The duty on coal, for burning lime into manure, falls very heavy, and the taking it off, would not only operate as an encouragement to the farmer, but might tend much to the improvement of the country in general.

Animals, Birds, &c.-The animals of the wild kind are chiefly hares, foxes, weafels, and polecats. The birds are, crows of different kinds, especially the rook, the raven, and the carion crow; partridges, black birds, herons, thrushes, sky and wood-larks; magpies, robins, wrens, linnets, goldfinches, bulfinches, wood-pigeons, hawks of different fpecies. Gulls are found to flock hither before a ftorin from the fea, and we have prodigious flocks of sparrows, which are peculiarly destructive to early grain. There is likewife found here in gardens, about the fruit season, a bird called by fome the oofal, faid to be but a recent visitor in this part of the country, pretty much refembling the blackbird, only of a lighter dun colour. It devours fmall fruit very voraciously. We have three fpecies of the swallow. Our migratory birds are the cuckoo and fwallow, which last makes its appearance in May, and difappears about the end of October. The moor of Pert furnishes the lapwing, appearing in March, and disappearing about the end of harvest. In that moor alfo are plovers, wild ducks of different fpecies, fnipes, and wild geefe, which, though they do not neft here, lodge in the moor, fometimes in hundreds during the night. The parish also breeds a confiderable number of black cattle of a middling fize.

Population. According to the return made to DrWebfter, the numbers were then 696. There can be no document found for ascertaining with precifion the state of the population here at a very early period. It appears from the

feffion

the

feffion register, that between the years 1720 and 1730, number of births each year, at an average, was from 20 to 24, the number of marriages from 4 to 7, and the number of deaths from 12 to 16; from which it should seem, that the population then was nearly as great as at present. There are two circumftances which have tended much to diminish the population here, as well as in feveral places of this neighbourhood, the monopoly of farms, and the different mode of farming which has of late years been adopted. There are in this parish fundry instances of two or more farms having been joined into one, which must occafion a diminution of tenants; and as feveral of the farmers now make use of hired fervants in place of cottagers, and plough with one man and two horses, in place of two men and four horses formerly used; this, likewife, though no doubt a more œconomical scheme, is le favourable to population, and tends to the decrease of numbers. Owing to these causes, the number of individuals would be reduced below what it formerly was, were it not for two other cau. fes, proving more than an overbalance, the limeworks already mentioned, and fome bleach fields, &c. in the district of Logie, which afford employment to a confiderable number of hands. The amount of the population in the month of February this year (1791) was about 999 individuals, of whom 469 were males, 530 females. None refide in towns, one family excepted, who generally refide for some months during the winter season in Montrofe. There is likewife a lady with her maid-servant, not included in the above amount, who refide during the fummer in the old manfe of Logie. There are only two places in the parish, which, with any sort of propriety, can be called villages, viz. North Water Bridge, and Mains of Craigo, the one containing only about 70 individuals, and the other about 60. The annual average of births for 7 years last past,

has

has been nearly 24; of deaths between II and 12; of marriages more than 5. Of the 999, there were under the age of 10,

From 10 to 20,

230

202

From 20 to 50,

From 50 to 70,

From 70 to 100,

377

163

27

Of these about 6 or 7 are 80 and upwards, none of them, however, have arrived at 90.-The number of farmers having families, and who earn a livelihood by farming, is about 36. Of these about 5 or 6 pay from L. 100 to L. 200 Sterling of yearly rent; the second class from L. 20 to L. 50 or more; and the third class from L. 5 or L. 6 to L. 20. Befides thefe, there are feveral who occupy fmall tacks, which they hold chiefly of landed proprietors; but which, being infufficient for their subsistence, they have recourse at times to hiring for manual labour, or exercise fome trade, fuch as weaving, &c. In this parish, besides the bleachers and millers afterwards to be mentioned, and thofe employed under them, there are 5 fmiths, 2 coopers, 9 wrights, 4 mafons, 10 weavers, 7 tailors, 4 fhoemakers, 1 butcher, I dyer, 4 merchants or fhopkeepers, 2 flax-dreffers, and about 20 apprentices and journeymen in whole under these. A few hands are occafionally employed in falmon-fishing, one ferryman at the boat of Craigo, feveral miners employed at the limeworks, a few household fervants, above 80 labouring fervants, male and female, and 2 ftudents. More than one third is fuppofed have been born in other parishes or diftricts of Scotland. There is no nobility refident in the parish; of gentlemen heritors 2 refide, 3 are non-refident. There is one furgeon, who was in the n vy.-All our people are of the Established Church, except 2 or 3 Seceders, 8 or 10 Epifcopalians, and about half a dozen of perfons, who call themfelves Bereans; no Roman Catholics.-The annual births

are to the whole population, nearly in the proportion of 1 to 42. Suppofing both parties parishioners, the proportion between the annual marriages and the whole population would be nearly as 1 to 99; but as it frequently happens, that fome one of the parties married belongs to a different parish, this muft vary the proportion accordingly, and make it confiderably lefs. The annual deaths to the whole population, may be, on an average, as I to 86 or 90. The number of married men having houses is about 160; the number of bachelors having ditto, 14, and widowers having ditto, 10. Each marriage, at an average, produces between. 4 and 5 children. None were ever known here to have died for want. The people in general being fober and induftrious, fuch crimes as murder and robbery are unknown. One or two fome years ago emigrated to America, though from no neceffity, or want of good employment at home. None have been banished from the parish as far back as can be remembered. A few cottages have been fuffered to fall, but others in general have been built in lieu of them. The number of inhabited houses is about 224, and the number of persons at an average to each inhabited house, is between 4 and 5.

in

Manufactures, &c.-The following are the principal : Two master bleachers refiding with their families, one at the bleachfield of Logie, the other at the bleachfield of Craigo. At Logie bleachfield, belonging to a company Montrofe, who have the field in tack from the proprietor of Craigo, there is a complete apparatus for bleaching of thread, and the quantity bleached here annually is from 60,000 to 70,000 spindles, which is almost wholly difpofed of at the London market. This work, which was fet a-going about 30 years fince, but which has of late been on the increase, affords employment each season to about 40 hands, VOL. IX.

F

men,

men, women, and boys. Finding their own victuals, they receive of wages from 3 s. to 5 s. a-week, according to their age and expertness at the business.-Craigo bleachfield,. which is likewife rented from the proprietor of Craigo by a gentleman in Montrofe, is at prefent fubfet to a bleacher. It was formerly used for bleaching of thread, but is now chiefly employed for whitening cloth. It affords work during the proper season to 6 or 7 hands, at about 8d. aday. Both fields lie on the banks of the Northefk, within half a mile of one another. The rent is extremely moderate, only a good deal has been laid out on proper houses, machinery, &c. At the mill of Craigo, befides the mill for grinding meal, there is a mill for cleaning yarn for the duck manufacture, and brown sheeting; it likewise contains an apparatus for beating coarse thread, and furnishes pretty constant work for 3 hands, each of whom may earn at the rate of 10d. a day Here also is a flax mill, employed in breaking and fcutching flax, after a much improved method, at the rate of at least 1500 ftones avoirdupoise yearly. This mill gives conftant employment to about 8 hands, each earning from 7 s. 6 d. to 9 s. a-week. The flax wrought here is all for home confumption. Near the above is a waukmill and dyehouse. At the mill of Logie, befides a meal and barley mill, there is hard by the river fide a fnuff mill, held in feu from Craigo by a merchant in Montrofe. Between 30 and 40 years ago, when this mill was first erected, and when importation of tobacco was allowed at the port of Montrofe, there were annually manufactured here, and fold at about I s. the lb. for exportation, near 40,000 lb. fnuff. Since the importation of tobacco at Montrose was prohibited, this manufacture has confiderably declined. Tobacco for this mill is now conveyed coaftwife by the Canal from Glafgow. There is now only one perfon employed here, and about 5000 lb. of fnuff annual

ly