SCOTTISH GAEDENS 



the terraces and pleasure grounds of Castle Kennedy, 

 and embellished his lands with much planting. The 

 work lasted from 1730 to 1740 under direction of one 

 Thomas M'Alla, from whose copious correspondence 

 with his employer a couple of extracts may be per- 

 mitted, were it only as an example of eighteenth 

 century orthography. 



Castle Kennedy January y e 29 th 1737. 

 I reciued your lordship's leter which giues me great 

 incuredgement to be kerfull and Diligent about what of your 

 lordsheps business I am Intrusted with, the principall work 

 nou in hand is that great walk alongs the Canall. Your lordshep 

 in the leter I got told me ther uas six troup horses to stand 

 at this pies In the Stabell to asist me in Carin on the work 

 they bing mothereth [moderate] wrought uold ben mor the 

 beter than uors [worse] and the work uold aduanced much 

 quiker but ther is non of them Com her as yet, they bing so 

 long Belied [delayed] and the Biding Exerces shortly coming 

 on I fer I will be littl the beter of them. I haue ben Remouing 

 the tris out of the gret land belo the bellvadair It will teak 

 a good deall of work but I sie by what Is don of It that it 

 will beutifi that pleace mor then what I could conceue from the 

 belluadair [belvedere] the bason apers lik a great glas ... I 

 humbly thank your lordshep for the gret Incuregen leter I got 

 It was very Inlivening and reuiuing to me. 



The " troup horses" referred to belonged to the 

 Scots Greys, of which famous regiment the Field- 

 Marshal was Colonel, and had a squadron thereof 

 permanently quartered in Wigtownshire. Five years 

 later, honest M'Alla was in difficulties, not for want of 

 horses but of that which " makes the mare to go/' 



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