Galloway, the priory of Whithorn with its pertinents, of which this church was one. 崇 But when Episcopacy was finally abolished in 1689, the patronage of Kirkdale reverted to the Crown, -and the Sovereign, as patron of this church, enjoys a moiety of the patronage of the united parish with M'Culloch of Barholm. † Extent and Boundaries.-The united parish of Kirkmabreck and Kirkdale is of an irregular shape, and is about 9 miles long, and 5 miles broad. It is bounded on the north by Minnigaff; on the east, by Girthon; on the south, by Anwoth; and on the west, by the Cree and Wigton Bay. Topographical Appearances.-The general aspect of the parish is mountainous, and may be said to be formed of a succession of hills and valleys; and the ridges of mountains, which rise rapidly from the shore and intersect the parish, have a very picturesque effect, particularly from Wigtonshire. The hills are in general covered with heath, and present a variegated appearance; and the sloping banks of Kirkdale and Cassencarrie are covered for miles with beautiful copsewood, which at all times, but especially in autumn, gives a singular richness to the whole landscape. Mountains. The principal mountains in this parish are the Clints of Drumore, Craig, Pebble, Cairnharrow, Larg. These are all from 800 to 1000 feet above the level of the sea, and are principally composed of granite, greywacke, and clay-slate, and are partially covered with heath. A part of Cairnsmore is also in this parish. It is the largest as well as the highest of all the mountains in this neighbourhood, and was found by the civil-engineers employed by Government many years ago, to be 2222 feet above the level of the sea. It is wholly of granite, and partially covered with heath, and, at a little distance, it has a singularly gray and sparkling appearance. There is a plain of considerable extent upon its summit, with less heath and more soil and herbage than upon its sides. The top of Cairnsmore commands a most extensive view of many of the counties of Scotland, and of the Isle of Man, Ailsa Craig, and a part of England and Ireland. Surface and Soil.—The surface upon the hills is thin and much broken by projecting rocks. The valleys, again, are green, with a better soil, and have been considerably improved by shelling, and now yield good crops of grain and pasture. The land upon * Act. Par. v. 72. +Chalm. Cal. Vol. iii. 333. the Cree, and along the shore the whole length of the parish, is in general very good. Some table-land very superior. The soil is in some places alluvial, but is in general light; and there are several fields along the shore covered entirely with shells to a considerable depth. The shells, however, are in such a state of decomposition, that the fields have been long under tillage; and in the north end of the parish, there is a considerable field of moss at Carse walloch and Muirfad. Caves, Caverns, and Fissures.-There are several of these along this coast. Some of them are very curious, especially opposite Ravens Hall. They are frequently visited by strangers, and are well worthy of inspection. They seem to have been formed by the ebbing and flowing of the tide, and are of very considerable extent. In some places the sea has forced a passage through the rocks, and at other places it has cloven them like the granitic rocks of Hillswick Ness. There is one very remarkable cave, but being of difficult access, it is seldom visited. Its mouth is like a pit of two fathoms deep, at the bottom of which the cave diverges almost at right angles, and penetrates the rocks towards the north to a considerable distance. It is said that no person has yet explored it to the end. Tradition has claimed this as the cave of Dirk Hatterick; and the supposition is strengthened by the legends of the parish, and the striking likeness of our coast scenery to the graphic delineations of Guy Mannering. An old tower, not far from this cave, is pointed out as "Ellangowan Castle," a curious ravine, as "Meg Merrilees' Path," and a mansion on the Cree, as "Woodburn House."* There is a remarkable fissure in the Knock Down of Carsluth. The hill appears to have been split by violence at some remote period. The opposite sides of the ravine are very like, and appear to fit into each other with remarkable precision. Coast. The coast is about six miles in extent, and is in general flat, sandy, and shelly. The Kirkdale shore is rocky, bold, high, and precipitous. Meteorology.-Amongst the various prognostics of the weather spoken of in this parish, may be mentioned the peculiar and distant noise of the rising tide, and the flocking of sea-fowl to the The author is aware that this honour has been claimed for other parts of Galloway, but, it is presumed, with less appearance of probability, especially as the Bay of Wigton is referred to in Guy Mannering itself. shore, the signs which Virgil so well describes. * These are regarded by many as indications of a change of weather; and when the foam is floating plentifully upon the rising tide, or when the shadows of the trees and houses on the opposite side of the bay are reflected in the sands, these are regarded by some as never-failing signs of approaching rain; and if, at the same time, the smoke of Wigton is hanging over this town or descending towards the bay, it is affirmed that rain is at hand. The barometer generally ranges between 28 and 30 inches. By the thermometer, the mean temperature for the year may be about 47. The prevailing winds are from the south and south-west, and our severest storms of rain and snow are from the south or south-east. Climate. The climate may be considered healthy from the number of old people generally to be found in the parish. The air upon the whole is pure and dry, although for a few years the seasons have been cold and wet. The rain, even when it falls in considerable quantities, is carried off rapidly, and the lands and roads are soon left dry. The diseases most prevalent are catarrh, pleuritis, and rheumatism. From the old Statistical Account, it appears that small-pox had prevailed very much at one time in this parish, which was attributed to the prejudice of parents against vaccination. This prejudice has disappeared, although some parents still neglect to get their children vaccinated, which is a most hazardous and culpable omission. In the spring of 1836, small-pox prevailed in Creetown to a considerable extent. Six adults died who had never been vaccinated; but those who had, either escaped the disease altogether, or soon recovered from it. Hydrography.-The Bay of Wigton, which forms the western boundary of the parish, may be, in some places, about six miles wide, and nine miles long. By the ebbing of the tide, it is left nearly dry, and presents a large and smooth surface of sand, intersected by the Cree and Bladenoch. By the flowing of the tide, which occasionally rises 22 feet above the level of the river, the whole bay is one beautiful and unbroken sheet of water; and in calm weather, the hills around, and the Heavens above, and the vessels upon its surface, are reflected as in a mirror. "Cum medio celeres revolant ex æquore mergi, "Certatim largos humeris," &c. The current is considerable, both in the ebbing and flowing of the tide. Rivers.-The Cree is the only river connected with this parish. It is said to rise out of Loch-moan, where the three counties* meet, and for miles it forms not only the boundaries of Penninghame and Minnigaff, but also of the two counties, Wigton and Kirkcudbright, and finally falls into the Solway, after a course of about twenty-eight miles. From Newton-Stewart to Creetown, its course is singularly eccentric and serpentine,—and, as seen from Larg hill, it gives a charm to the whole landscape. It is navigable for small vessels to Carty. A poem, lately published, under the title of "The Rivers of Galloway," has made honourable mention of the Cree. Springs. Chalybeate springs are found in many parts of the parish, especially at Muirfad, Cuil, Falbae, Pibble, Ferryburn, Blackmire,+ &c. The one at Pibble is particularly powerful, and is occasionally frequented by invalids with much advantage. These waters have, perhaps, never been carefully analyzed, although the presence of iron, magnesia, and sulphur, may be easily detected. Geology and Mineralogy.—The lower district of the parish is clay-slate or schist of a recent formation. All the different formations of clay-slate are to be found in the parish. On some of the hills the floets trap and greywacke supersede the clay-slate, and on others the gneiss formation, particularly on the south end of Cairnsmore. Traces of the whin dike are also found in different places; and the strata that form the basis of all our mountains or hills is granite or syenite. Geologists contend that granite is never stratified. Galloway granite, however, is frequently found stratified; and in this parish the stratification is most distinct. When the granite is found in beds, it is perpendicular. In a troubled state, it has considerable dip, and scarcely any appearance of stratification. In the quarry, the strata vary in thickness from six inches to five feet; and as they appear on the surface, they generally retain the same thickness below. This fact may be of great use in searching for granite of any particular dimensions; because, if the tops are bad, as the quarry-men say, it is of no use to seek for good stuff below.§ Ayr, Wigton, and Kirkcudbright. Symson says, "Near the old kirk of Kirkmabreck there is a well which, as I am informed, proceeds from vitriol." Some strata have lately been found in the quarry much thicker. Rhind says, in his Catechism of the Natural History of the Earth, that granite The alluvial deposits covering the solid rocks of granite are principally gravel and boulders, which are dispersed over the parish in great numbers. This quarry is worthy of the inspection of geologists. Lead has been discovered in different parts of the parish, particularly at Blair-wood, Drumore, Glen, and Mark; and fine specimens of pure galena have been found in Monnipool. A copper mine was opened lately at Craigneuk, but did not succeed. Appearances of copper are also occasionally to be found in the quarry. Zoology. There are no rare species of animals to be found at present in the parish; but, from organic remains, of a peculiar formation and great size, occasionally found in the Cree, as well as from antlers of very large dimensions, there can be no doubt that animals of different kinds formerly existed in this district, which have long ago disappeared. In 1684, Symson says, that the farmers of Galloway did not kill any of their calves; and veal was only seen at the tables of a few gentlemen. And as their wealth consisted chiefly in cattle, they thought it very ill husbandry to sell for a shilling what in three years would bring them twenty shillings. The price of Galloway cattle has risen very much since Symson's time. In 1794, the three-year-olds sold at L.7; and, in 1807, at L.10. In 1814, two-year-olds were as high as L.10, and three-year-olds, L.14. And in 1839, prices were, in some cases, even higher. Of course, in the interval of these dates, many changes have taken place, and prices have been occasionally very low. This parish cannot, perhaps, claim any pre-eminence in the breeding of cattle, although some of the farmers have excellent stocks of pure "Galloways." There are also some good Ayrshire cows, which have of late been increasing. At Cassencarrie, Muirfad, and Glen, there are now pretty extensive dairies, conducted upon the Ayrshire plan. There are a few cattle in the parish of a mixed breed, consisting of crosses, between the Ayrshire, Galloway, and Irish. Mr M'Lean estimated that there would be 1600 black cattle in the parish in 1794. This number could not even now be well wintered, but many more might be grazed in summer. The native sheep of Galloway was a small handsome white-faced "is liable to be acted upon by the atmosphere, and does not withstand the elements so well as the softer and more manageable sandstone." It is the very reverse with Galloway granite, |