" te 
‘-, 
- 
rv 
1800. ] 
i : ‘ 
The futrounding grounds are high, but 
not fo as to preclude cultivation, which _ 
reaches the fimmits, and not much moor- 
land is to be feen near it. The land, 
however, rifes in very awkward and lump- 
ifh fwells, and Jooks naked, from a want _ 
of wood, and ftone walls being the fre- 
quent fubftitutes of thorn hedges, A feat 
of Lord Napier (one of the fixteen Peers. 
of Scotland) furrounded with plantations, 
near this town, forms a handfome .crna- 
ment to it. Hawick carries on con{ider- 
able woollen manufaétures, chiefly in 
carpets: here alfo inkle is manufactured 
in pretty large quantities. The nurferies 
for raifing forett-trees in the ‘vicinity of 
this town are extenfive. The foil in the 
neighbourhood is a fort of gravelly loam, 
and produces turnips, potatoes, barley, 
and clover, with fome wheat, but the cul- 
tivation of turnips, -barley, and clover, 
feems the prevailing fyftem. A quantity 
of the fineft fhell-marl is cot within three 
miles of this town, and ufed as manure 
with the greateft advantage. It is found 
under peat-mofs, and is of a whitiih co- 
lour. 
July 23d—Hawick.to Melrofe, by way 
of Jedburgh, is 22 miles. I continue to 
follow the Tiviot for feveral miles. The 
- vale extends, and becomes more beautiful 
and fertile, and abounds with feats of the 
gentry: the nearer hills begin to lower, 
and admit of improvement by tillage to 
the top.. Here is’ not, however, much 
holm land; it generally rifes, more or 
lefs, from the river. The turnip culture 
is in tolerable perfeétion here, and vigo- 
roufly purfued as a fallow crop: that root 
is drilled, and horfe and hand hoed: bar- 
ley and clover are fucceeding crops. The 
foil is very much fuited to that fyftem, 
but too light and gravelly for- wheat. 
Farms are very extenfive, and fields in pro- 
portion ; but inclofing the higher grounds 
feems a late improvement, and is yet far 
from being completed. On the oppofite 
fide of the river I pafs the feat of Lord 
Ainto (late Sir Gilbert Elliot) immerfed 
in deep woods, with a large rocky pro- 
tuberance on one fide. Seats of other no- 
blemen are alfo to be found in this ditrié, 
but they are not within fight from the 
road. The territory of thefe parts of 
Scotland, and indeed all thofe I have paffed 
in this kingdom, is in the hands of gre® 
proprietors. I now leave the borders of 
the river, and proceed over fome high 
grounds on the right to Jedburgh. The 
greateft part of this traét is in a tate of 
nature, covered with heath and furze; 
fome of it naturally barren, but mottly * 
Monruiy Mac. No. 64. 
Houfnan’s Tour in Scotland. 
225 
capable of great improvement. Cultiva- 
tion is fpreading up the fides of thefe 
heights, and will, no doubt, reach the 
fummits of moftof them. The road run« 
ning upon a confiderable elevation, affords 
an extenfive profpeét; particularly - to 
the north, eaft, and weft. An extremely 
hilly country appears on every fide, ex- 
cept towards the eaft, where a flattith ditt 
trict follows the line'of the- Tweed, The 
Eilden hills, mear Melrofe, are pros 
minent objects.” I prefently come in fight 
of Jedburgh, feated in a low, and rather 
woody vale..: On my approach to that 
town, I met feveral groups of people, 
principally females, returning thence into 
the country: fome en horfeback, but 
moftly on foot. The women were -uni- 
verfally without fhoes and ftockings on 
their feet, but had thefe articles of drefs 
carefully tied’ up in handkerchiefs, which 
they carried in their hands while travelling, 
and put on when at their journey’s end, 
if at diftance from home. Many of them 
were likewife without hats, but all wore 
clean white caps, madé up in the peculiar 
but antient fafhion of the country, A 
great number of both fexes wore plaids; 
and a regular and modeft deportment cha- 
racterifed the whole. Thinking they were 
returning from fome fair, I took the lis 
berty of afking fome queftions on that 
fubject. Not immediately underftanding 
what I faid, an old matron interrogated 
me in the comnion language of the coun- 
try, “« What's your wull?”” Irepeated my 
queltion in a manner that made it inteNi- 
gible, which I perceived fomewhat ftartled 
the good old lady and her companions: 
the former, with looks expreffing a reproof 
of my ignorance, replied, ‘ Woiy man 
we've been at the facrament.”’ I bow- 
ed, thanked her, and rode on, reflect. 
ing with pleafure on the zeal of thefe reli- 
gious people. This, I undérftand, is a 
religious rite performed annually in the 
kirk of Scotland, and thofe I-met were of 
that defcription; but among the feceders 
this ceremony octurs twice a-year. It 
continues from Thurfday till Monday in- 
clufive. ‘Thurfday is. afaft-day ; the mi- 
nuter alfo preaches, and no bufinefs is 
done on that day. The Friday and Sa- 
turday, if I recollect right, are days of 
devotion. On Sunday the facrament is 
given, according to their ideas of admi- 
niflering it; and on Monday the minifter 
again gives a leCture, and the feftival is 
concluded. Every meeting, or kirk, has 
its own facrament-days. 
(To be continued. J 
Ge 
) 
Ia 
