408 Dr. Johnston's Journal of a visit to Jardine Hall. 



Brace's Castle; the latter is the fortress erected by Bruce, 

 the former the old castle which supplied the materials. We 

 botanized an hour or so by the lake, and here I gathered for 

 the first time, in a growing state, Typha angustifolia, Bidens 

 tripartita, et cemua, Sison verticillatum. We also gathered 

 here Cicwta virosa, Radiola millegrana, and Scutellaria 

 galericulata. We walked afterwards to Lochmaben Castle, 

 which is nigh at hand ; and the slight remains of which are 

 covered up with a green sward, on which sheep were quietly 

 grazing. We must come to this at last, as well as baronial 

 castles. The view from the Castle's mound was extensive 

 and fine, but the details of it have already faded from my 

 memory, probably because it was too extensive and indis- 

 tinct. All I can remember is the lake at its base, and above, 

 the Burgh of Lochmaben, a lake not half the size of the 

 former, but plenished like it with the celebrated Vendace. 

 We were now again joined by the party in the carriage, and 

 drove some miles on a road that carried us homewards ; 

 when Sir William, Mr. Macdonald of Rammerscales, and 

 myself, alighted for a walk across some extensive muirs that 

 form part of Sir William's property. It was in this walk 

 that I gathered Ornithopus perpusillus for the first time ; 

 and my pleasure was increased manifold, when shortly after- 

 wards I saw growing in its sphagnous bog, the Andromeda 

 polifolia : less heightened certainly by the intrinsic beauty 

 and delicacy of its drooping blossoms, fair though these be, 

 than by the memory of the poetical and beautiful description 

 Linnaeus has given of this daughter of Cepheus, and which 

 now came strong upon me. Oh ! when shall we have 

 a flora of Britain embued with the spirit — the love of that 

 master mind ! A flora, not on the model of the " Flora Lap- 

 ponica," but, conceived in its spirit, and executed with its 

 taste and talent, would spread the study of botany far and 

 wide amongst us, and would in itself be a society for the 

 diffusion of entertaining knowledge. And so musing we 

 left our fair flower, and hastened onwards to inspect the 

 Spedlings, the ancient fasthold of the Jardines of Applegirth. 

 This is a very interesting Tower, and entire so far as the 

 outward walls are concerned ; for the roof has fallen in, and 

 many of the interior walls are now decayed. The dining 

 room has been a fine room, with a noble fireplace, ornament- 

 ed with a large marble chimney piece ; the room is arched 

 like an oven, and in the recesses through which the light 



