WIG 
3309 families were returned as being employed in various 
trades, and 2460 in agriculture. Newport, containing more 
than 4000 inhabitants, is the principal town, and is distin¬ 
guished for the regularity, width, and cleanliness of its streets, 
now lighted with gas, and its public edifices, particularly its 
market-place and reading institution ; in the erection of both 
of which buildings, great taste has been displayed. Its shops 
are numerous, and well set off with every necessary article, 
at reasonable prices. Its market, which is held on Saturday, 
is abundantly supplied with provisions; and altogether there 
are few country towns so neat or so cheerful, or which pos¬ 
sess so many recommendations, as that of Newport. The 
towns of Cowes and Hyde, which are also upon an extensive 
scale, from their local fascinations, have of late years become 
watering places of great resort; and as regular packets pass 
and re-pass twice, and in summer three times a day, between 
the two last towns and Southampton and Portsmouth, and to 
the westward, between Yarmouth and Lymington, the Isle 
of Wight is now rendered as accessible as most parts of the 
kingdom. West Cowes, which is its principal sea-port, is 
situated in long. 1. 17. W. and in lat. 50. 46. N.; and lies 
12 miles south-by-east from Southampton, the same distance 
west-sonth-west of Portsmouth, and 86 miles south-west of 
London. 
WI'GHTLY, adv. Swiftly; nimbly. 
Her was her, while it was day-light, 
But now her is a most wretched wight; 
For day that was is wightly past. 
And now at last the night doth hast. Spenser. 
WIGHTON, a parish of England, in Norfolk; 2 miles 
north-by-east of Little Walsingham. Population 433. 
WIGLAND, a township of England, in Cheshire; 4 
miles north-west of Whitchurch, Salop. 
WIGMORE, a parish of England, in Herefordshire; 10 
miles north-west of Leominster. 
WIGRAM’S ISLAND, a small island on the north coast 
of New Holland, at the entrance into the gulf of Carpentaria, 
on the west shore. 
WIGRY, a village of Poland, in the palatinate of Pod- 
lachia, situated on an island in an inland lake. 
W1GSTON, Great, a parish of England, in Leicester¬ 
shire; 3| miles south-south-east of Leicester. Population 
1,901. 
WIGSTON, Little, a hamlet of England, in Leicester¬ 
shire ; 6 miles north-west of Lutterworth. 
WIGTOFT, a parish of England, in Lincolnshire; 7 
miles south-west of Boston. Population 555. 
WIGTON, a county in the south-west of Scotland, 
bounded on the east by Kirkcudbrightshire, on the south 
and west by the Irish channel, and on the north by Ayr¬ 
shire; lying between 54. 38. and 55. 4. N. lat., and between 
4. 16. and 5. 6. W. long.; and containing 451 b square 
miles, or 28S.960 English acres. It is of an irregular form, 
deeply indented with bays, and is 23, 25, and 29 miles 
from north to south, and about 30 from east to west. It 
may be divided, according to the situation of its principal 
owns, into the three districts of Wigton, Whithorn, and 
Stranraer, Wigton, the eastern division, is watered by the 
river Cree, and several small streams, which descend from 
the mountains of Carrick. Whithorn, the south-east divi¬ 
sion, is of a triangular form, bounded by the bays of Wig¬ 
ton and Glenluce; towards the south, it terminates in a 
promontory called Burrowhead, near which lies the small 
island of Whithorn. Stranraer, also called the Ryndes or 
Rhinnes of Galloway, extends 29 miles from north to south, 
and is nearly separated from the rest of the county by Glen¬ 
luce bay and Loch Ryan. The Mull of Gailoway is the 
south, and the Corsewall, or Fairland point, the north, ex¬ 
tremity of the peninsula. This county has a southern expo¬ 
sure, and its waters run southward, nearly parallel to one 
another. The surface of the county is diversified by nume¬ 
rous hills, none of which are supposed to rise more than 
1000 or 1100 feet above the level of the sea. The richest 
lands lie near the coast. On the banks of the Cree, and 
Vol. XXIV. No. 1663. 
WIG 657 
along the head of Wigton bay, there is a level tract, two 
miles long, and one and a half broad, which bears all the 
marks of having been once covered by the sea. It is much 
lower than the adjoining district; and the soil consists of a 
kind of sea sleech condensed, mixed with shells, and of 
great depth. After the sea had retired, this tract must have 
been covered with trees, the trunks of which are found in 
great numbers over the whole of it, covered with moss to the 
depth of from 5 to 10 feet. The rising grounds in the east 
of the county, through the parish of Wigton, and the lower 
part of Penningham, are for the most part arable; and, 
though hilly, are of a smooth surface, strong soil, and ab¬ 
sorbent subsoil. The Rhinnes, with the exception of the 
greatest part of Portpatrick, is in general a very arable dis¬ 
trict. The hills along the whole of this peninsula rise to a 
considerable height; and seem, as if intended by nature, to 
form a strong barrier against the westerly winds. From a 
retentive subsoil they are often also spungy and wet, parti¬ 
cularly on the western side of that part of the peninsula 
which extends along the bay of Luce. On the other extre¬ 
mity of the peninsula, even where the hills rise to the same 
height, and have a smoother surface, the subsoil is frequently 
absorbent; consequently they are better adapted for tillage. 
The northern territory, called the Moors, is bleak and hilly, 
extending over three-fourths of the county, and containing 
only a few detached spots of arable land. The rivers in this 
county are of little importance. The Cree forms a consi¬ 
derable part of the eastern boundary. The Bladenoch issues 
from Loch Macbeary, which contains several islets; and, 
after a course of 24 miles, it falls into Wigton bay. The 
Tarff, Luce, and other streams, are of little note. The coasts 
are deeply indented by navigable bays and inlets of the sea. 
Wigton bay and Luce bay advance far northward into the 
county. The former is a frith, navigable for about 15 miles. 
It is 3 miles broad, six miles from its entrance, and then gra¬ 
dually diminishes as it extends northward, dividing this 
county from the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. In several 
places of the bay there is good anchorage; in particular, a 
little below Creetown, where a ship of 500 tons may ride in 
safety. The bay of Luce contains several lesser bays, some 
of which might be converted into convenient harbours. The 
Mull of Galloway is the south point of Scotland, between 
Luce bay and the Irish sea. This county, as well as most 
parts of Scotland, was anciently covered with forests; but 
these have long ago been demolished ; and proprietors find 
the renewal of them a difficult task, in places not sheltered 
from the influence of the sea. Some districts contain slate 
quarries, and marble, with promising appearances of lead, 
copper, and coal. This county contains 17 parishes, 5166 
inhabited houses, 5863 families, and 26,891 inhabitants, of 
whom 12,205 are males, and 14,686 females. No part of it 
is more than 13 miles from the sea coast. 
WIGTON, a parish of Scotland, in the above county, 
lying on the west side of the bay to which it gives name. It 
is of an irregular figure, approaching to an oblong square, 
extending 5| miles in length, and 4 in breadth. Population 
1711. 
WIGTON, a royal burgh of Scotland, in the above pa¬ 
rish, and capital of that district of Galloway to which it gives 
name. It is a small town, pleasantly situated on the side of 
a hill, near the mouth of the river Bladenoch. It is a place 
of considerable antiquity; and indeed few of the houses are 
of recent erection. It probably was a place of some conse¬ 
quence during the reign of Robert Bruce, who, it is thought, 
made it a royal burgh. It is a port of the custom-house, 
comprehending Wigtonshire, from the Mull of Galloway to 
the mouth of the river Cree. The town is governed by a 
provost, two bailies, and 15 councillors; and, with Whit¬ 
horn, Stranraer, and New Galloway, sends a member topar- 
liament. It is said to be uncommonly healthful, and in¬ 
stances of longevity are frequent; 11 miles north of Whit¬ 
horn, and 105 south-west of Edinburgh. 
WIGTON, a market town and parish of England, in 
Cumberland, situated 10| miles from Carlisle, and 305 from 
London. This town is said to have been hurned by the 
7 C Scots 
