1801.] 
or fometimes only a fod, fitted thereto as 
a fubltitute for glafs; this is removed in 
the day-time to admit the light, and is 
replaced during night to prevent the cold; 
as to thieves, they are rarely difturbed 
with them. Fuel is very expenfive here ; 
peat is often at a contidetable diftance, 
and there is no coal nearer than Tindle 
Fell, which is about five miles beyond 
Brampton, in Cumberland. I have ob- 
ferved all along that the pigs of the ‘cot- 
tagers are tethered in the fields and lanes, 
by a {tring being tied round their necks, 
and faftened to a ftake —An unnatural 
mode of confinement! A mile or two be- 
fore I arrive at Lockerby, the road paffes 
a church-yard, the church of which-is in 
ruins: this is on the fide of ariver, which, 
in every flood, wafhes away part of the 
burial ground. The depredations it is 
making among the tombs of the deceafed 
are great, and one is ftruck with horror 
onbeholding the ends of coffins and human 
bones flicking out of the bank, and ex- 
poled to open day. Here I happened to 
be overtaken by an old farmer, who was 
travelling to Lockerby ; and as I had jut 
been viewing the filent manfions of the 
dead, I was prepared for a religious con- 
verfation, in which my companion readily 
concurred. He had never been in Eng- 
Jand, but he had heard much of the im- 
piety of the Englifh people, particularly 
in their breaking the fabbath with impu- 
nity, a praétice which he zealoufly in- 
veighed againft, and obferved, that, were 
any perfons fo depraved in this country, 
they would be feverely cenfured in public 
by the minifter. An inftance of Englith 
impiety in this way had come within his 
knowledge ; two Englifhmen then in Scot- 
land had been employed by the minifter to 
killa lamb for him on a Saturday evening ; 
but, whether from their having drank too 
frecly of whifky, or fome other caufe, the 
bufinefs was poftponed till the fabbath 
morning. This wicked aétion was at- 
tempted to be kept fecret, tut was foon 
difcovered by this means:—-The minifter’s 
maid, about to drefs a joint of the animat~ 
for dimmer, difcovered a warmth in the 
meat, and, immediately fufpe&ting the 
caufe, ran half affrighted to her matter 
with the intelligence. ‘The parfon ordered 
au inquelt to be taken of the affair: the 
Envglithmen denied the charge, and made 
an artful defence ; but one fpecies of evi- 
dence corroborated another fo clearly 
againf them, that they were found guilty : 
the ftory foon {pread about the neighbour- 
hood, and they were generally defpifed af- 
terwatds.’ ‘This, and. other fimilar ree 
‘Montrury Mac. No. 69, | 
Mer. Houfman’s Tour in Scotland. 
33 
fie&tions, confirmed me in opinion that 
the Scots peafantry are more religions than 
people of their clafs in England ; and thus 
they will probably remain, peaceable, 
pious, and happy, unlefs where manu- 
facture gains admittance, and draws after 
her riches, luxury, and their ofval train 
of evils. We reached Lockerby, and E 
parted. relu&tantly with my old farmer. 
This town is fmall, but tolerably neat. 
The evening approached, and T proceeded 
towards Ecclefechan, which is fix miles 
from hence. The vale continues to ex- 
tend, but the country appears ftill more 
wild, and there is much open field. There 
are, however, tracts of good land, well 
inclofed with fine thorn kedges, to be met 
with occafionally, and which fetches 305. 
per acre. After crofling the water of 
Milk, and paffing a lately ere&ted feat 
belonging to General Rofs, I prefently 
arrived oppofite Burnfwark, which is about 
a mile diftant onthe left. The mountain 
itfelf is not high, but feated on an elevated 
fite, which makes it fo confpicuous in 
every dire&tion. Its fides are regularly 
floped, green, and fmooth, and form good 
fheep-walks. Its bafe is cultivated, and 
the top is flat, and covered with peat 
mofs. The country now puts on rather 
a barren afpeét ; the hills lower ftill more, 
and we fee over an irregular furface as far 
as Criffel, in Galioway. A gravelly clay 
prevails much here, and oats are the prine 
cipal grain -cultivated. I foon arrive at 
Ecclefechan, which is a fmall market- 
town, orlarge village, rather fituated low, . 
but no high hills near it. This town 
confifts of one open ftreet, with fome goed 
houfes, and a brock runs along it. No 
manufacture is carried on here, and much 
of its confequence ig derived from the 
road between Londen and Edinburgh, 
which paffes through it. Ecclefechan is 
furrounded with fome pleafant and fertile 
fields. Lime is got at a {mail diftance, 
‘and peats are chiefly ufed for fuel. 
July 27 I left Ecclefechan and arrived 
at Gorby, 30 miles. I had not gone far 
from the former place before the face of 
the country began to put on a more’ wild 
afpe€than heretofore. I now enter Sir 
William™Maxwell’s extenfive eftate, and 
turn a little ‘to-the left by way of Spring- 
kell. This feat is beautifully fituated in 
a pleafant fpot, half-covered with wood, 
which has the appearance of a large park. 
It feems a paradife perched in a cefert ; 
for the grounds on almoft every fide have 
a naked barren appearance. Springkell 
is the principal refidepce of the worthy 
baronet, whiofe ‘time and attention is | 
¥ . 
chiefly 
