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'N A l 
the f’ea, and on the other into an extenfivc plain of fertile 
corn-fields. The gaol and town-houfe are in the middle 
of the principal ftreet, and confiderably injure its appear¬ 
ance. The houTes here are in general well-built, and 
rather elegant; but it is far otherwife in the lanes. There 
are two good inns in the town, and fo many ale-houfes 
and whilky-fhops, that the Rev. J. Morrifon fays, “ to 
mention the number might to ftrangers appear incredible.” 
Nairn has undergone many changes in the courfe of 
time. Originally it Hood on a different feite from that 
which it now occupies. It was defended by a caffle, 
which ftood on an eminence called Caftle-hill, but at a 
remote period, on a fpot now covered by the fea, wdiere, 
about fixty years ago, veftiges of its foundations could 
be feen when the tide was low, though they are now 
wholly wafhed away. Buchanan tells us, that the more 
ancient caffle was taken by the Danes, in the reign of 
Malcolm 1 . The one fubfequently built has alfo been 
completely demoliftied fince the year 174.7, before which 
time it was in the cuffody of the thanes of Cawdor, as 
hereditary conftables; and the conftabulary garden is ftill 
diftinguilhed as an article in the valuation of the Cawdor 
eftate, to the extent of 3I. 10s. Scots. At what era Nairn 
was removed to its prefent pofition is not recorded ; nor 
is it known when it was firfl conftituted a royal burgh. 
The earlieft charter now extant is dated in 1589, and is 
the renewal of one granted by “ Alexander;” though by 
which of the kings of that name is not mentioned. The 
revenue of the borough is very confiderable, and arifes 
from an extenfive tradf of moor-land let out on improv 
ing leafes, from feu-duties, “ and from the tolls of fix 
annual fairs, and the weekly market.” It is governed by 
a town-council, confiding of feventeen members: a pro- 
voft, three bailies, dean of guild, and treafurer, with 
eleven counfellors; nine of whom form-a quorum. By 
a late decifion of the houfe of peers, the bailies, dean of 
guild, and treafurer, muff be refident. The feveral trades 
of the town are formed into one corporation. The ma- 
giftrates hold a court for the trial of flight offences, and 
another lor the recovery of fmall debts ; befides which, 
there are (even county-courts held in the town, viz. the 
ffierift-court, the court of quarter-fefiions, the court of 
tbejuftices of the peace, the court of fence-hoiders, the 
courts of the commiflioners of fupply, and the court of 
the county lieutenancy. 
In the town is an excellent fchool, in which the num¬ 
ber of fcholars is feldom lefs than a hundred; parents 
fending their children hither from all parts of the coun¬ 
try, and frequently even from England. Every branch 
of ftudy novt' in repute at the univerfities, is taught here 
in perfection ; and feveral of the mod diftinguilhed cha¬ 
racters for fcience and literature in Great Britain, firft 
rofe to comparative eminence in the provincial fchool of 
Nairn. 
There is no manufacture of any extent carried on in the 
town, ^hich is chiefly fupported by the fifliery on the river, 
agriculture, and the number of genteel families, who ei¬ 
ther refide in it during the whole year, or occafionaily vifit 
it for the advantage of bathing. It is remarkable that, 
in one part of the town, Erfe only is fpoken ; while, in the 
other parts, the inhabitants do not underftand that lan¬ 
guage, but fpeak Englilhin confiderable purity. Accord¬ 
ing to the population-returns of 1801, the whole parilh 
contained only 54.7 houfes, and 2215 inhabitants ; but in 
the returns of 1811, the houfes are ftafed to amount to 
632, and the inhabitants to 2504., in number. 
Nairn gave the title of lord to an ancient family. The 
laft who enjoyed the title was attainted and deprived for 
adhering to the pretender in the year 1715. 
Befides the caftles already mentioned, the vicinity of 
Nairn difplays a variety of antiquarian remains. On the 
north-well: fide of the hill of Geddes are the ruins of an 
ancient fortrefs, called Caiftel-Fionlah, or Caftle Finlay: 
it is furrounded with a deep fofle. By whom, or for what 
purpofe, this edifice was ereCted, has not only efcaped the 
N A I 511 
notice of hiftory, but eveij, tradition is filent upon the 
fubjeCf. A little eaftward from hence is another caftle, 
called the Caftle-of-Rait, probably built by Rait of that 
ilk, but at what period is uncertain. Below it is Knock- 
nw-gillan, at which place eighteen of the MTntolhes 
were murdered by the Cummines, who lived at Rait, on 
account of fome grudge which fubfifted between the fa¬ 
milies. At Eafter-Geddes are the remains of a very an¬ 
cient chapel, with a burying-ground around it, where 
the family of Kilravock and the lairds of Geddes have 
been buried for more than fix centuries paft. Some Roman 
coins have been found in this neighbourhood. About 
fix miles to the north-weft of Nairn Hands Fort George, 
built by order of the government, at a place called Ar- 
derfter, a fmall ifthmus upon the Murray-frith. A fliock 
of an earthquake was felt here on the 13th of Auguft, 
1816, at twenty-five minutes paft ten at night: happily 
no material damage'was done in the town or immediate 
neighbourhood; but the ramparts of Fort George ffiook 
fo violently, that the fentinelson duty, at the main gate, 
conceived an attempt was made to force it open, and, un¬ 
der this idea, challenged the fuppofed intruders. The 
range of front buildings, occupied as the governor’s, 
lieutenant-governor’s, and the other ftaft-officers’, houfes, 
appeared to the fokliers on guard to be bowed violently 
backward and forward, or, as one of them ex prefled it, 
to be lhaken like a ftrong afh-tree in a violent ftorm. 
The (hock was much more violent to the weftward ; 
and, at Invernefs, the beautiful fpire of the gaol and 
court-houle was much damaged, being thrown about 
eight inches off the perpendicular, for about twelve feet 
at the top, and only fupported from falling by a long iron 
rod, to which the weather-cock is attached. Many chim¬ 
neys were thrown down, no fewer than feven in one 
court, and feveral houfes rent from top to bottom. One 
moft providential efcape occurred in the town ; a Hack of 
chimneys on a houfe adjoining one occupied by Mr. K. 
being thrown down, theftones forcing their way through 
the roof, and falling diredtly upon the bed in which Mr. 
and Mrs. K. were, without doing them the leaft injury. 
In the diftridf ftill more weft, called the Aird, the fhock 
was ftill more violent; the houfes of Phoffkchis and Bog- 
fey being completely rent; and the eaft end of the old 
priory ot Beetnly was likewife thrown down. 
NAIRN, or Iniskeel, a fmall poft-town of the county 
of Donegal, Ireland, on the weftern fea-coaft, oppofite 
to the little ifland of Inifkeel. It is 135 miles north-weft 
from Dublin, and eleven north from Killy begs. 
NAIRO'NI (Ahthony-Fauftus), a learned Maronite, 
was born within the diftridl of Mount Libanus, about 
the year 1631. He was the nephew and difciple of Abra¬ 
ham Ecchellenfis, and became profefior of the Chaldee 
and Syriac languages in the college of Sapienza, at Rome, 
where he died in 1711, having nearly completed his 
eightieth year. He was the author of, 1. Euoplia Fidei 
Catholicaj Romanas hiltorico-dogmatica, ex vetuftiflimis 
Syrorum feu Chaldaeoruin Monumentis eruta, adverfus 
tevi noftri novatores; 1694, 8vo. 2. Diflertatio de Ori- 
gine, Nomine, ac Religione, Maronitarum; 1679. In 
thefe works the author attempts to prove, that the Maro- 
nites have preferved the genuine Chrillian faith from 
the time of the apoftles; and that they derive their 
name, not from John Maron, a monothelite, who died in 
707, but from St. Maron, a celebrated anchorite, who 
lived towards the clofe of the fourth century. It is re¬ 
marked, however, by catholic critics, that the documents 
to which he appeals are not of a date fufliciently ancient 
to be produced in evidence of the fadts which he endea¬ 
vours to eftablifn ; that his principal authority is Thomas, 
a monotheHte archbii'hop of Kfartab, wtio is laid to haye 
lived about the eleventh century; and that the works of 
otherauthors, whom he cites,frequently refer toantiquity 
events which took place in their own time, or are evi¬ 
dently compiled from books of the Maronites written 
after their reconciliation with Rome. - Gen. Biog. 
NATS, 
