hundred acres, while the sheep farms of the 

 mountains sometimes contain two or three thousand. 

 Lead, antimony, manganese, coal, iron, limestone, 

 marble, slate, and other kinds of stone are found in 

 this county. Particles of gold are also occasionally 

 found, near the lead hills, adhering to quartz. Silver 

 ; s sometimes extracted from the lead, in the propor- 

 tion of from six to twelve ounces in a ton. Coal is 

 only obtained near the north-west and south-east 

 extremities of the county. Mineral waters are 

 found In several parts, but the two springs held in 

 most repute are near Moftat, at the foot of Hart Fell, 

 in the upper part of Annandale. One of these is 

 sulphureous, and the other chalybeate. The former 

 has been known for nearly 200 years, and its waters, 

 though less powerful, resemble those of Harrowgate 

 both in taste and medicinal properties. The other 

 spring, which is usually termed Hart Fell Spa, is 

 tour or five miles from the village, in a sequestered 



ravine on the side of that mountain. It is a strong 

 tonic, and is commonly taken in the spring. It may bfl 

 carried to any distance without injury. It is gener- 

 ally considered to obtain a1& ^creased virtue after 

 rain. 



Manufactures are confined to a little cotton-spin- 

 ning at Langholm and Annan, and some weaving at 

 the latter place. Linen is made for home consump- 

 tion in several places. There are small iron-works, 

 breweries, tanneries, and a paper-mill at Dumfries. 

 A carpet manufactory is also carried on near San- 

 quhar. The fisheries are of slight importance, as 

 the only communication with the sea is by the Sol- 

 way Frith. The commerce of this county, which is 

 carried on by sea, chiefly centres in the port of 

 Dumfries, and consists of the importation of coals, 

 and the export of grain and wool. The cattle, 

 sheep, and bacon, which form the most valuable 

 exports, are mostly sent out of the county by land. 

 Population of the county in 1831, 73,770. 



DUMONT, STEPHEN, the friend and literary as- 

 sistant of Mirabeau and Jeremy Bentham, was born 

 at Geneva, in 1759, of a family which had suffered 

 great reverses of fortune. From his infancy, he had 

 to contend with adversity. He early displayed supe- 

 rior talents, spirit, and intelligence. He was destined 

 to the ecclesiastical career, and was ordained a min- 

 ister ofthe Protestant church in 1781. He attached 

 himself to the democratic party in Geneva, and, 

 when the opposite party gained the ascendency, he 

 went to Petersburg, where he was appointed pastor 

 of the French reformed church. His talents for the 

 pulpit caused his acquaintance to be sought by the 

 eminent men, Russians or strangers, who were at the 

 court of Catharine II. He had remained there but 

 eighteen months, when lord Lansdowne invited him 

 to England, with the intention of employing him to 

 finish the education of his son. It was in the house, 

 of this statesman that he formed intimate connexions 

 with some of the men who have done most honour to 

 Great Britain, particularly Sir Samuel Romilly. The 

 French revolution brought him to Paris in the year 

 1789. He was soon called to associate himself with 

 the men who were selected, for their strength and 

 intelligence, to direct the destinies of France. It is 

 asserted that the famous address of the king, propos- 

 ed by Mirabeau, July 9, 1789, to obtain the sending 

 back of the troops, was composed by Dumont. They 

 undertook together a journal, the Courier of the Pro- 

 vinces, designed to develope and render popular the 

 new doctrines ; and, as was likely to happen in such 

 a partnership, the most assiduous as well as the most 

 important labour fell upon Dumont. 



As soon as scenes of violence and cruelty began to 

 sully the cause of liberty, Dumont quitted Paris, and 

 returned to England, before the sickness of Mirabeau, 

 who died, April 2, 1791. When the details of the 

 reign of terror reached Dumont in England, he was 

 overcome with grief, and remained for some years 

 plunged in sadness. What contributed the most to 

 draw him from this state of depression, was his in- 

 creased intimacy with Jeremy Bentham, whom he 

 had known since 1788. The enthusiasm of Dumont 

 for Bentham was kept up, without deviation or divi- 

 sion, to the end of his life. The English lawyer was 

 for him written reason. He sometimes said of what 

 he most admired in other philosophers, " It is con- 

 vincing ; it is truth itself; it is almost Benthamic." 

 It is well known thatM. Dumont has edited many 

 of the works of this distinguished lawyer, after divest- 

 ing the ideas of the uncouth garb in which the author 

 had clothed them. Dumont has spoken of the manu- 

 scripts which his friend put into his hands as " a 

 first draft," " unfinished manuscripts," " not correct- 

 ed," "fragments or simple notes." (Preface to the 



