4920 Statiffical Account of the Parifh of Crofbyravenfworth. [June 1 z 
is here (in Weftmoreland),”” fays that 
author, ** a ftrong prejudice in favour of 
thefe coarfe-woolled fheep, which there is 
every reafon to believe is ill-founded; 
the fort now known under the name of 
the Cheviot breed, being equally hardy, 
and much more profitable from the fupe- 
rior value of their fleece*.” ‘Thefe re- 
marks appear extremely juft, and the pro- 
prietors of fheep-farms and others will do 
well to attend to this gentleman’s obferva- 
tions. The flocks belonging to this 
people may be eftimated at four or five 
{core for each family ;. or, the whole num- 
ber of fheep kept in this mountainous 
diftri&t may be computed to be about fix- 
teen hundred. ‘The greater part of the 
inhabitants are proprietors of the farms 
on which they live. 
The lower divifion of the parifh declines 
much to the north, and is fub-divided 
into three townfhips, Crofby, Mauldif- 
meaburne, and Reagill ; in all of which 
the foil is in general dry, and produces 
good crops of wheat, barley, oats, peafe, 
turnips, and potatoes, efpecially in favour- 
able and early feafons. When, however, 
the times of fowing and reaping are late 
and wet, the land is moft profitable in 
meadow and pafture ground, on account 
of its high fituation, and the herbage it 
- affords for feeding cattle. The foil of 
the more elevated lands is chiefly a hazel 
mould, but in fome fituations it confifts 
of a pretty ftrong clay. In the vallies, 
the foil is a dry limeftone gravel, which, 
as there are different ftrata of it on the deep 
banks of the river, we might be led to 
fuppofe had been wafhed thither at fome 
former period. 
There are fome woods of confiderable 
extent and beauty, confifting of afh, birch, 
hazel, holly, &c. quite in a ftate of na- 
ture. There are aifo large groves of 
Scotch firs, of great fize and value; and 
fome of the handfomelt and talleft {pruces 
any where to be met with. Thefe prin- 
cipally belong to the Earl of Lonfdale, 
who is Lord of the feveral Manors, and 
proprietor of moft of the largeft and beft 
eftates in the parifh. Meaburne-hall in 
particular, where the prefent Earl’s father 
was born, and where he refided the great- 
eft part of his life, is much and defervedly 
admired for its rural beauties. Near to 
it is a large park, well fenced round with 
a high wall of freeftone, and ftocked with 
deer. The brow above the hall is deco- 
rated with a large grove of fine Scotch 
* See Mr. Pringle’s ‘* General View of 
the Agriculture of Weitmoreland,” p. 27. 
firs, in full growth and perfe&tion. The 
edifice itfelf, built in an ancient form, 
ffands in a retired and fequeftered fitua- 
tion, witha {pacious garden and pleafures 
ground adjoining, kept in the neateft or- 
der. At the north-end of the hall is an 
opening into one of the moft beautiful - 
fields ever formed by nature and art: it 
is more than halfa mile in length, and 
rather lefs in breadth, is fheltered nearly 
on every fide, upon the rifing parts of it, 
with plantations of fir and other tall fo- 
reft-trees, and through the midf of i 
flows the river Lyvennate. His Lordthip 
is faid to take great delight in this rural 
fcenery and retreat, and has part of the 
eftate in his own occupation. The reft, 
which is very confiderable, is let to twa 
or three different tenants. 
The inhabitants breathe a fharp and 
clear air, and have been feldom fubje& to 
epidemical diftempers, the {mall pox alone 
excepted, which is reported to have made 
dreadful havock here in former times. 
Of late years, however, the baneful effects 
of that diforder have been greatly miti- 
gated by the ufe of inoculation, which 
has been brought to a ftill higher degree of 
improvement by the introduétion of the 
vaccine or cow-pox. The very learned 
and philanthropic Dr. Thornton, when 
upon avifit to Lowther-hall, in the winter 
of 1800, was the firft perfon that intro- 
duced the inoculation for the cow-pox 
into notice and repute in this part of the 
country. He proved it by the plaineft 
and {trongeft demonftrations to be a com- 
plete preventative of the {mall pox, and 
a much more fafe and eafy difeafe; after 
which he inoculated feveral hundreds, 
perhaps fome thoufands, with the vaccine 
matter, gratis. ‘he indifputable utility 
and efficacy of the vaccine-inoculation has © 
now nearly overcome the prejudice with 
which it was at firft received; and the re-= 
putation it acquired during the time of 
Dr. Thornton’s continuance in Weftmore- 
land, has been farther increafed by the 
fuccefs with which the practice of it hag 
been invariably attended ever fince. 
Nor have the profeffors of phyfic only 
inoculated -for the cow-pox: many have 
had the operation performed by perfons 
no ways connected with the faculty, and 
the event always proved fuccefsful. And 
it would perhaps be highly improper not 
to mention in this place, as a proof of 
what has been advanced, that Mr. George 
Gibfon of this parifh has inoculated for 
the cow-pox between two and three hun- 
dred perfons gratis. all of whom had. 
difeafe with the defired fuccefs, He has 
prin- 
