256 Recollections of a Gardening Tour. 



burying-ground in conferring a sacred cliaracter. The un- 

 roofed walls of both kirks might otherwise be mistaken for 

 barns. The remains of a chain depending from the bell in the 

 turret of AUoway Kirk heightens the effect. The last baptism 

 which took place in Alloway Church was in 1756. On refer- 

 ring to our notes made on Kirk Alloway when we saw it on 

 August 20. 1831, we find that some of the nurserymen of Ayr 

 planted a row of ornamental trees round the churchyard, but 

 that they were no sooner planted than pulled up, and laid down 

 on the ground, to show, as it was supposed, that it was not in 

 order to steal the trees, but on account of the supposed desecra- 

 tion by the act of planting them ; many of the strict Presby- 

 terians objecting to ornamenting a churchyard in any way. The 

 ground is now crowded with tombstones, and there is not a 

 walk through it, or around it, of any kind ; nor is the grass kept 

 short, nor any means taken to prevent the kind of desecration so 

 common in churchyards in Scotland, in consequence of the 

 Avant of places of convenience, and of the habits engendered in 

 consequence of this want. The interior of Burns's monument is 

 not allowed to be shown on Sundays, but we were permitted to 

 walk in the garden which surrounds it. 



Dounhrae Cottage, or, as it is sometimes called, Kirk Alloway 

 Cottage, is the residence of D. Auld, Esq. It is situated on 

 the river Doun, close to the new bridge, and near to Mungo's 

 Well, and in short in the very heart of the memorials of Burns. 

 (See our Vol. for 1833, p. 13.) The bridge consists of one 

 semicircular arch, said to be nearly as large as that of the 

 Rialto in Venice. The grounds consist chiefly of the steep, 

 rocky, woody bank of the river, in which Mr. Auld has cut 

 walks, and formed terraced gardens containing fountains, and £ 

 great variety of interesting features. There are an excellent hous( 

 and offices, and a good kitchen garden. The walks along the 

 wooded banks are most delightful, and, like every thing else 

 about the place, they are kept in the highest order. We sat 

 down on a bench under a projecting ledge of rock, in which a 

 swarm of bees had resided for several years, and were almost 

 lulled to sleep by the loud murmurs of the river some thirty or 

 forty feet beneath, its sparkling waters seen through the branches 

 of the overhanging trees. On noticing to Mr. Auld the lulling 

 effect of the waters and of the heat of the day, he took occasion 

 to relate what actually took place with one of his servants, who 

 being sent out to look for the gardener sat down for a moment, 

 as she thought, on that bench, but was lulled to sleep, and slept 

 for several hours, to the great alarm of the family, who feared 

 she might have fallen into the river. Mr. Auld has the great 

 merit of having been the chief instrument of getting the monu- 

 ment to Burns erected, and he it was who first brought Thorn 



