R O S 



R O S 



three fons of one of the Danifli monarchs are faid to have 

 loft their lives, and their bodies buried under the obeli fk. 

 The rock oppofite, where the veffel (truck, is from this cir- 

 cumdance dill called the King's-Sons. Another obelilk, 

 fimilar to the above, formerly Hood in Nigg church-yard, 

 but the bafe of it alone remains. Near Dunikeath, on the 

 ledge of a rock over-hanging the Moray frith, are the re- 

 mains of a cattle, built in 1 1 79, by William, furnamed the 

 Lion, king of Scotland. In the pariih of Kincardine is 

 Craigchenican, where the gallant marquis of Montrofe 

 fought his lall battle. He fvvam to Kyle, and lay fome 

 time concealed in Aliint ; but being dilcovered and appre- 

 hended he was fent prifoner to Invernffis. The ground 

 where the battle took place received its prefent name from 

 the event of that memorable day. Near the church, in the 

 fame parifh, is an alley, walled in, and terminating in a large 

 lemicircle, appropriated to the military exercife and difei- 

 pline, didinguifhed by the name of Weapon-lhawing ; and 

 in the cemetery is a (tone fculptured with an imperial crown, 

 and a man on horfe-back, in the aft of darting a lance. 

 Tradition reports it to be the upper part of a Hone coffin, 

 in which the remains of a prince of Loellin, who died of his 

 wounds in the neighbourhood, were depoiited. In the fame 

 neighbourhood are alfo leveral Druidical circles, and likewife 

 iome of the round buildings which were formerlv mentioned 

 under the denomination of Pi&s-houfes. Near Avoch, the 

 foundations (till remain of a large old cattle, or fortalice. 

 To this ruin tradition gives the name of Douglas caitle. It 

 is about 350 feet long and 160 feet broad, divided into nu- 

 merous apartments, which appear to have been condrudted 

 of Coarfe red quarry-ltone and lime ; and was defended on 

 one fide by a deep fofie, and on another by baitions. 

 Throughout every part of the eaftern diftrift are abundance 

 of places where battles with the Danes and Norwegians, or 

 between rival clans, are faid to have been fought. Num- 

 bers of cairns point out the fpots where the afhes of the 

 dead have been depofited, though concerning mod of them 

 tradition is (ilent. In the parifh of Eddertoun, however, 

 on a plain to the welt of the church, tradition lays a great 

 battle was fought againlt the Danes, one of whofe princes, 

 who fell in action, lies buried in the centre of a large circu- 

 lar barrow in the immediate vicinity. In the parifh of 

 Fearn are fevcral Druidical temples ; but the mod intered- 

 mg monuments of antiquity here are the abbey and caftle <>t 

 Locnlin. The abbey-church was long ufed for divine fer- 

 vice, but is now in a ltate of ruin. The caftle occupies the 

 iummit of a very lofty eminence, and is one of the molt 

 confpicuous objefts in the country. It is built in the form 

 • it two fquares, joined together at the corners. Another 

 very ancient caftle was fituated at Cadboll, whence it de- 

 rived its name. Few remains of it now exift, except the 

 vaults under ground ; but it deferves notice on account of a 

 lingular tradition concerning it, which is fully credited by 

 the vulgar, vix, that though it was inhabited for many cen- 

 turies, no period ever died in it; in fhort, that it podeffed a 

 magical charm againlt death, though not againd diteale, or 

 the evils attendant on extreme old age. Hence many of 

 the inhabitants, it is laid, when they became weary of life, 

 requetled to be carried out of the cattle, that they might 

 obtain relief. The cattle of Craighoufe, in the parifh of 

 Kirk-Michael, (lands clofe to the flion-, inclofed on the 

 land fide by a ditch and high wall. All the apartments of 

 that portion of the maiilion now molt entire are vaulted with 

 done. This cattle was long the property of the family of 

 Williamfon, who emigrated to Germany ; it afterwards be- 

 came the occalional rclidcnce of the bifhops of Rofs. In 

 tins vicinity is a great number of ancient encampments, likc- 

 3 



wife various tumuli and cairns. In Killernan parifh are 

 two ancient (tructures, Killcoy and Redcaltle, of confider- 

 able drength. The latter was anciently of fome importance. 

 It was annexed to the crown in 1455, and was conilituted a 

 borough of barony, and a free-port, with the right of hold- 

 ing weekly markets, and levying toll and anchorage dues. 

 Rory Mackenzie, the proprietor of Redcaltle in 1646, hav- 

 ing joined the rebellious dandard of the gallant marquis of 

 Montrofe, was taken prifoner near Balveny, in Morayfhire, 

 and fuffered the death of a traitor. During his abfence the 

 cattle was garnfoned by his fons and dependants, but was 

 foon after ttormed and taken by a party of royalids, who 

 put the garnfon to the fword and fet fire to the buildings. 

 In the mountainous peninfula of Kintail, on the wed coeit, 

 (land the ruins of the cattle of Donan, which was built by 

 Alexander III. of Scotland, to refill the depredations of 

 the Danes. Colin Fitzgerald, anceltor to the late earl of 

 Seaforth, was made couttable of the cadle, for his bravery 

 at the battle of Largs, fought in 1263. In 171511 was 

 taken from the king's forces by Itratagem ; but two years 

 afterwards, having been attacked on the fea fide, by a line 

 of battlu (hip, it was demolifhed. In the front of a clergy- 

 man's houfe, in Kintail, (tands Donan-Diarmed, or the 

 fort of Diarmed. It is of a circular form, twenty feet in 

 diameter, and of the fame height. Diarmed's tomb is on 

 the north-eatt fide of the fort. 



Such parts of Rofsfliire as are included in the Hebrides, 

 the reader will find noticed under their refpeftive names, and 

 alfo under the words Western Islands. Beauties of Scot- 

 land, vol. v. Lond. 8vo. 1808. A General View of the 

 Agriculture, &c. of the Counties of Rofs and Cromarty, 

 by fir George Stuart Mackenzie, hart. Lond. Svo. 

 1810. 



ROST, John Christopher, in Biography, a German 

 poet, was born at Leiptic in the year 1 7 17. He received 

 a good education, and as he advanced in life he ftudied, 

 witli the utmoft affiduity, jurifprudence, antiquities, and the 

 belles lettres. His chief inftruclor was Ernefti, but he 

 ftudied philofophy alfo under Hoffman, and attended the 

 lectures of Gottfched, to whofe praife he devoted the firft 

 fruits of his mufe, though he afterwards wrote againlt him 

 a fatirical poem, which was publiflied in 1743. This is 

 faid to be the bell of his productions, and to abound with 

 genuine and delicate wit. He attempted padorals in the 

 German language, which v. ere printed at Berlin in 174:, 

 but the morality oi them is exceedingly lax, and vice is ex- 

 hibited too frequently under the captivating form of inno- 

 cence. A new edition of them appeared at Dreiden in 

 1744, entitled " An Attempt at Paltoral Poetry, with other 

 poetical Pieces," and a third was publifhed in 1768. In 

 1746, Roll was appointed fecretary and librarian to count 

 Brulil, and died in 176;, in the 48th year of his age. His 

 mifcellaneous poems were publifhed alter his death, in 1769. 

 Gen. Biog. 



Rost, in Metallurgy, a t<rm ufed.by the miners at Chrem- 

 nitz to cxprets the ore of gold after it has been warned and 

 powdered, and melted firffi with lime-done, and afterwards 

 burnt with charcoal alone. See Lis 11. 



ROST AD, in Geography, a town of Norway ; 70 miles 

 N. of Drontheim. 



ROSTA Iv, a town of Arabia, in the province of Oman, 

 the feat of a fov'ereign prince, .it feme diftance from the fea; 

 70 miles W. of Mafcat. 



Rostak, a town of Perfia, in the province of Lariltan; 

 90 miles S. oi Mar. 



POSTAL, a town of Germany, in the principality of 

 Anfpach ; 7 miles N.N.W. of Schwabach. 



ROSTAN, 



