extraordinary annexations? Befides thefe remote portions, (which are confidered as belonging, quoad facra, to the parishes in which they are respectively fituated), the parish is of confiderable extent, ftretching from N. W. to S. E. nearly 13 miles, and varying in its breadth from I to 6 miles.

Soil and Land, Floods. The foil is various. On the high grounds it is mostly a cold wet clay. On the banks of the Tay and Ifla, it is in general a light loam. The ground is fo flat, that when these rivers are flooded, they overflow many hundred acres. Four remarkable floods have happened in the Tay, in the courfe of 30 years, in 1761, 1780, 1789 and 1791. In the fpring of the year 1790, in confequence of gradual breaches made by the river on the green Inch, below Inchtuthel, two oak trees were uncovered. The trunk of the largeft, from the root to the loweft branch, was 40 feet 6 inches long, and contained 132 feet 9 inches of folid measure. As fimilar oaks have been often difcovered near the place, by means of fimilar encroachments on the bank, in the fpring and autumnal floods, it appears in the highest degree probable, that they had grown on the fpot. Hence we are led to believe, agreeably to traditionary accounts, that the country was well wooded in former times. The Tay has undoubtedly taken various directions, at different periods, through the plain. Delvin, though now and for many ages fituated on the north, is faid to have been on the fouth fide of the river *. It seems, however, more likely that it was always occafionally

each minister was required to extend his care, was, by that circumfcription, constituted a parish. This is a pofition fo generally received in England, that the extent of a manor, and of a parish, are regularly received for each other." Bofwell's Life of Johnson, vol. I. p. 419.

See Pennant's Tour, quoted below,

fionally infulated by the Tay; and this fuppofition is favoured by its fituation, and by its ancient name, Inch-tuthel, that is, an "island in a flooded stream."

of the pa

weft parts excellent blue flates, the thousand, and are

Hills and Woods.-The north and rish are hilly, and contain quarries of which are fold on the spot at L. 1 carried to a confiderable diftance. The higher hills are covered with heath, mixed with dwarf juniper, the lower with furze and broom. They are generally of a rocky appearance. Some of the latter are clothed with natural woods of oak, afh, birch and hazel; others have been planted with firs, larches, and other forest-trees, of which large plantations have likewife been formed in the low part of the parish, within the laft 20 or 30 years; but there is still need of more woods, not only for shelter and for ornament, but also to supply the inhabitants with fuel and timber.

Climate, Distempers, &c.-The air is dry and healthy, but fenfibly different in the N. and S. parts of the parish, being temperate on the banks of the Tay and the Isla, and cold and keen on the hills*. About 50 years ago, the ague was very prevalent in the plain; but fince the marshy grounds were drained, it has difappeared. The disorders moftly to be met with, are hysterical and nervous affections, confumptions, and worms. The violent nervous fymptoms

with

Having been favoured with a state of Fahrenheit's thermometer for the last 10 years, taken at Delvin, at 11 o'clock at night, I fubjoin an abftract of the greatest and leaft heights. To this I am enabled to add a fimilar abstract of the greatest and leaft heights taken at the fame hour in Queen-Street, Edinburgh, for the fame years. From thefe abftracts an idea may be formed of the general temperature of this climate compared with that of the capital. Delvin is in 56° 33′ North Latitude.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT of the STATE of the THERMOMETER at DELVIN for 10 Years.

Abstract of the State of the Thermometer in Queen-ftreet, Edinburgh, for 10 Years.

January 48 24 48 17 47 24 52 17 51

32148 2652 23|49 34 473 47 20

20 47 25 48 32 45 28 49 34 51

with which the country people are fometimes feized, are fuppofed to be owing to their extreme inattention to their drink and clothing, when they are over heated by their fummer work. Spinning, which is the employment of the young women during the winter months, is justly reckoned the occafion of confumptions among them, by the waste of faliva requifite in that laborious exercise. Some medical practitioners think, that worms in children are the effects of their living fo much on potatoes, which they prefer to oat-meal. The people in general have weak eyes, from the fmoke of their houses, and fine teeth even to old age.

Lakes and Fifbings.-Through the middle of the Stormont, runs a chain of small lakes, The lochs of Craiglufh, of Lows, of Butterftown, of Cluny, and of Drumelie. They are connected by the rivulet or burn of Lunan; which taking its rise in the first, passes through all the reft, and at its mouth, where it falls into the Ila, forms the eastern boundary of this parish. The three first mentioned lochs are wholly in the parish, and it touches the other two on their fouth fides. Excellent pikes, perches, trouts, and eels, are found in them. The falmon fishing in the Tay is now inconfiderable; and the price is fo much enhanced by the great demand for the London market, that little is left for the use of the country. The falmon caught in the Ifla is inferior both in fize and quality to that in the Tay.

Migratory Birds. Of these, the cuckoo, fwallow, lapwing, fandy-lark, plover, rail or corncraik, seagull, fea-magpie, pictarny or kittywake, curlew or whaap, and clocharet, are fummer birds. The fieldfare, woodcock, and wildgeefe, are winter birds. The fwallow appears about the 14th of April; the earliest time of the cuckoo's being heard, is the 25th of April, but ufually not before the 2d

ΟΙ

or 3d of May. It is heard till the 10th of June, and last year, as late as the 3d of July.

Population. It is a fubject of regret, that the feffion records of country parishes have been generally kept in a manner fo flovenly and negligent, that it is now almost impoffible to form a just estimate of their population a century ago, or even lefs. There is also a peculiar difficulty in making such an estimate with regard to this parish. Previous to the year 1728, its population was greater than it could be expected to be at any fubfequent period; because those distant parts (already noticed) which are locally fituated in Cluny and Kinloch, and those which are immediately adjacent to the town of Dunkeld on the N. and W. were then Joined respectively to thefe parishes quoad facra, in confequence of a formal recommendation of the Prefbytery; and from that time ceased to be under the inspection of the minifter of Caputh. With respect to the following lists taken from the parish-register, it is to be remarked, 1. That many children in diftant parts of the parish, not being baptized by the minifter, are neglected to be registered by the parents. 2. That many of the inhabitants bury in other parishes, and never pay the tax imposed by act of Parliament in 1783, which, being unpopular, is not collected in fome places. No accurate conclufion, therefore, can be drawn from thefe lifts of